Author: OFF

The Senate Judiciary Committee is refusing to hear numerous firearm related bills.

This would not be unusual, except several of these bills can hardly be interpreted as “pro-gun.”

The Chairman of the committee, Floyd Prozanski is refusing to hold hearings on a number of bills that do nothing more than clarify existing law, or correct errors that exist in the current law.

Why would Prozanski, himself an attorney, not want to correct clear mistakes in existing statute?

Take Senate Bill 573 for example. No one could reasonably say this bill is a “pro-gun” bill. All it does is address a peculiar error that exists in state law.

Currently, a person with a felony conviction may petition the courts to have her rights restored to buy a firearm. (Keep in mind, this only allows people to ASK, it’s not a guarantee their request will be granted.)  Sounds simple enough right? It’s not.

While such a person can ask to have their rights restored to buy a gun, they CANNOT ask to have their rights restored to own that gun! It’s absurd. Surely Prozanski cannot believe the legislature intended to write the law that way. Yet Prozanski has shown no interest in this simple technical fix that would make Oregon’s law make sense.

Another bill Prozanski has refused to hear is Senate Bill 603. Is this a “pro-gun” bill being pushed by the “gun lobby?”  No, all it does is define the term “readily accessible.”

Why is that important?  Oregon law forbids people who don’t have Oregon concealed handgun licenses from having handguns in their cars if they are concealed  and “readily accessible.”  But nowhere does the law define what “readily accessible” means.

If you’re traveling in a Miata or a Mini Cooper, what part of the car is not “readily accessible?”  What about a pickup truck?  Well, the bed maybe, but most of us would probably not want to transport firearms in the open bed of a pickup. What if you’re traveling on a motorcycle?

All SB 603 does is define what “readily accessible” means so that visitors and persons without CHL’s, can travel without running afoul of the law. Hardly a “pro-gun” bill, unless you believe that innocent people, being entrapped by their own reasonable interpretations of the law, somehow serves the common good. But Prozanski has refused to hear that bill as well.

There are other bills that Prozanski is refusing to deal with, but we can understand that, because they would benefit law abiding gun owners. However, we are baffled by Prozanski’s refusal to address areas of law that obviously need clarification or correction.

These are not complicated or controversial bills. They simply acknowledge that the laws as written are incomplete or incorrect.  Please take a minute to ask Chairman Prozanski to hear, and act on, these commonsense measures. Contact info and a sample message follow.

Floyd Prozanski
900 Court St. NE, S-417
Salem, OR 97301
Capitol Phone:
503-986-1704

sen.floydprozanski@state.or.us

_________________________________________________________________________

Dear Senator Prozanski,

Of all the bills you have in your committee, there are two that are neither complicated nor controversial, but they are necessary.

SB 573 does nothing more than correct a glaring error in existing law. SB 603 simply creates a definition of “readily accessible” in the context of transporting a handgun in a vehicle, thereby removing the current ambiguity and making travel safer for motorists and police officers.

I strongly urge you to hear and pass these much-needed bills as soon as possible. They just make sense.

Sincerely,
________________

_________________________________________________________________________

House Bill 2463 , a bill that would recognize other states’ concealed handgun licenses is stalled in the House Judiciary Committee because of Democrats’ objections.

The bill was first heard on Feb.24, where it appeared to have wide support on the committee of 4 Republicans and 6 Democrats. At the time, an amendment was discussed that would expand the bill so people who could lawfully carry in states that did not require a permit (Vermont and Alaska) would also be allowed to visit Oregon with self defense firearms.

On March 12th a “work session” was held on the bill. The proposed amendments were considered, but suddenly some of the Democrats on the committee withdraw their support and voted against the amendments and the bill.  The Chairman of the committee, Jeff Barker, who is also a Democrat, and a cosponsor of the bill, voted with the 4 Republicans for both the amendments and the bill, and it passed.

But (according to capitol sources) the Democrats objected so strenuously that Barker returned the bill to committee to be dealt with again.

