Paul Revere by Cyrus Dallin, North End, Boston

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Friday, December 4, 2015

Congressional Republicans Overwhelmingly Support Selling Firearms to People on the U.S. Terrorist Watch List, As Well As Felons and the Mentally Ill



From today's New York Times editorial:


While the nation suffered through the shock of another bloody massacre, on Thursday every Senate Republican except Mark Kirk of Illinois voted against legislation to prevent people on the F.B.I.’s consolidated terrorist watchlist from purchasing guns or explosives. 

 The measure has been introduced repeatedly since 2007. The Government Accountability Office has documented that over years of congressional blockage, hundreds of suspected terrorists on the watchlist bought guns. 

 Another bill that would have expanded background checks to gun show and online firearms sales to screen out convicted felons and the mentally ill also failed on Thursday. The four Republican senators running for president — Ted Cruz, Marco Rubio, Rand Paul and Lindsey Graham — all turned up to vote against these common-sense measures. 

 “If you need proof that Congress is a hostage to the gun lobby, look no further than today’s vote,” said Senator Dianne Feinstein, who sponsored the terror watchlist measure.



Let that sink in. Every Republican but ONE and every Republican in Congress running for the GOP presidential nomination want people on the U.S. terrorist watch list -- POTENTIAL MASS KILLERS (as well as felons and the mentally unstable) -- to be able to purchase firearms, with no restraints. 

These cowards, and the people who support them, are the same people who never shut up about President Obama being a "secret Muslim," who isn't doing enough to keep the US safe, so therefore he must be on the side of ISIS. But it isn't President Obama who voted to allow people on the terrorist watch list as well as felons and the mentally unstable to own firearms, it is the very people who believe Mr. Obama is siding with the terrorists.

Can someone explain that insanity?

Don't forget, the people who support the GOP are the same whose heads explode whenever a mass shooter turns out to have a Muslim name, or background. 

IMO by supporting the legislators who vote to allow people on the US terrorist watch list, felons, and the mentally ill to freely purchase all the firearms they want is to support more mass murders -- domestic terrorism. 

It doesn't take a brain surgeon to figure that out.



Eugene Robinson at the Washington Post:


The common denominator in mass shootings is the use of firearms. Variables such as political ideology, religious fervor and mental illness are motivating factors, but death comes from the gun. Until our society recognizes that simple truth, the list of place names to which Colorado Springs and San Bernardino were recently added will have no end.



 It's abundantly clear that an overwhelming number Congressional Republicans and a small number of Democrats have no problem with the mass shootings in this country, their useless and phony "thoughts and prayers" notwithstanding.








18 comments:

Ducky's here said...

At the moment I want to know why citizens need to buy body armor.

The issue of the NRA resisting restrictions to firearms for "No Fly" listed individuals
has been around for a while.

The right will keep the status quo and have us continue to accept the new normal.
Meanwhile they will also focus on Muslim violence despite the numerous shooting that
have had nothing to do with Muslims.

Ducky's here said...

"Hate to think its only just begun"

I play this every so often. It was released in the early 70's.

Prescient.

Laura's Own Vest said...


The Rethugs aren't looking for solutions. They're only interested in sucking up to the NRA.

Anonymous said...




Now, come on kids you really in good faith cant continue to blame every misfortune on the Republicans. Doesn't some of these screw up rest on the steps of the White House? Hasn't this administration become just a bit feckless?

(O)CT(O)PUS said...

Bill Moyers and Michael Winship summarize the situation as follows:

For reasons hard to fathom, the Republicans seem to have made up their minds: they will divide, degrade and secede from the Union.

They will do so with bullying, lies and manipulation, a willingness to say anything, no matter how daft or wrong. They will do so by spending unheard of sums to buy elections with the happy assistance of big business and wealthy patrons for whom the joys of gross income inequality are a comfortable fact of life. By gerrymandering and denying the vote to as many of the poor, the elderly, struggling low-paid workers, and people of color as they can. And by appealing to the basest impulses of human nature: anger, fear and bigotry.


You can read the rest of this commentary here.

There is no reasonable way to have a reasonable discussion with unreasonable people. From this day forward, I consider myself AT WAR with the Republican Party!

Shaw Kenawe said...



Anon: "Now, come on kids you really in good faith cant continue to blame every misfortune on the Republicans. Doesn't some of these screw up rest on the steps of the White House? Hasn't this administration become just a bit feckless?"

No. President Obama has been calling for background checks since Sandy Hook. The GOP and a few Democrats have voted against ANY new gun laws whatsoever, even background checks that 92% of Americans want, that police chiefs want, and that A MAJORITY of gun owners and NRA membership want. The GOP controlled Congress defeated background checks, defeated stopping people on the terrorist watch list, felons, and mentally ill people from acquiring guns.

How is the GOP stopping every gun bill have anything to do with Mr. Obama? I'm tired of people who try to make this a two siderist issue. It isn't. The GOP and a few Democrats are in the pocket of the criminal NRA.

Les Carpenter said...

