What Barry's doin for 'Merica

[topgroove]

Two encouraging signs from the Obama White House January 22, 2009 05:16 AMNeither is going to do much for the economy, but President Barack Obama issued a couple of executive orders in his first full day on the job that bode well for open, accountable government. We'll have to see how he sticks to them as situations develop. Executive orders, after all,.are always subject to subsequent executive orders. But these are encouraging.The first order drew some bright lines between lobbyists and the government, which has become a revolving door situation with elected and appointed officials often "trading up" on their public service connections to become influential and better-paid agents for special interests. Under the new rules, any former lobbyist who takes a job in the Obama administration - and there are a few - is barred from working on any issues for which they used to lobby. And perhaps more importantly, any administration official who leaves has to agree not to lobby the government on anything for two years. The point of public service should not be about bolstering a resume to make big bucks down the road, although that is often the case. At almost any level of government, you can find former insiders who get hired to push causes for moneyed interests and, arguably, wield as much or more influence as a paid agent than they ever did as a public servant. The risk Obama takes is that some really smart, capable people will be ineligible for or pass up government jobs because of the restrictions. And the rules may disqualify people with particular expertise from putting their knowledge to the best use in government. The president also has likely created a learning curve for some of his point people on issues. But that's a smaller problem, I think, than having these people decide, for example, that their former private employers are best suited for certain government work. Maybe Haliburton will get just as many contracts from the Obama administration as it did from Bush, but at least Obama will be able to claim the company chosen was objectively the best qualified, with no inside influence.The other rule change is subtle but significant. Obama said, in effect, that government is open and information is public. So when requests for information are received, the posture is to grant them rather than demand that the requesting party make a case for their release. This means some information is probably going to come out that Obama will wish had not. But it is a 180-degree turn from the Bush policy, which was to err on the side of secrecy and cite national security concerns in an age of terrorism. "For a long time there has been too much secrecy in this city," Obama said Wednesday. "The old rules said that if there was a defensible argument for not disclosing something to the American people, then it should not be disclosed. That era is now over." The Bush administration, it seemed to me, operated on a "need to know basis" when informing the public, and even the Congress, deciding summarily who needed to know what, and basically telling the people, for the most part, "let us handle it." But an informed citizenry is an engaged citizenry. The more people know, the better the decisions they make, and the better-equipped they are to challenge government decisions. Freedom of Information laws, which are, by the way, for the exercise of the public, not just the media, have adequate exceptions for privacy and security. It's good to hear that Obama, at least from the get-go, puts his priority on the public's right to know. Now, about the economy ...

[scamplineman]

I don't remember seeing this info posted in here anywhere... So here's something for your reading displeasure.



Why Microstamping and
Bullet Serialization Won’t Work
http://www.nraila.org/Issues/Article...=311&issue=100





http://www.sportsmenslink.org/legisl...g-Encoded.html
Microstamping and Encoded Ammunition

Be prepared if your state adopts microstamping or encoded ammunition legislation.

* Be prepared to pay higher prices to cover the cost of the new technology and equipment that ammunition manufacturers would be forced to purchase.
* Be prepared to pay a per-round tax on every cartridge you purchase to cover the cost of maintining a state database.
* Be prepared to wait a long time to purchase ammo for less popular calibers.
* Be prepared to have your identification ready so that the State Police can maintain your ammo purchasing records.
* Don't think you have enough or could stock up; you'll have be prepared to turn in your old ammo!