OFF proposed a simple solution. Remove the amendments and add language that would allow anyone from any state to apply for an Oregon license. (Currently you must live in an adjoining state and the sheriff to whom you apply has complete discretion to turn you down.)

It seemed like the objections of the Democrats (that some people could theoretically carry here with no background check) were answered.

The bill was then scheduled to be worked on again yesterday, March 18th. But the committee was adjourned with no action on the bill and it has been moved again to March 30th.

The longer this bill is kept on hold, the longer the anti-gun forces will be working on the committee members to kill it.  The objections of the Democrats have been answered. There is no reason to stall the bill any longer.

Please contact the opponents of the bill and ask that they consider the simple solution we have suggested and move the bill forward. Their contact information and a sample message follows.

Please also contact the Chair, Jeff Barker, and thank him for his past support and urge him to continue standing up for gun rights in Oregon.

Members and contact info:
All the following members voted against the bill except Chip Shields, who was excused.

Brent Barton
rep.brentbarton@state.or.us
900 Court St NE, H-386, Salem,, OR, 97301
503-986-1451

Chris Garrett
rep.chrisgarrett@state.or.us
900 Court St NE, H-377, Salem,, OR, 97301
503-986-1438

Chip Shields
rep.chipshields@state.or.us
900 Court St NE, H-276, Salem,, OR, 97301
503-986-1443

Jefferson Smith
rep.jeffersonsmith@state.or.us
900 Court St NE, H-486, Salem,, OR, 97301
503-986-1447

Judy Stiegler Vice Chair
rep.judystiegler@state.or.us
900 Court St NE H 489 Salem OR 97301
503-986-1454

 

Dear Representative,

Your objections to HB 2463 can be answered with a simple amendment that would allow non-residents to apply for Oregon concealed handgun licenses.

As you know, only residents of adjoining states may do so now. By adding this element to the bill you would be assured that persons who lived in the states that do not require concealed handgun licenses would meet Oregon’s standards.

I urge you to adopt those amendments and move the bill forward.

Sincerely,

__________________________________

 

Jeff Barker, Chair .
rep.jeffbarker@state.or.us
900 Court St. NE., H-491, Salem, OR, 97301
503-986-1428

Dear Representative Barker,

Thank you for your support  for gun rights in Oregon.

The objections the Democrats have to HB 2463 can be dealt with by simply allowing Oregon sheriffs to issue non-resident licenses to residents of any state. Please consider an amendment of that kind and move the bill forward. I appreciate your efforts on behalf of Oregon’s gun owners.

Sincerely,

_____________________________________

Tomorrow, as we told you, the House Judiciary Committee will be hearing four gun related bills.

Two of these bills, HB 2644 and HB 2991, allow persons with concealed handgun licenses to bypass background checks when making firearms purchases.

These two bills are the same, so it’s likely that they will be consolidated into one bill.

HB 2645 requires the destruction of records obtained during background checks for firearms.

HB 2727 prohibits the release of information about concealed handgun licenses. All are good bills but will almost certainly be amended.

The bills allowing CHL holders to bypass background checks will probably meet with objections from law enforcement who will say that gun dealers will have no way of knowing if a license is valid, since they can be revoked, but not siezed by the sheriff. The obvious, easy fix for this is to allow dealers (and private sellers at gun shows) to contact the state police and inquire only if a license is valid. No other check would be required.

The State Police currently have the ability to provide this information.

However, if that is done, a potential conflict arises with HB 2727, the CHL privacy bill we have been working on since before the session began.

As currently written, HB 2727 would not allow the State Police to tell dealers if a CHL was valid. If the bills allowing license holders to bypass background checks are amended to allow the State Police to simply verify whether a license was valid, 2727 will have to be amended to allow the State Police to disclose that information to gun sellers. We are working with the bills’ sponsors to make sure all these different goals are met.

As far as HB 2645 is concerned, the State Police have pointed out that if they are required to destroy all records obtained during a background check, that they would lose information they had acquired that cleared a gun buyer. In other words, if a person was delayed because of a question that came up during a background check, and the investigation proved the person was qualified, then the next time he tried to purchase a gun, the police would no longer have the info to clear him and another delay would result.

