Why is it that “the right to bear arms” is enshrined in the Constitution, but the right to vote isn’t?

Adam Winkler’s Gunfight is a book of contradictions: a dispassionate book about a passionately debated topic, a sane book about competing insanities, a page-turner about legal doctrine and obscure bits of history, a piece of serious scholarship combined with journalistic flair.

News from an alternate Earth where the NRA advocates as fiercely for its members as the AARP does.

I really hope this video of the shooting doesn’t get leaked, but just the retelling of it reinforces what Cheney leaned toward today. Jared Loughner, a determined individual, ran up and shot dozens of people at close range, and only ended his rampage when he had to reload, providing a moment of opportunity for the victims. Nobody had any chance of stopping him at any other point; the only heroic acts available to them were to shield other bystanders and sacrifice themselves. Loughner’s victims never knew what hit them. “More guns” in this case would have amounted to nothing; in fact, the one person with a gun who came running out to aid in the situation almost wound up shooting an innocent man.

One of the things that maybe surprised everyone after the assassination attempt on Gabrielle Giffords is the fact that the United States has not had a confirmed director of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms for four and a half years. Potential directors nominated by George Bush and Barack Obama alike, both of whom seemed to have the proper credentials for the job, were immediately opposed by the NRA. They objected to unbelievably minor transgressions on the part of the nominees, like revoking gun licenses of sellers who broke the law, and opposing giant .50 caliber bullets. And they were quickly able to find a US Senator to take up their cause and block confirmation.

The vitriol-filled right is busily trying to refute its role in creating the environment in which Jared Loughner carried out his horrendous attack on Saturday when Representative Gabrielle Giffords was holding a “Congress on Your Corner” meeting at a Tucson Safeway. While much of the walk-back by hate radio and hate politicians is in response to Pima County Sheriff Clarence Dupnik’s condemnation of Arizona as “the Mecca for prejudice and bigotry”, another aspect of Dupnik’s experience-based comments deserves equal attention. At the same news conference, Dupnik “criticize[d] the Arizona Legislature for pushing to allow weapons pretty much everywhere.” He then went so far as to say “[Tucson] is the tombstone of the United States of America.” That is an incredibly important point that should not be overlooked as the country looks to move on from this tragedy. Just as we need to dial back the hate in our social and political discourse, we also need to change the atmosphere which has idolized guns to the point that they are actively encouraged in state legislative buildings and where automatic weapons are given away with the purchase of a truck.

Thank you so much for all you’ve done to create motive and opportunity for this endless rolling tragedy of violence against liberals and Democrats. But why do you refuse to take any credit for your achievement?

Democrats had not enjoyed complete control for almost two decades when they won the House, Senate and Presidency in 2008. I would think in that time they would have developed a huge laundry list of minor reforms and structural changes that would help increase the vote among their core constituencies. Yet, look back the past two years, little appears to have been done. It is as if the party is incapable of strategic thinking.

I’m terribly confused. Is the GOP the Law and Order Anti-Terrorist Party, or the Protect Serial Killers and Let Any Random Maniac Buy a Gun Party?

Scott Brown, last seen not committing to vote for the financial reform bill, last seen not voting to extend unemployment, last seen not interested in a climate bill or an immigration bill, apparently holds the key to the DISCLOSE Act, according to Senate Democrats, who plan to try to pass the campaign finance law in the chamber in July.