Tuesday Tidbits

Pew has a new poll out; headlines the Va Tech massacre hasn't boosted support for gun control. An alternate headline would have read, support for gun control still solid. But hey, that's me. Of note, is there is NO consensus on the cause of these types of shootings.

You saw where the Newster blamed the Va Tech massacre on liberalism. Now Giuliani says we will have another 9/11 if the Dems take the White House. Way to elevate the discussion, guys. Fuckers.

Note to Karl Rove: Karl, you aren't paranoid when people really are out to get you. So, you should be really, really concerned when Scott Bloch wants to hang out inside your colon. Who is Scott Bloch? Merely a Dubya-appointed lawyer with the U.S. Office of Special Counsel. Mr. Bloch is investigating the latest Rove shenanigan. Will it stick to Rove this time? Surely his odds are getting leaner each passing controversy.

Well maybe not. Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington (CREW) is NOT happy about the Bloch investigation. Not one little bit.

Bloch has come under widespread criticism for his gross mismanagement and politicization of the office. Bloch is currently under investigation by the Office of Personnel Management (OPM) for his mistreatment of career appointees, who have alleged the exact kind of retaliation that OSC is designed to investigate. OSC employees have alleged that Bloch has tossed out legitimate whistleblower cases to reduce the office backlog.

How very, very BushCo. BushCo really must believe we are THAT stupid.

More on the gun control conversation

Yesterday, I posted that the horrible tragedy at VaTech represented an opportunity to discuss control. It appears the right wants nothing to do with such a conversation; they think gun control sucks and want to keep the dirty gummint off our gun racks.

Here are a pair of comments I got when I posted on Digg yesterday.

Perhaps if the gun control movement wasn't a pack of blatantly dishonest demagogues leading masses of ignorant, emotion driven dupes threatening (and often acting on the threat) of destroying liberty and persecuting the tens of millions of law-abiding, gun-owning, Americans, we could have a civil conversation. But I doubt that.

And this pithy reply

Sure, but it'll be short. The first time you disagree with me, I'll pull out my 9mm and blow you away.

Instapundit blames gun control laws. If only professors and students were packing, so many people would be alive.

I somehow think these are mainstream right wing views. Because it gets even loonier:

Early details about the horrific school shooting at Virginia Tech strongly indicate that these events represent a Columbine-style black-op that will be exploited in the coming days to push for mass gun control and further turning our schools into prisons.

So, like I said its time for a conversation. My POV is hunt your little ass off with rifles. OTOH, I don't like or see the need for handguns in our society. However, with - what is the number? - 100,000,000 guns in circulation, it will be tough to really do much of anything. At least until there is political will to do so.

Did I mention political will? That's something the dems have in short order right now when it comes to gun control. This cowardly stance seems odd. Polls show strong majorities - or pluralities favor tougher restrictions on guns. Look at the numbers - sentiment on gun control is consistent over time.

The problem is gun owners care more about keeping their guns than gun control advocates do about limiting the supply of guns and ammo. Gun owners are widely credited with many big electoral wins over the years, such as when George Deukmejian upset Tom Bradley for the California governorship in 1982.

Again, I'm trying to start a responsible conversation here. The right wingers seem to care only for polemics. Its really too bad.