There is an easy fix for this as well. The information on the buyer could be retained, but the State Police would be required to destroy the information about the firearm purchased.

While these bills will need some work, we are confident that they can be amended to make them all work together.

Please contact the House Judiciary Committee and urge them to craft simple, workable bills that protect gun owners’ rights and privacy. A sample message and contact info are provided below.

______________________________________________________________

Dear Representative,

House Bills 2644, 2645, 2727 and 2991 are common sense measures that protect gun owners’ rights and privacy. Please work to resolve the minor conflicts in these well-intentioned and long overdue protections for Oregon’s most law-abiding community.

Sincerely,

__________________________
__________________________________________________________________

The House Judiciary Committee will be hearing three pro-gun bills on March 10th at 1 pm.The bills, with links to their text, are listed below.

Please contact the committee and urge their support for all three.

The House Judiciary Committee contact info is available here. Sample e-mail text follows after the bill descriptions.

HB 2644 – Exempts transfer of firearm from performing criminal history record check if purchaser or recipient has concealed handgun license.

HB 2645 Requires Department of State Police to destroy records obtained during criminal records check within 24 hours of approval for qualified firearms purchases.

HB 2727– Prohibits public body from releasing information that can be used to identify holder of or applicant for concealed handgun license.

____________________________________________________________

Dear Representative,

On March 10th, your Judiciary Committee will be hearing three bills that deal with firearms records and background checks. House Bills 2644, 2645 and 2727 are commonsense measures that protect the privacy of law abiding gun owners. I urge you to support all three.

Thank you,

_______________

________________________________________________________________

SHERIFFS ON BOARD WITH CHL RECIPROCITY

Today in the House Judiciary Committee, three bills of interest to gun owners were heard, But without question, the one that most gun owners will want to know about was HB 2463.

This bill recognizes the concealed handgun licenses of all other states.

At the request of OFF, an amendment was drafted that extended that recognition to Alaska and Vermont, which allow their residents to carry concealed without a license.

As you know, this type of legislation has been introduced many times in the past and has always generated resistance from the Oregon Sheriffs.

At today’s hearing, the representative of the Oregon Sheriffs stated that they no longer opposed recognizing the CHL’s of other states. This is a significant breakthrough in our efforts to have Oregon join the many states that allow non-residents to be safe while visiting .

We strongly urge you to contact the House Judiciary Committee and express your support for HB 2463. Please remind them that this bill not only helps non-residents, but will help Oregonians whose licenses would be recognized in many states if Oregon recognizes theirs. A sample message and contact information follow at the bottom of this page.

Oregon currently recognizes NO other state permits. This bill would change that and open up numerous other states to concealed carry by Oregon residents.

Five pro-gun bills requested by OFF have been introduced as well this week. You can see them on here. They are Senate Bills 567,568,569,573 and 603.  The sponsor for all these bills was Senator Brian Boquist. We will keep you informed on these bills’ progress.

One more note. We have received countless e-mails and phone calls about HR 45,

While this bill (in the US Congress) is troubling and extreme, there is no indication right now that it is going anywhere. If that changes, we will let you know immediately.

__________________________________________________________________

Dear Representative,

HB 2463 is a much needed change in Oregon law that would not only allow visitors to Oregon to protect themselves lawfully, but allow Oregon residents to have the same freedoms in many other states. I urge your support.

Yours,

_______________

___________________________________________________________________

House Reps Kim Thatcher and Jeff Barker have introduced legislation to protect the privacy of persons with concealed handgun licenses.

OFF has been working with legislators since prior to the session to get a bill introduced that would stop the malicious abuse of the records of license holders.

