Thune Amendment Defeated

Today is almost as disappointing as the Pats losing to the Giants. I'm not kidding. In case you don't know, Senator John Thune, from South Dakota, proposed an amendment to the National Defense Authorization Act (S1390) that would provide for interstate recognition of right-to-carry permits. For example, New York would have to recognize my valid Massachusetts permit. In this way, handgun permits would have been treated in the same manner as marriages, automobiles, etc.

This was an interesting piece of legislation, as Democrats have historically been against states' rights and the Republicans against expanded federal powers. However, there are too many states where one's right-to-carry and the Second Amendment are ignored, such as Massachusetts, New York, Maryland, New Jersey, Illinois, and California, off the top of my head. The Republicans decided that it was the federal government's job to enact legislation that made it easier for all law-abiding citizens of the United States to arm themselves, whether it be for sport, protection, or merely to uphold one's rights. Many Democrats agreed.

The amendment needed 60 votes to pass. The ayes had 58 votes, and the nays had 39, so the amendment failed. Had it passed, it would have become law when the Senate inevitably passes S1390. Obama would have had no choice but to sign the bill into law; a veto was not an option. It was a bittersweet end, as almost 2/3rds of the Senate was in favor of it, but ultimately not enough. Shame on Republican Senators Lugar and Voinovich for voting nay.

I commend Senator Thune, Speaker Reid (a Democrat), and the other 56 supporters of this bill. It shows that there is bipartisan support for the right to protect one's life, limb, and property, and it shows that the Assault Weapons Ban is probably dead for good. If the liberals could barely defeat this amendment, they wouldn't dare try reviving the AWB, which was a disaster for them in early 1990s. It also shows that there is a serious divide between the liberal Democrats and the more conservative ones that are worried about their jobs come 2010.