Microstamping

Microstamping is a patented, sole-sourced technology, that laser engraves the firearm's make, model and serial number on the tip of the gun's firing pin so that, in theory, it imprints the information on discharged cartridge cases. Supporters of microstamping greatly exaggerate the capabilities of this technology. Two separate research studies have independently established and concluded that this technology is "unreliable and can and will be easily defeated by criminals in a matter of seconds using common household tools."
The Brady Center and the Educational Fund of the Coalition to Stop Gun Violence will use microstamping to attempt to restrict law-abiding citizens and further their agenda. For example, H.R.1874 was introduced in the U.S. Congress by Rep. Robert Andrews (D-NJ) to require microstamping on all firearms. Gun control supporters see microstamping as another way of incrementally achieving what Congress and state legislatures have not done in a single stroke - prohibit the sale of guns. At the state level, California is not alone; microstamping legislation has also been introduced, but defeated, in Maryland.
On October 13, 2007, Arnold Schwarzenegger, Governor of California, signed AB1471 into law. As of January 1, 2010, the law will define (and prohibit the sale of) any newly-designed semi-automatic pistol as an "unsafe handgun," unless the pistol is equipped with two or more internal parts that imprint, onto the cartridge case of a fired round of ammunition, a microscopic array of characters that identify the make, model and serial number of the pistol. Despite claims by the bill's supporters that it benefits police efforts, it was not universally supported by law enforcement agencies.
Encoded Ammunition
Encoded Ammunition legislation was introduced into Maryland and several other states in 2008. In Maryland, HB517 - The ‘Encoded Ammunition' Bill required that each bullet and each casing would be engraved with matching serial numbers and each box of ammunition would have the same serial number as the ammunition. All handguns and a list of ‘assault-type' rifles that would require encoded ammunition were listed this bill. .22 calibers were included.
The bill also called for a nickel tax to be added the price of each round. The tax-per-round would go into a special fund to maintain the database of all the encoded ammunition purchased in the state. When a person buys a box of encoded ammunition, they must present their identification. Personal information and how much ammunition is purchased are entered into the State Police database.

Points of Interest

* Two independent studies have been ignored throughout the entire legislative process, one of which was funded by the California legislature to test the practicality of microstamping.
* Experts at the University of California-Davis concluded from their comprehensive study on microstamping that this patented technology is "flawed" and "At the current time it is not recommended that a mandate for implementation of this technology in all semiautomatic handguns in the state of California be made. Further testing, analysis and evaluation is required."
* The studies clearly demonstrate that firearms microstamping technology is unreliable.
* The implementation of microstamping and/or bullet encoding will only adversely affect the market and create impossible regulations for the industry.
* Microstamping/encoding is done not in the interest of public safety but rather as a means that will lead to the extinction of firearms.
* Microstamping/encoding will only burden law-abiding citizens and is not the best public safety policy or economic decision for states.
* The California legislation was not universally supported by law enforcement.

Action
NASC works with state caucuses to inform them about the technology before this legislation is introduced in their own legislatures. NASC partners NSSF and NRA will assist at the state level.

[scamplineman]

This isn't directly linked to anything Nobama is proposing, but it fdoes shine some light in the mindset of his loyal disciples. And I am fairly confident that it is directly linked to his election.
Enjoy


Maybe I’m just being too cynical, but somehow I doubt that Rep. José Serrano introduced HJ Res 5in order to allow George W Bush to run for a third term in office. One week ago, the New York Democrat introduced a measure to repeal the 22nd Ammendment, which provides the only term limit on federal office — the Presidency. The amendment, added in 1951, restricts anyone from seeking a third term in office, and Serrano wants that repealed.
Why now? Apparently, the notion of Hope and Change has overwhelmed Serrano to the point that he just can’t stand to see Barack Obama limited to two terms in office. Never mind the fact that Obama has yet to start his first term, and no one knows yet whether he’d get re-elected in 2012. Maybe it’s that New Deal vibe; Serrano may want to prepare the way for a more tangible comparison between Obama and FDR in 2016 and 2020.
Of course, a repeal wouldn’t just apply to Obama. What other former President might decide he wants to return to the White House? Someone who couldn’t quite close the deal by having his wife run for the office?
Normally, I don’t like term limits, but the office of the presidency has enough power to make the 22nd Amendment a reasonable limitation on it. So far, no one has added themselves as a cosponsor to Serrano’s bill, but if any do, perhaps Democrats might want to explain why they suddenly have a yen for Hugo Chavez-style executives after screeching hysterically about Bush’s ideas of the “unitary executive,” which they completely misunderstood anyway.