The Medford Mail Tribune started seeking these records after we assisted a Medford area teacher in her efforts to have her employer stop denying her rights as a CHL holder. (That case is currently on appeal)

The Tribune was attempting to get the names and private information of other teachers in the area. (The Tribune has editorialized against gun owners rights.) So far, the Sheriff has refused to disclose this information and a lawsuit is ongoing. (The court demanded that the Sheriff disclose the private information and the Sheriff has appealed.)

Recently an organization sought the lists to use for fundraising drives.

Now Representatives Thatcher and Barker have introduced HB 2727 (pdf)to put a stop to these abuses of privacy.We applaud their work on behalf of gun owners. Please let them  know you appreciate their efforts.

The bill has a lengthy list of cosponsors and is supported by the Oregon sheriffs across the state.

MARINE VETERAN KICKED OUT OF SCHOOL FOR POSSESSING FIREARMS

WOU STUDENT TRIED,CONVICTED AND SENTENCED.<

The WOU student who was falsely arrested and charged with possession of a firearm in a public building, had all his criminal charges dropped by the Polk County DA tonight.

The DA admitted no wrongdoing on his part, or on the part of the police who arrested Jeff Maxwell for a “crime” that does not exist.

In a statement released to OFF’s attorney, the DA said “I believe the Monmouth Police Department issued the citation in good faith and that there was an arguable violation. However, a careful reading of the statute and the facts led me to conclude the charge was not in the best interest of justice.”

“Not in the best interest of justice.”  There was NO CRIME. But it gets worse. Much worse.

The college still got to “try” Jeff Maxwell. And they did tonight.

The tribunal that tried Marine veteran Jeffery Maxwell laughed after suspending him from Western Oregon University and sentencing him to:

a “psychological evaluation stating he is not a threat to himself of others” and

a mandatory “ten page paper” ” with references, “citing, but not limited to:
1) the importance of following the law,even through civil disobedience.
2) the importance of accepting responsibility for one’s actions
3) and recognizing the impact possession of weapons on college campuses has on others.”

So, Maxwell has been told his lawful possession of a firearm on campus is evidence of mental illness and he must “confess his sins.”  Welcome to the new Politburo. Maxwell may as well been judged by the Hitler youth for his “thought crimes.”

Jeffery Maxwell’s “jury” were four unnamed students and one staff member of WOU.

The “prosecutor” was Patrick Moser moserp@wou.edu “Acting Coordinator of Campus Judicial Affairs”

Maxwell asked to have his “trial” open to the public, which is his right, but was denied.

The tribunal was told repeatedly that they lacked the authority to impose a rule dealing with firearms. But the children who sat in judgment of the veteran were not interested in the law or the facts. They were only interested in attacking and embarrassing a man who had committed no crime but had chosen to exercise his right to protect himself and others.

The “trial” was a sham. No one present even seemed to know what the “charge” was. When confronted by the fact that the school has no authority to make rules about firearms, they said that was “not relevant.” Then they said they were not charging Maxwell with having a firearm. When asked what they WERE charging him with, they seemed to not know. They then said they were charging him with having a “knife and a rifle in his car.”   When told they had no authority to make rules about guns in his car, they said THAT was not “relevant.”

The children who sat on Maxwell’s “jury”  and their staff advisors seemed to have no idea what they were actually charging Maxwell with. But they had no problem sentencing him. Gun owners, and all Americans should be outraged.

OFF is committed to continuing Maxwell’s defense. We are shocked and disgusted by the treatment he received by the staff and the students of WOU,

We ask your continued support of our legal battle for Jeff Maxwell. We promised Jeff what he promised the men he served with. We will not leave him behind.

Three gun related bills will be heard in the House Judiciary Committee on Feb.24th at 1pm in hearing room 357.

All three bills are positive changes for gun owners and we urge you to contact the House Judiciary Committee members and ask them to vote yes on all three bills. Also, please contact your own legislator if he or she is not a member of the committee and tell them that you support the bills and expect them to support the bills as well.

The three bills are;

HB 2463

This bill “Provides persons licensed to carry concealed handgun in another state with protections provided to persons with Oregon concealed handgun license.”

