Are these Fast and Furious guns or military hardware?

This week The Los Angeles Times is reporting that “Mexican officials have arrested a reputed enforcer for the country’s most powerful drug cartel – a man also alleged to have amassed weapons from the U.S. government’s failed Fast and Furious gun-smuggling operation.”

But let’s take a look at that photo that accompanied the story. While those could be semi-automatic AK-47s, as in the commercially available model, it is fascinating that there appears to be a grenade launcher on the far right and a .30 caliber machine gun in the center. These aren’t the usual items you find at any gun shop!

For now we say kudos to Mr. Cox for stating his point, which included:

Last Thursday, U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder appeared before the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee to answer questions about his role in the deadly “Fast and Furious” gun-running scandal. However, instead of answers, Congress got more defiance, more arrogance, and more wasted time with an attorney general who clearly feels no sense of obligation to the American people or our rule of law.

But for all the stonewalling, there was at least one telling moment at this hearing, and it should concern law-abiding gun owners and all Americans who expect accountability from our government.
In a rash attempt to deflect attention away from himself and his own irresponsibility, Holder let Congress know that the Obama administration is still working toward the day when it can reinstate former President Bill Clinton’s so-called “assault weapons” ban. According to Holder:

This administration has consistently favored the reinstitution of the assault weapons ban. It is something that we think was useful in the past with regard to the reduction that we’ve seen in crime, and certainly would have a positive impact on our relationship and the crime situation in Mexico.

Read more: Holder tells Congress the Obama administration wants to ban guns

www.youtube.com/watch?v=qrM1nxUDhyU

Cam Edwards talks to Anna Rittgers - Independent Women’s Forum

www.youtube.com/watch?v=vvew8D4ip4c

Cam Edwards talks to State Senator Charles Carrico (R-VA)

“The Senate today pandered to special interest groups and has just opened the door to begin illegal gun trafficking again in Virginia.”

Well it makes for a compelling kicker, is it accurate even? This isn’t the special interest if the vast majority of voters pushed for this. But apparently anytime an anti-gun type doesn’t like a ruling, they blame the “special interest” and unfortunately the media gives this added weight by supporting this line of thinking.

He reportedly attempted to a cache of firearms that included “three M-16 rifles, one shotgun, 16 handguns,” as well as slot machines and “thousands of cartons of cigarettes, along with counterfeit merchandise.” But even worse, is the fact that Masso was “recruiting other law enforcement officers to join the scheme.”

This makes us wonder if Mayors Against Illegal Guns shouldn’t look closer to home instead of targeting distant gun shows?

Twenty years ago, Virginia had a not-so-flattering reputation as a haven for illegal gun runners. Traffickers would buy batches of guns legally in the state, and sell them on the black market. With the Virginia guns turning up at crime scenes up and down the Eastern seaboard, the state legislature decided it was time to act — a law was passed to limit gun purchases to one a month. But gun rights activists have fought to overturn it, and on Monday, the Virginia Senate approved legislation to repeal it.

Is a “reputation” really what this is about? This type of reporting doesn’t offer all the facts, including that gun sales are up and crime is down. But that would get in the way of this reporting.

But the interview also included an interesting exchange:

SIEGEL: Now, Virginia is a state where there’s a great deal of gun ownership and I assume the Republican legislators and the governor figure the public opinion is on their side with these moves.

SIZEMORE: I think they do. Virginia certainly is a big gun-owning state, particularly in the more rural areas where hunting is a, you know, longstanding tradition. You know, in the more urban areas where crime has been a problem, I think you find more support for gun control, but at the moment, the gun enthusiasts certainly seem to have the upper hand.

Let’s review: Siegel makes it clear that it is “public opinion,” but Sizemore by responds by trying to suggest that there is support for gun control, yet “gun enthusiasts” have the “upper hand.” Isn’t this a naïve way to look at it this issue? Clearly the support for gun control isn’t strong enough, but once again the anti-gun types try to pass this off as if it is the voice of a few radicals.

At least the host notes there is “public opinion,” but too bad the media can’t see it that way.

President Obama focusing on gun control this year would only stimulate gun-related interest groups, like the National Rifle Association, and encourage them to spend even more money to turn out the vote for Republican candidates. Of course the gun lobby is going to oppose Obama’s reelection no matter what.

Winkler then tries to defend Obama on the record:

The NRA and its allies, however, have a credibility problem on this issue. Ever since Obama won the Democratic Party nomination in 2008, the NRA has been ominously warning gun owners about what the organization calls Obama’s “10 Point Plan to ‘Change’ the Second Amendment.” The NRA promised that Obama would “ban [the] use of firearms for home self-defense,” “pass federal laws eliminating your right-to-carry,” and “close down 90 percent of the gun shops in America.” None of these things has happened.

What Winkler does say is that President Obama did have a White House summit that called for “reasonable gun control,” which to us is actually an unreasonable call. Additionally, Obama did tell Sarah Brady he was in fact working on gun control but “under the radar.” These are points that The Daily Beast either forgot, or didn’t want brought up.

Finally after giving various weak arguments on the points, this article closes with:

Gun violence is a serious issue that deserves our leaders’ attention. Yet given the obvious downside risk of promoting gun control in an election year, gun-control advocates should hope that, when it comes to guns, Obama just keeps his mouth shut.

So what we are seeing is that someone believes there is a real problem – one we think is dramatically overstated – and yet says he hopes his guy “just keeps his mouth shut.” Democracy at work indeed!

www.youtube.com/watch?v=vExDra10BKg

Cam Edwards talks to NRA Board Member Linda Walker from the Buckeye Firearms Association

www.youtube.com/watch?v=ATAZjamUG28

Ginny Simone talks to Congressman Darrell Issa (R-CA) about Attorney General’s testimony about Operation Fast and Furious in front of the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform