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VCDL's meeting schedule: http://www.vcdl.org/meetings.html
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Abbreviations used in VA-ALERT: http://www.vcdl.org/help/abbr.html
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VCDL cannot endorse candidates, but we can look at their records, their statements, and their VCDL surveys (or lack thereof). It is NOT our job to be a cheerleader for any candidate or any Party. We give you the scoop and you decide on where your vote will go.
Keep in mind that the U.S. Senate is critical to protecting gun owners from any hare-brained gun-control schemes that might come from the U.N. The Senate is also critical in vetting Presidential appointments to the Supreme Court, of which there is probably going to be at least one during the next four years. Currently we have only a single vote between us and some real problems for our gun rights.
Here is some information about the candidates for President and for U.S. Senator from Virginia.
PRESIDENTIAL RACE
President Obama
Positive:
* As President, Obama signed a bill with an amendment to allow gun owners to carry in National Parks. This vote is strongly moderated by the fact that the main bill had nothing to do with guns and was a bill that Obama wanted to see passed. Without a line-item veto capability, he had to either kill the entire bill or sign it with the pro-gun amendment attached. He chose to sign it.
* It was a similar situation with another bill and an amendment to allow guns to be transported on AMTRAK. Gun owners seemed to be simply along for the ride on that bill, too.
Negative:
* President Obama did not return the VCDL Federal Candidate Survey
* In the debates with Romney, Obama confirmed that he wanted the ban on "assault weapons" in his next term and hinted that he wanted a ban on inexpensive handguns, too. Not good news for poor people.
* President Obama reversed the U.S.'s long standing position of opposing any U.N. gun bans.
* A reporter documented the Brady Campaign bragging about President Obama telling them that he was working on gun control "under the radar."
* The news was filled with how Mexican Drug Cartels were getting 90% of their firearms from the U.S. Using the excuse of the drug cartels getting those guns, the Obama Administration ordered the BATFE and gun dealers to report all sales of two or more semi-automatic rifles sold to the same person in a five-day period in states bordering Mexico. Upon inspection, the 90% number turned out to be massively inflated and was clearly presented so as to deceive Americans on the true number of guns going to Mexico from the U.S.
* A secret project called Fast & Furious under the Obama Administration was uncovered after a U.S. Border Patrol officer was murdered by someone using a gun that was one of thousands of "assault weapons" and other guns smuggled to the Mexican drug cartels with the blessings of the Obama Administration. The clear intent of Fast & Furious was to falsely accuse U.S. gun dealers of smuggling and to drum up support from the U.S. public for a ban on "assault weapons" and to expand the required reporting on multiple semi-automatic rifle sales.
* President Obama selected two very anti-liberty Supreme Court candidates that were later confirmed.
* President Obama's Attorney General Holder said early on that the Administration wanted a ban on "assault weapons," but quickly withdrew that comment after the trial balloon was not received well.
* Before he was President, Obama sat on the Joyce Foundation Board of Directors - an organization that funds anti-gun efforts around the U.S.
* As an Illinois state Senator, Obama's voting record and positions were absolutely dismal on guns. There didn't seem to be any gun control that Obama didn't support.
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Mitt Romney
Positive:
* In the debates with Obama, Romney said that he did not believe that any kind of firearm should be banned and that he supported enforcing current laws.
* During his Presidential campaign, Romney has not called for any kind of gun control.
* Presidential candidate Romney addressed the annual NRA convention (a positive, but not a strong one).
* Presidential candidate Romney has publicly said he does NOT support a U.N. treaty that would ban guns.
Negative:
* Did not return the VCDL Federal Candidate Survey.
* (Closer to neutral) As Governor of Massachusetts, Romney signed an extension of the "assault weapon ban," but the bill contained improvements and protections wanted by gun-rights groups, no new guns were banned, and the bill passed with the blessing of gun-rights groups.
SENATORIAL RACE
Tim Kaine
Positive:
* As Governor, Kaine signed a few minor gun-rights bills to either clarify existing law or to improve the CHP application process.
* Governor Kaine signed one strong bill (allowing CHP holders to have a concealed handgun on K-12 school property as long as they stay in their vehicle) that had passed BOTH houses by a VETO-PROOF majority.