The value of this bill is obvious. With so many states now recognizing CHLs from other locations, Oregon is long overdue to get on board. We have made numerous attempts to achieve this in the past only to face legislative obstruction or vetoes. It’s time, and we urge its passage.

 

HB 2330

This bill is a bit more complicated, but very important to get Oregon law to make sense. Currently, a person who was convicted of only one felony, which did not involve a weapon or a homicide, can get his gun rights restored 15 years after being discharged from imprisonment, parole or probation. But, while that person can no longer be charged with “felon in possession” he would still be violating another statute that would make him guilty of misdemeanor unlawful possession of a firearm. Clearly this was never the intention of the legislature and is an error. This bill corrects that error and allows a person who made one mistake and has since led a law-abiding life to get his rights restored under Oregon law.

HB 2314

This bill requires that a person could not be convicted of unlawful firearms possession as the result of a past felony conviction, unless he knew of the felony conviction at the time he possessed the firearm. While this might seem like a no-brainer to many, the complicated machinations of the court very often leave a person unsure of what his conviction was actually for. In fact, we know of one case underway where a gun owner was charged with unlawful possession even though a previous charge had been reduced to a misdemeanor. The DA in the case is insisting that he was a “felon in possession” because the original charge was  a felony. The court reduced it to a misdemeanor, so naturally the accused person logically assumed he was not a “felon.”  The DA’s tortured interpretation of the law put this person in jeopardy, and this bill would correct these kinds of incidents.

Please contact the House Judiciary Committee and ask them to support these three bills.

A sample message and contact information follow:

__________________________________________________________________________

Dear Representative,

On Feb. 24th, you are scheduled to hear three bills in your House Judiciary Committee that would improve Oregon’s laws.

HB 2314 and HB 2330 clarify areas of Oregon law dealing with possession of firearms for persons with past felony convictions.  I strongly believe these bills would  provide needed corrections and improvements to Oregon law.

HB 2463 allows law-abiding visitors to Oregon to have the same access to self-defense they have in their own states.  With so many other states extending these rights to Oregonians, I believe it is long past time that Oregon reciprocated.

Please support all three of these important bills.

Yours,
_____________________________

________________________________________________________________________

Legislators Join OFF In Defense Of Lawful Gun Owners.

Representatives Kim Thatcher and Bruce Hanna joined OFF and the Oregon Firearms Educational Foundation today in defense of  a college student (and Marine Corps veteran) who was falsely arrested at Western Oregon University last week.

The student was charged with “possession of a firearm in a public building.” The college has barred him from classes and the state has charged him with the same crime. The student was involved in no unlawful activities nor was he engaged in any actions that would discredit a responsible gun owner. He was just in the wrong place at the wrong time.

There is one small problem. The student has a valid Oregon concealed handgun license. He is statutorily exempt from the prohibitions on gun possession in public buildings.

Apparently neither the college nor the Monmouth Police are acquainted with the law.

The student contacted us last week and we agreed to defend him against these charges, brought by people who seem incapable of reading.

The student is going to face a “hearing” at the college early next week and OFF and our attorney will be there. Our foundation has promised to defend the student and provide whatever legal assistance he requires.

This is an important case. Our foundation filed a lawsuit against the Oregon University System several years ago for the same attack on gun rights, but the court found that since the plaintiff had not been arrested or expelled, they would not consider the case.

This case is different. The WOU student was singled out and arrested in spite of the fact that he had committed no crime.

He has been trespassed off the school property and had his academic career damaged for a “crime ” that does not exist. We are committed to defending him.

It is ironic that at a time when when universities are begging for armed guards, some are also demanding that trained gun owners be disarmed.

No matter how this battle goes, it will be expensive. If you would like to make a tax deductible donation to our legal foundation to help us cover the costs of the student’s defense, we would be grateful for your help. You can donate here.

Please be sure to note that your donation is for OFEF so you receive a receipt for tax purposes.

What follows is an e-mail response from House Speaker Dave Hunt to people who have contacted him to express opposition to HB  2530.

