Shorter Bob Casey: I Hope Your Kids Get Shot
Baucus (D-MT), Yea
Bayh (D-IN), Yea
Begich (D-AK), Yea
Bennet (D-CO), Yea
Byrd (D-WV), Yea
Casey (D-PA), Yea
Conrad (D-ND), Yea
Dorgan (D-ND), Yea
Feingold (D-WI), Yea
Hagan (D-NC), Yea
Klobuchar (D-MN), Yea
Kohl (D-WI), Yea
Landrieu (D-LA), Yea
Leahy (D-VT), Yea
Lincoln (D-AR), Yea
Merkley (D-OR), Yea
Nelson (D-FL), Yea
Nelson (D-NE), Yea
Pryor (D-AR), Yea
Reid (D-NV), Yea
Sanders (I-VT), Yea
Shaheen (D-NH), Yea
Specter (D-PA), Yea
Tester (D-MT), Yea
Udall (D-CO), Yea
Warner (D-VA), Yea
Webb (D-VA), Yea
Wyden (D-OR), Yea
Democrats who supported an amendment to credit crad reform allowing people to carry loaded concealed weapons in national parks
Sometimes the outrage meter gets pinned so hard, I can’t even summon the energy to write. So bear with me.
Last week, Elmer Smith wrote about two profiles in courage stupid: Bob Casey and Arlen Specter:
I’m speaking here of Bob Casey and our on-again, off-again Democrat, Arlen Specter. They were among 27 Senate Democrats who, in a rare kumbaya moment, joined hands with 39 Republicans to back an amendment to permit the carrying of loaded firearms at Independence Hall and other National Parks.
The amendment, which purports to be a measure “protecting Americans from Violent Crime,” cites the Second Amendment right to bear arms as a reason to overturn long-standing regulations prohibiting firearms on some federal preserves.
The scope of this monumental legislation takes in every national park, wildlife refuge or national monument in America from sea to shining sea. It would allow armed tourists to carry everything from pistols to AK-47s and other assorted assault weapons.
Bambi, beware.
But, wait, it gets better. Neither of the distinguished gentlemen from Pennsylvania had the guts to introduce this steaming cow flop as a piece of standalone legislation.
Instead, they joined the clever cabal who affixed this Davy Crockett throwback to the credit-card reform bill in the cloistered confines of a committee room before quietly passing it in a “public” vote on Tuesday.
that generated a few calls last week, which I don’t believe I transcribed. This morning, the situation got worse:
Advocates of gun rights are poised to win a Congressional victory that eluded them under a Republican president.
To the frustration and discouragement of many Democrats, House and Senate lawmakers and aides say it now appears likely that President Obama will this week sign into law a provision allowing visitors to national parks and refuges to carry loaded and concealed weapons.
The White House is lukewarm at best on the gun provision, which was added to a popular measure imposing new rules on credit card companies. But the Democrats who now control both Congress and the White House appear ready to allow it to survive rather than derail a consumer-friendly credit card measure that Mr. Obama is eager to sign as Congress heads off for a Memorial Day recess.
That’s right: thanks in no small part to pro-life Bob Casey, when you visit Independence Hall, located in the heart of one of the 15 most dangerous cities in the US, you now have a better chance that your kid could get shot.
When i called senator Casey this morning, I hadn’t planned to discuss his fervent wish to see your kids get shot: rather, I was calling to find out if he supported Harry Reid and the Senate leadership’s cowardly move to keep Guantanamo open for business.
Riiiiing….riiiiiing
“Hello, Senator Casey’s office!”
“Hi Brendan Skwire calling. I’m a constitutent from Philadelphia. I want to know if Bob Casey’s on board with Harry Reid’s whole “we’re scared of terrorists in supermax prisons” thing. I know he’s not the brightest bulb in the Christmas tree so–”
“Sir, that’s uncalled for.”
“Oh really?,” I shot back. “I’m sorry, but i don’t know how else to characterize someone who thinks people should be allowed to tote loaded concealed weapons in national parks. Stupid is as stupid does, ya know.”
“Well it wasn’t a vote,” said the flack. “It was an amendment, and the Senator feels strongly about Second amendment rights. I’m not even sure he had anything to do with it.”
“Oh that’s right, it was an amendment. But he had plenty to do with it, that’s what the newspapers say. And what they said was that he didn’t have the guts to propose a stand-alone bill,instead he just supported this backdoor “maybe no one will see” amendment to a bill pertaining to credit cards. what the hell does THAT have to do with guns?”
