Should Gun Control Be An Issue in 2012 Election?

Our friends at Newsbusters this week noted that “British-born MSNBC Martin Bashir took the time in his September 7 program to lament the absence of gun control as a major issue in the 2012 presidential contest and to take aim in particular at Texas Gov. Rick Perry (R).”

Additionally Newsbusters offered this thought:

“The MSNBC anchor also made note of a shooting spree in New York City over the weekend that prompted liberal Mayor Mike Bloomberg to rehash his calls for more federal gun control laws, failing, of course, to note that New York City and State have among the nation’s strictest gun control laws.”

Kudos to Newsbusters for catching this, as we did miss that one. The truth is that media never hides its dislike of guns. But we’d like to add that for once we agree completely with Martin Bashir.

Gun control should be a major issue in the 2012 presidential contest. President Obama has stated that he is working on gun control but “under the radar.” He should make it a campaign goal, and then we can see – and show the mainstream media – that gun rights is going to be a major issue. And more importantly that the majority of Americans believe in the right to keep and bear arms, despite what the mainstream media might want us to believe.

Will Rachel Maddow Attend NRA Convention?

Earlier this week liberal talk show host Rachel Maddow of MSNBC said she would accept Meghan McCain’s invitation to the NRA convention, reports the Huffington Post.

We know that Maddow had said she enjoys shooting – but has previously compared it to a rollercoaster, and that being something you do but don’t own. Of course this just means that she doesn’t understand why people would want to own a gun, practice with their gun and improve because they use the same gun.

We’ll be curious to see if Maddow does indeed show up.

MSNBC’s Mitchell Says “Somebody’s Got to Listen in Washington” on Gun Control

Our friends at Newsbusters are reporting that MSNBC’s Andrea Mitchell once again called out for “gun control.” Is this news or commentary we ask? Speaking to Mayor Michael Nutter of Philadelphia, Mitchell talked about gun control. She threw a softball question on the subject, but then offered this thought:

“Well it’s going to take national leadership. You and Mike Bloomberg, the other mayors, have all been yelling and screaming about it, but somebody’s got to listen in Washington.”

So much for even a softball question! At this point Mitchell is practically a spokesperson for Nutter.

MSNBC’s Mika Brezinski Says “Gun Show Loophole Was Closed”

How do you trust a reporter that doesn’t know the facts? Well, Mike Brezinksi of MSNBC’s “Morning Joe” often makes strange gaffes – she once stated that “Abraham Lincoln” was her favorite Founding Father, despite the fact that Honest Abe was born in 1809, some 33 years after the Declaration of Independence.

So what do you make of the recent discussion she had with panelists on the show that discussed the gun show loophole. According to our friends at Newsbusters.org, which followed this story, Brezinksi’s husband, an investigative reporter, had bought several AK-47s at a Virginia gun show in an effort to prove how it easy it is to obtain the small arm.

During the segment another panelist noted: “A loophole was closed for a while.”

Brezinski replied, “right.”To which Barnicle said, “and then re-opened when they let the law lapse a couple of years ago.” Brezinski said, “that’s correct. That’s correct.”

Except, it isn’t correct. There was no ban of private sales. B&B (Brezinski and Barnicle) confused this with the assault weapons ban. That’s something entirely different.

But some other notable issues with this debate. During the segment Brezinski looks at the camera and says, “Just close the loophole. Governor Bob McDonnell.”

McDonnell is of course the governor of Virginia. Should a co-host of a news program comment like this, or worse command a politician? And exactly how should McDonnell go about doing such a thing?

Finally, even co-host Joe Scarborough got in on the act, and noted the following:

“Five times to go into the gun show and had nothing but his photo ID from Virginia Tech, and was able to fill up a trunk with semi-automatic weapons. The killings in the New York and New Jersey and the Northeast are traced to those Virginia gun shows. Like I said, the drug wars are being armed, the most dangerous terrorists in our hemisphere, the drug kingpins, are being armed by Arizona gun show laws – c’mon. 90 percent of Americans don’t want this to continue. 90 percent of Americans don’t want to continue, it should not continue.”