HB 2530 would allow the Department of Human Services to dictate to foster parents, the manner in which they would be required to store, transport and use their firearms.

Hunt insists that the bill “in no way restricts a foster parent’s right to own guns.”  To no one’s surprise, Hunt has decided to play word games with the truth. Hunt seems to believe that gun owners can’t read.  The fact is, the bill turns over to the Department of Human Services, total dictatorial power to control the “storage, transportation and use of firearms and ammunition in the presence of children placed in a foster home.”

Somehow, Dave Hunt thinks that having a notoriously anti-gun state agency making rules about every aspect of gun ownership “in no way restricts a foster parent’s right to own guns.”

That’s like saying that you may own a car, but the state will tell you where, when and how often you can drive it, and then insist they are not restricting your right to own it. Looks like we are in for another long session of double talk.

It is simply absurd that the state would seek to discourage parents from caring for foster children by imposing rules that could very well leave those children defenseless in the case of a criminal attack. Hunt and his allies like to talk about “the children” but are clearly more interested in ramming through new restrictions on rights then they are in protecting Oregon’s neediest.

Please contact Hunt and tell him that you don’t want an agency that created rules forbidding toys that shot ping pong balls, making rules for every aspect of gun ownership. Tell him to can the double talk and kill the bill.

Contact info and a sample message follow.

________________________________________________________

Dear Speaker Hunt,

I have seen your response to voters who oppose HB 2530. I am disappointed that you would choose to play word games instead of addressing the problems with the bill. You claim that the bill will “in no way restrict a foster parent’s right to own guns.This is simply nonsense. If DHS creates the rules  regulating the storage, transportation and use of firearms and ammunition, “ownership” becomes meaningless.

Please stop using your office to placate anti-gun state agencies and stand up for the rights of foster parents.

Yours,

_______________________________

Dave Hunt  rep.davehunt@state.or.us
900 Court St. NE, H-269
Salem, OR 97301
Phone:
503-986-1440

From: Rep Hunt
To:XXX
Sent: Thursday, February 05, 2009 4:18 PM
Subject: RE: NO HB 2530
Dear Mr.XXXX,

Thank you for contacting me with your concerns about House Bill 2530. Your feedback is important to me and helps inform the actions I take in the Legislature.

I share your commitment to protecting the right of Oregonians to own firearms. Let me assure you that this bill in no way restricts a foster parent’s right to own guns. The specific language of the bill says the following:
“The Department may not deny or revoke certification of a foster home on the basis that a person possesses firearms or ammunition or is licensed under ORS 166.291 and ORS 166.292 to carry a concealed handgun”
This language explicitly protects the right of foster parents to own guns. Specifically, House Bill 2530 relates to the storage of guns and related issues, but does not infringe on the right to own firearms.

It is the responsibility of the Department of Human Services to ensure that children in foster homes are safe. This bill would grant case workers the right to cite when guns are not stored appropriately. This bill gives them the ability to make rules around the proper storage of guns so that they are kept out of the reach of children.

Those who choose to be foster parents are giving the greatest possible gift to a child in need, a house and a safe place to stay. We have no intention of discouraging these generous individuals from continuing to do this meaningful work.

Thanks for writing me. I hope this clears up the intention of this bill. It is an honor representing you in the Oregon House of Representatives and I hope you will continue to write me about issues that are important to you.

Sincerely,

Dave Hunt
State Representative
Speaker of the House
http://www.state.leg.or.us

Representative Sara Gelser has introduced the first bill attacking the rights of gun owners, but her bill also attacks the rights of foster parents.

HB 2530 gives the Department of Human Services the right to dictate to foster parents how they can own firearms. In addition to being another attack against Oregon’s preemption statute, it is a slap in the face of all the Oregonians who open their homes to the state’s neediest children.

In October 2007, OFF met with legislators,staffers and bureaucrats to resolve the problem of DHS making unlawful rules for foster parents. At the time, DHS had rules so ridiculous and draconian, that a foster family could not have a toy that shot ping pong balls or marshmallows. Gelser wants to give DHS the right to create such rules again.