Negative:
* Kaine has refused to return the VCDL Federal Candidate Survey.
* As Governor, Kaine vetoed the restaurant-ban repeal TWICE. I cannot think of a single pro-gun bill being vetoed by any other Governor since VCDL has existed.
* As Governor, Kaine vetoed a bill to allow a non-CHP holder to have a loaded gun in a locked container or compartment in a vehicle.
* As Governor, Kaine vetoed a bill to clarify that a person who is not hunting can have a loaded gun on public highways.
* As Governor, Kaine vetoed a bill to allow a person without a CHP to carry on their own property outside of their curtilage areas.
* As Governor, Kaine pushed hard, using a lot of political capital, to get a "gun show loophole" bill passed into law. He even ordered the Superintendent of the State Police to testify at the General Assembly in favor of the bill.
* The Attorney General ruled that State Parks had no authority to ban open carry. Governor Kaine ordered State Parks to ignore that ruling and to keep the open carry ban in place.
* As Mayor of the city of Richmond, Kaine actually used tax-payer money to fund buses to take gun-haters to the Million Mom March in D.C. in 2000. When he was called on that illegal move, he paid for the buses out of his own pocket.
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George Allen
Positive:
* Allen HAS returned the VCDL Federal Candidate Survey pro-gun.
* As Governor, Allen signed Virginia's first "Shall Issue" CHP law into effect.
* As Governor, Allen successfully modified the new Shall Issue law to allow for concealed carry at special events
Negative:
* No bad votes. A mostly neutral item: as a candidate for the U.S. Senate in 2000 Allen said he would vote to extend the "assault weapon" ban, but later changed his mind and supported letting the ban sunset.
THE 7TH CONGRESSIONAL DISTRICT
Just when I thought we were through with the 7th Congressional District, I've been forwarded an email from Marty Ryall, with Eric Cantor's' campaign, which is a total mischaracterization that needs a response. The issue is that Congressman Cantor has refused to return his VCDL Federal Candidate Survey. (His opponent, Wayne Powell, returned his survey very pro-gun at the end of August.) Cantor has been given the survey to answer at least three times, one of which has placed directly in his hands at his gun-free fund raiser in Richmond last month.
Here is the email being sent by the Cantor campaign with my rebuttal:
In regard to the VCDL, you should know the facts. That organization continues to attack Congressman Cantor through phone calls, mail and e-mails, even distributing his home phone number in unfair attacks. They cannot point to a single vote he has made in Congress that they take issue with. [PVC: VCDL has NEVER said Cantor had any bad gun voters WHILE IN CONGRESS, but that cannot be said while he was in the Virginia General Assembly.] They are upset that he occasionally participates in events at venues where guns are not allowed. Congressman Cantor’s duties and obligations often take him to schools, government buildings and other venues where guns are not allowed. [PVC: VCDL has NEVER protested Cantor for doing his duties and obligations as a Congressman at places where guns are banned. We have protested when he is campaigning and has control of the venue, yet chooses gun-free-killing-zones.] That has absolutely no bearing on his strong pro-gun positions and record. Until the VCDL demonstrates that they will treat Congressman Cantor fairly, he will not participate in their activities. [PVC: Not telling his constituents exactly where he stands on key gun-issues, especially those which he voted wrong on in the past, is VCDL's fault? Sounds to me like the real issue is that he doesn't want uppity constituents asking him any serious questions.] But rest assured, he will continue to defend theirs, and your rights of gun ownership. [PVC: Except, perhaps, for some of the items on our survey that he doesn't want to talk about. Sadly, Cantor just doesn't get it - his problems with VCDL are all self-inflicted.]
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Congressman Cantor, treat your constituents fairly by just answering the VCDL survey. It's not like we're asking for your first-born child.
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VA-ALERT is a project of the Virginia Citizens Defense League, Inc.
(VCDL). VCDL is an all-volunteer, non-partisan grassroots organization dedicated to defending the human rights of all Virginians. The Right to Keep and Bear Arms is a fundamental human right.
VCDL web page: http://www.vcdl.org [http://www.vcdl.org/]