Who doesn’t want what this continue, and where does this 90 percent come from? We think most American don’t want to see senseless shootings? We doubt there is even 10 percent that would say, “yeah, senseless shootings I’m all for that.” As for 90 percent wanting the gun show loophole closed, well, that’s just plain wrong.

The so-called loophole isn’t a loophole. And trying to say that 90 percent want it closed it just bad reporting.

MSNBC’s Chris Matthews: Is Obama Ready to Take On the Grass Roots Gun Lobby

Is this more wishful thinking from the media? There was no mention of “gun control” in the State of the Union, but the media keeps pushing it.

Time to Rethink The Second Amendment Says Richard Lui

It was just a “tease” before a commercial break for an upcoming segment but MSNBC anchor Richard Lui asked viewers whether it was time to rethink the Second Amendment reports our friends at Newsbusters.

This was for an upcoming segment where Chris Jansing would interview House Intelligence Committee chairman and former FBI agent Rep. Mike Rogers (R-Michigan). Harmless tease, evocative question or something more?

Video available at Newsbusters (MSNBC’s Richard Lui: ‘Is It Time to Rethink the 2nd Amendment?’)

MSNBC Political Analyst Admits to Being Socialist who “Would ban all guns in America”

Last week MSNBC political analyst Lawrence O’Donnell appeared on the “Morning Joe,” and made a rather interesting comment. He admitted to being a socialist and said his view including banning “all guns in America.”

Our friends at Newsbusters.org offered a full quote of what he said (to Salon’s Glenn Greenwald):

LAWRENCE O’DONNELL: Glenn, unlike you, I am not a progressive. I am not a liberal who is so afraid of the word that I had to change my name to progressive. Liberals amuse me. I am a socialist. I live to the extreme left, the extreme left of you mere liberals, okay? However, I know this about my country. Liberals are 20 percent of the electorate. Conservatives are 41 percent of the electorate, okay? So I don’t pretend that my views, which would ban all guns in America, make Medicare available to all in America, have any chance of happening in the federal government, okay? You can sit there and pretend that liberals should run more liberal in conservative districts. You love the loss of the Blue Dogs. The only way, the only way you have a chairman Barney Frank, there’s only one way, that’s by electing Blue Dogs. It’s the only way. That’s the only way you have a Speaker Pelosi.

Here is the complete video:

Rachel Maddow: Guns Shouldn’t be Brought Home

Thank you to our friends at NewsBusters.org for catching a piece we missed. Earlier this week MSNBC’s Rachel Maddow was on Late Night With Jimmy Fallon, and discussed on how a first date she went shooting. She adds that she regularly used to take the staff of her radio program to a New York City pistol range. So far so good… but then she makes this statement:

“I like making liberals shoot guns – I just don’t think we should be allowed to bring them home.”

Well, I for one agree. I don’t like bringing liberals home either. They tend to argue with me, and bring up stupid points. But Ms. Maddow actually meant guns shouldn’t be brought home. That’s a great example of a stupid point to bring up. Why bother learning to shoot, or rather I should say attempt to learn to shoot if you can’t bring the gun home. Now I’m not saying you’re going to shoot at home, but learning to shoot is beyond pulling the trigger. Any good shooter knows how to strip and clean a firearm, and any good shooter knows you need to take care of your firearm. Think of it this way Rachel, seriously bowlers don’t use the lane’s balls. Serious golfers don’t use the course’s rental clubs. So why should shooters be forced to use the range’s rifles or pistols?

And there is a case to be made for the fact that you could store your firearms at the range. That’s great, unless you have an event to go to, or want to shoot elsewhere. In other words you set up an impossible scenario for serious targeting shooting. Worse Rachel, you make it impossible for hunters and collectors. As a collector I really don’t like the idea of my guns having to be stored somewhere. If I want to go see a collection of firearms I’ll go to a museum.

MSNBC Labels Those Carrying Guns to Town Hall Meetings Racists

MSNBC is one of the worst offenders when it comes to targeting the issue of gun control, but it went so far as to label those carrying guns to the town hall meetings and other events where President Obama is speaking as racists.

Of course NewsBusters.org is one of just a few watchdog groups that noted that while MSNBC’s Contessa Brewer noted that it was “white people with guns,” the person in the video is… black.