Because of the intercession of former House Rep. Jerry Krummel and his aide, Dawn Phillips, along with House Rep. Jeff Barker, DHS was forced to back down on its unlawful and dangerous mandates. But at the meeting was Representative Sara Gelser.

Her position then was that foster parents should not be allowed to have access to the firearms that might very well be used to save the lives of the children they had taken in.

At the meeting she was repeatedly asked to provide a single example of a foster family that had handled firearms irresponsibly. She could not provide even one.

Now she has sponsored a bill to attack the people who are stepping up to provide a home for children who would otherwise be at the mercy of the streets. This is unconscionable.

Please take a moment to contact House Speaker Dave Hunt and let him know that attacks on foster parents, at a time when we need as many foster parents as possible, are unwarranted and uncalled for.

Contact info and sample message follow:

_____________________________________

Dear Speaker Hunt,

Sara Gelser’s bill, HB 2530, is an insult to the people who have stepped up to care for Oregon’s most defenseless and needy children. It is hard to believe that in these times of economic crisis, the legislature would be considering  a bill that would discourage people from caring for children who desperately need a home. Please use your power as Speaker to stop HB 2530.

Sincerely,

_____________________________________

House Speaker Dave Hunt:
rep.davehunt@state.or.us
_______________________________________

Eric Holder, The New Chief Law Enforcement Officer.

Eric Holder was confirmed as the new US Attorney General today.

Holder is a vicious anti-gun partisan and a person who was happy to trade presidential pardons for some cold cash, or hoped for votes, to the Clintons.

This man will now be in charge of prosecuting gun owners.

Senator Leahy, a Vermont Democrat,made this astonishing comment:

“That strong, bipartisan vote in favor was a statement that members from both sides of the aisle recognize that Mr. Holder has the character, integrity and independence to be Attorney General,It is a statement that we all want to restore the integrity and competence of the Justice Department and to restore another critical component — the American people’s confidence in federal law enforcement.”

Every Democrat Senator and 17 Republicans voted in favor of turning over the Justice Department to a man who expedited “get out of jail free” cards to anyone with the loot to grease the Clinton machine and defended the murders of the Branch Davidians and the abduction of Elian Gonzalez.  Welcome to “integrity Obama style.”

The Clinton machine is back. Bring cash.

Both Oregon Senators, Ron Wyden and Jeff Merkley signed onto Holder’s confirmation.The entire vote count can be seen here.

1.29.09  HOLDER CONFIRMED BY JUDICIARY COMMITTEE, FULL SENATE TO VOTE NEXT.

The confirmation of Eric Holder to be the chief law enforcement officer of America is profoundly disturbing.

His record of believing that Americans have no right to own a firearm, and his defense of such actions as the killing of the Branch Davidians, should make every gun owner, and every citizen, very fearful.

His history of exchanging pardons for payoffs should outrage every American. But unfortunately, few American Senators are concerned about standards. On the committee that approved Holder’s confirmation, only Senators Tom Coburn (R-OK) and John Cornyn (R-TX) voted against him.

He now has the public and vocal support of Arlen Specter and Orin Hatch. The NRA will not oppose his nomination and will not use this confirmation vote when it rates Senators.

This train is most certainly rolling.

Oregon now has two anti-gun senators. Ron Wyden’s antipathy towards guns and gun owners is legendary. Jeff Merkley has yet to amass a record as egregious as Wyden’s but has shown no interest in bucking his party’s line.There is little likelihood that either Senator will oppose Holder based on the concerns of gun owners.

But Holder’s problems go well beyond his hatred for gun rights. Please take a moment to contact Wyden and Merkley and remind them that Holder is a throwback to the endless corruption of the Clinton years. Holder is certainly not “change.”

A sample message and contact info follow:

_____________________________________________________________________

Dear Senator,

I am deeply troubled that the US Senate will soon be considering Eric Holder to be our next Attorney General.