Anonymous @ 2:19 AM sounds an awfully lot like Rusty Shackleford from the Smut Hut, aka The Stench Trench, aka The Shit Pit.

Time stamp coincides with a lot of his activity as well. By it could be just coincidental.

Call Me Hank said...

The Stupid Party denizens are now blaming Obama for the increase of mass shootings during his presidency. Theyre not called the Stupid Party for nuthin'. Blaming Obama for the increase of mass shootings over the flast 7 years is like blaming him for the car accidents and house fires. The Stupids of the Stupid Party don't seem to understand (because: Stupid) that each state is responsible for the laws governing gun ownership, and Obama has been calling for better gun control for years. Background checks, not allowing people on the terrorist list to buy guns, and the REPUBLICANS in Congress have all stopped any change in any federal gun laws. So when we see more gun deaths we're seeing the result of unfettered sales of guns to any mentally crazed person, any potential terrorist, and any irresponsible gun owner in the country, all brought to us by the Republcan Party and the NRA.

The Stupids in the Stupid Party never take ownership for the results of their stupidities in not calling for uniform federal laws on gun ownership.

Shaw Kenawe said...


RN, a lot of Lisa's trolls come here under the guise of "Anonymous" --brave aren't they?

But the odor from the Stench Trench, Skank Tank, Smut Hut, (and this new one, thanks to a commenter here), Shit Pit is undeniable. You're probably correct.

Shaw Kenawe said...

Hank,

I haven't seen that, but I'm not surprised. The Tea Party GOPers do nothing and then blame Obama for the results of doing nothing.

Shaw Kenawe said...

(O)CT(O)PUS,

"...a willingness to say anything, no matter how daft or wrong."

That describes their current front-runner for the Tea Party GOP nomination, Donald Trump. The only people he hasn't insulted yet are Slovenian orphans. But stay tuned.

Shaw Kenawe said...

Laura,

Yes. I've noticed that.

Shaw Kenawe said...

Ducky, thanks for the link. I hadn't heard him. Very beautiful.

dunkinville said...

didn't skudrunner know that his Goopers voted down NOT allowing mentally ill people to purchase guns? Does skudrunner think the Goopers give a ratsass about helping mentally ill people when the idiots think it's fine for them owning and operating guns?

does skudrunner have any mental unstable people around his neighborhood with Glocks? Does he have a family? Would mentally unstable people with semi-automatic weapons make him feel SAFE?

that's what his party thinks is okay.

Paula said...

"President Obama is on the job and using his trademark caution and due diligence before making pronouncements. At the same time, he’s doing what a good president needs to do when the nation has been shaken to its core by the kind of unthinkable violence demonstrated in the San Bernardino attacks — he’s out front, calming nerves, and leading."

But the Fright Wingers are not happy with Obama being calm and thoughtful before making any pronouncements. They'd prefer a man like Trump who promises to kill or deport all Muslims, American or not, or to make non-Muslim Americans spy on their Muslim neighbors and turn them into the police even if they even SUSPECT something-- anything. IOW, today's right wingers would like to use totalitarian tactics to solve the terrorist problems. Something a communist country or even a radical religionist Middle Eastern country would do. I've read their blogs and know they really want a Trump or any other maniac to win the presidency and carry out their dream of turning this country into a police state and a country where everyone is locked and loaded, so that if they even suspect someone with a beard is suspicious, they can blow their heads off. That is not an exaggeration, it's what they're writing on their blogs and what they want to turn this country into.

Les Carpenter said...

Trump and the rightwing = Fascism

Anonymous said...



Now Twinkies....you are just being silly. Obama was quick to act and voice his opinion on Trayvon Martin or Furguson or that goof ball prof and the beer summit. Yet he has been a bit silent on this, he doesn't strike one as a leader...now, does he.

Paula said...

Anonymous said...

"Now Twinkies....you are just being silly. Obama was quick to act and voice his opinion on Trayvon Martin or Furguson or that goof ball prof and the beer summit. Yet he has been a bit silent on this, he doesn't strike one as a leader...now, does he."

There was only one other person involved in the killing of Trevon Martin and it was George Zimmerman -- that was a known known. And only one person and one policeman involved in the Ferguson killing. "That goof ball prof?" Is a distinguished Harvard professor who was arrested while being black in his own home even when he produced evidence that he was in his own home. The president spoke the truth when he said the Cambridge cop was stupid. He was.

You think you know what a leader is when the leader for the Tea Party GOP nomination is a vulgar, insult machine that has the worst record in presidential politics for telling the truth about anything? His qualifications for the presidency? He's rich, he can out-shout and out insult anyone who disagrees with him, and most important to those who made a career out of insulting Michelle Obama, the Trumper's third wife can be seen all over the internet showing off her tantalizingly large Slovenian breasts and ample buttocks for all the world to ogle. There's a "classy" combination for the Tea Party GOP White HOuse: A short-fingered vulgarian and his exhibitionist third wife who'll show her titties and hoo-ha for anyone who asks!

Good work, Tea Pee-ers on choosing the perfect couple to represent what America looks like in the eyes of the rest of the world