“Look, the Senator strongly supports gun ownersh–”
“yes so strongly he’s afraid to stand up and proudly demonstrate that he wants people popping off guns in our national parks, which we have quite a few of in Philadelphia. You know, one of the most violent places in the state? why does Bob Casey want my kids to get shot, i thought he was pro-life?”
“Sir, he’s a second–”
“Yes, yes, i know. That’s not even why i called, let’s get back to that shall we? So as i was saying, since Bob supports dumb amendments on guns, I can’t take his intelligence for granted OK? And so I’m calling because I want to know if he supports Harry Reid’s equally dumb plan to keep Guantanamo open rather than put these prisoners in our own justice system?
“Because let’s face it,” i continued, “we all know for a fact that many of the people imprisoned there are 100% innocent of anything. How is it justice if they remain in this legal limbo?”
“Sir, i assure you Senator Casey supports policies that keep Americans safe.”
“Which is why I called,” I added. “Because keeping Gitmo open keeps us LESS safe. People all over the Middle east and the world are deeply resentful of the way the so-called “leader of the free world” is denying justice and a fair shake to these inmates. Oh, and tell me: how many terrorists do we already have in our prisons? has Eric Rudolph escaped? Did Tim McVeigh or Terry Nichols escape? or that blind sheik that tried to blow up the World Trade Center in 1993? Isn’t he locked up for life in a SuperMax? Does Senator Casey even know that?”
“Sir, I assure you he knows that.”
“Well, that’s something anyway. Listen, I want you to pass a message along to Senator Casey: Americans aren’t cowards like Harry Reid or the Republicans. Our standard criminal justice system has already demonstrated that it can effectively deal with terrorists. By denying our standard policies, america is made less safe, and indeed this threatens the rights of ordinary Americans too. Will you pass that along?
“I mean ferchrissakes,” I added, “the USA incarcerates more people than just about anywhere else in the world. We’re always locking people up, and building and staffing prisons is a huge industry here. You’d figure Bob would be all about the jobs a new supermax would provide. So tell him i don’t want him supporting this cowardly sop to the republicans. Maybe Harry Reid’s a scaredy cat, but that doesn’t mean Senator Casey has to be. Think you can pass that along?”
“Yes, yes, I’ll pass your message along,” the guy sighed, exasperated and getting a bit angry.
“Oh and one more thing, and this is related to Senator Casey’s gun fetish.”
“He doesn’t have a–”
“I want to see senator casey support the public option for health care reform.”
what you should know is that since the debate on health care reform began, whenever you call Senator Casey’s office the person answering the phone has a script that’s been memorized (i can tell because they all say it). “Senator Casey looks forward to working with the President and his colleagues in Congress and the senate to pass—”
“Yeah yeah, I’ve heard the boilerplate script a dozen times,” I interrupted. “Looks forward blah blah.m Listen, here’s the reason he should support the public option. Thanks to Senator Casey’s love for guns, there’s an increased risk kids in Philadelphia are going to get shot at Independence Hall. We all know how violent Philly is, and we all know that there are a lot of poor people who can’t afford health insurance. So Senator Casey the gun-lover should support a public option, so when children get shot because of him, their parents will be able to get the bullets extracted at a reasonable rate. Can you make sure he gets the message?”
“Yes sir,” the guy spat. “And thank you SOOOO much for your pleasant phone call and kind words,” he added icily.
“You know you love me!” I said, “I’m Mr. Sunshine! And hey, don’t shoot anyone in the face!”
And then I hung up. They HATE me at Bob Casey’s office. Which is fine: I want people who think it’s OK to put children and families in danger to hate me.
May 20th, 2009 at 1:33 pm
[...] View original post here: Shorter Bob Casey: I Hope Your Kids Get Shot [...]
May 20th, 2009 at 4:15 pm
Brendan-
Maybe I’m a wingnut on this subject. This law allows bearers of concealed firearms permits to carry concealed handguns in national parks.
To have a ‘carry permit’, one must have a clean criminal background (no felonies, violent misdemeanors or restraining orders). People who take the step to have these permits are more law abiding than the population in general. These people don’t pose a significant risk to your (or Bob Brady’s) children.
It’s still illegal for someone with a criminal record or without a license to carry a firearm in a national park, just like it is elsewhere (Vermont excepted).
Heck- Donno and I have carried (licensed) pistols at one time. Do you consider either of us a threat to you or Sam?
May 20th, 2009 at 5:23 pm
[...] visited the parks. Brendan made the phone call. [...]