http://www.govtrack.us/congress/bill.xpd?bill=hj111-5
Proposing an amendment to the Constitution of the United States to repeal the twenty-second article of amendment, thereby removing the limitation on the number of terms an individual may serve as President.



http://www.usconstitution.net/const.html#Am22

Amendment 22 - Presidential Term Limits. Ratified 2/27/1951. History
1. No person shall be elected to the office of the President more than twice, and no person who has held the office of President, or acted as President, for more than two years of a term to which some other person was elected President shall be elected to the office of the President more than once. But this Article shall not apply to any person holding the office of President, when this Article was proposed by the Congress, and shall not prevent any person who may be holding the office of President, or acting as President, during the term within which this Article becomes operative from holding the office of President or acting as President during the remainder of such term.
2. This article shall be inoperative unless it shall have been ratified as an amendment to the Constitution by the legislatures of three-fourths of the several States within seven years from the date of its submission to the States by the Congress.

[superduty]

Damn you DEMS were rite.......He ain't gonna take our guns.................His cronies are gonna take our ammo, good thing I started bow hunting, crap I hope the gang bangers don't learn archery any time soon, they'll start micro stamping our arrows.

[topgroove]

no offence taken SBatts. in fact post away, I need all the help I can get. watch how frustrated the right wingers get with each passing day of the Obama administration. for so long this nation has been divided by petty differences that have no bearing on our current crises. Finally we have a leader who can unite all americans for a common goal.the right wingers are hopping so badly that he'll fail , I can't wait to see their disappointment.

[scamplineman]

To You dumb mutherfu{ker's posting in this thread.

Take your choice of being a homophobia, or a black Democratic hating paranoid, dumb ass moron. Join the Rush LIMDICK crowd that stated on radio today he hopes Obama fells.
Join the Hannity bunch that already spreading bullshit.

I haven't posted for a week . Election is over. BACK SARA PALIN IN 2012 IF YOU DON'T LIKE OBAMA. In the mean time donate to Hannity Limpdick and those other nut cases. I am going back to living a life. Stick your repuklickings up your A$$.

Sorry TopGrove this didn't include you.

Leave it to the name caller to try and take this thread off topic. I figured Batts would like this one.... It's all cut and paste.... All he can handle

[duckhunter]

You ever think that SBatts comes across a lot like the "Online" Brad Paisley video. He wants to think he is this bad ass, I got a feeling he's the one who never got chosen for the team, played the tuba. Yep he is a big tough guy on line.

[duckhunter]

I haven't done it yet, but I think we should look in the archives to see what sort of time after inaugaration it took our Liberal friends on this forum before they started complaining about President Bush. I'm sure we won't notice a double standard.

[wtdoor67]

Limbaugh told his listeners that he was asked by “a major American print publication” to offer a 400-word statement explaining his “hope for the Obama presidency.” He responded:

So I’m thinking of replying to the guy, “Okay, I’ll send you a response, but I don’t need 400 words, I need four: I hope he fails.” (interruption) What are you laughing at? See, here’s the point. Everybody thinks it’s outrageous to say. Look, even my staff, “Oh, you can’t do that.” Why not? Why is it any different, what’s new, what is unfair about my saying I hope liberalism fails? Liberalism is our problem. Liberalism is what’s gotten us dangerously close to the precipice here. Why do I want more of it? I don’t care what the Drive-By story is. I would be honored if the Drive-By Media headlined me all day long: “Limbaugh: I Hope Obama Fails.” Somebody’s gotta say it.



Don't forget he's part black and his middle name is Hussein. Thought you needed to be reminded. It's important................Man, talk about stupid.

[huskietoolz82]

Bach Orama is going to do fine and anyone and everyone who thinks otherwise will be eating their words in a few years......Anyone who can motivate so many differnt races to come togther to make this country better is on the right track.. Atleast give him 4 months before talking crap. This is getting so old... God i dont want to get old and bitter