The current administration was elected on a promise of “change.”  If enlisting beltway insiders who approved pardons for payoffs is “change” it’s change we can do without.

It makes no sense to decry the behavior of past administrations and then hire someone who is this ethically challenged. I will consider any vote for Eric Holder to be a vote against honest government.

Very truly yours,

____________________________

________________________________________________________________________

Ron Wyden   http://wyden.senate.gov/contact/   (webform)

Jeff Merkley   senator@merkley.senate.gov

The Wolves Are At The Door.

Obama is moving swiftly to build an administration that will reflect his statist worldview. The second Clinton administration is forming.

Gun hating Hillary Clinton (Billing records? What billing records?) has been confirmed as the new Secretary of State, and Timothy Geithner, a tax evader who spent 5 years at the Federal Reserve Bank, but had no clue about the collapse of our economy, is about to be the boss of the Treasury Department, charged with… repairing our economy.

If you’re not terrified, you’re not paying attention. But for gun owners, the news is far more ominous.

Clinton  Obama is determined to appoint, as head of the “Justice” department, a man whose unbridled hatred for gun owners is legendary. We simply must do everything we can to stop this nightmare from happening.

Obama’s pick for Attorney General, Eric Holder, is so completely a tool of the freedom-hating establishment that you can rest assured he will do all he can to eliminate gun rights in America. Holder was the second in command for Janet Reno when she ordered the murderous gassing, burning, and shooting of dozens of women and children at Waco.

He demonstrated his total lack of ethics when he expedited the pardon of a felon who just happened to toss a yacht load of money to the Clintons.  He bragged about the “compassionate” treatment Elian Gonzalez received at the point of a federal agent’s sub-machine gun.  He submitted briefs to the Supreme Court urging them to declare your right to own a firearm void. A confirmation of Holder is an express lane back to the days when innocents could be gunned down by government thugs with impunity.

Even people who don’t care about gun rights should be horrified that this person is in line to run the Justice Department.

Please, no matter how busy you are, take a few minutes to let your Senators know that you are outraged that they would consider this man for a job of such importance.
Let them know that the right hand man of Janet Reno is most certainly NOT “Change you can believe in.”
Several Republicans have postponed confirmation of Holder. They did not do this because Holder is a committed enemy of gun owners, but it still gives us a little precious time. Call or e-mail Senators Wyden and Merkley right now. The clock is running out on freedom.

A sample message and contact info follows:

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Dear Senator,

Eric Holder is not “change we can believe in.” He is more of the same ethically bankrupt, “favors for money” politics from the past.  I truly expect better from you and this administration. I urge you to vote  “NO” on Eric Holder’s confirmation.

Truly yours,

__________________

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Ron Wyden

Jeff Merkley

Clearly Obama is wasting no time promoting his gun grabbing agenda. The White House website already lists some of his plans:

“They support closing the gun show loophole and making guns in this country childproof. They also support making the expired federal Assault Weapons Ban permanent. “

Eric Holder, Obama’s pick to run the Justice Department is nothing short of a nightmare for gun owners.

Holder has made a career out of attacking gun owners’ rights and believes you have no individual right to own a gun.  Now is the time to let Jeff Merkley, your new US Senator. know that you oppose Holder’s nomination and will consider any vote to confirm him an open assault on your rights. There is not much time. Please contact Merkley now.  Contact information and a sample e-mail follow.

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Dear Senator Merkley,

Eric Holder has made no secret of his animosity towards gun owners and the Second Amendment. His behavior during the Clinton administration demonstrates that his judgment is guided by politics not principles.  A vote to confirm Holder is a vote against the rights of gun owners in your state. I urge you in the strongest possible terms to say “NO” to Eric Holder.

Very truly yours,

__________________

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B40B DIRKSEN SENATE OFFICE BUILDING
WASHINGTON DC 20510
DC Phone: 202-224-3753
E-mail: senator@merkley.senate.gov
Portland Senate Office
One World Trade Center
121 SW Salmon Street, Suite 1250
Portland, OR 97204
503-326-3386