GARY BAUER

Thursday, April 18, 2013

To: Friends & Supporters

From: Gary L. Bauer


Tragedy In Texas

Our prayers go out to the people of West, Texas. A fertilizer plant exploded last night in the small town, about 80 miles south of Dallas. The explosion was so powerful that it registered as a magnitude 2.1 earthquake with the U.S. Geological Survey.

Authorities say as many as 15 people may be dead. Initial reports indicated that 160 people were injured and scores of nearby homes and businesses were damaged or destroyed. Click here for ways you can help the victims and this community.


Suspects Identified?

The Boston Globe reports today that the authorities investigating the Boston Marathon bombing have identified "two separate suspects" from area surveillance videos. The Globe also reports that the FBI plans to release the photos to the public in the hope that someone will be able to identify the individuals.

Testifying this morning before the House Homeland Security Committee, Secretary Janet Napolitano "clarified" their status, saying, "I wouldn't characterize them as suspects under the technical term. But we need the public's help in locating these individuals."

Meanwhile, there was some confusion today regarding the status of Abdul Rahman Ali Alharbi, the Saudi student cleared after being questioned at the hospital after the bombing. It has been reported that Alharbi was set to be deported next week on "national security grounds."

Glenn Beck's The Blaze noted that Alharbi's visa has been revoked.

Now there are reports that there is a second Saudi student who was arrested for visa violations, but he has no known connection to the bombing.


Obama Dealt A "Devastating Blow"

Yesterday, "the Senate delivered a devastating blow to President Obama's agenda to regulate guns." That's not just my opinion. That is how the Washington, D.C., publication The Hill described yesterday's Senate vote rejecting a compromise amendment on background checks for gun sales.

Under an agreement between Senate Leaders Harry Reid and Mitch McConnell, all amendments needed 60 votes to pass, and this one failed 54-to-46. Four Republicans -- Collins (ME), Kirk (IL), McCain (AZ) and Toomey (PA) -- joined 50 Democrats in backing the amendment. Five Democrats -- Baucus (MT), Begich (AK), Heitkamp (ND), Pryor (AR) and Reid (NV) -- voted with 41 Republicans to oppose the expansion of background checks.

(Harry Reid voted against the amendment, even though he supported it. Under the Senate's arcane rules the move allows Reid to bring the amendment back up for a vote at a later date.)

As The Hill notes, with the compromise amendment on background checks defeated, the bill retains the Democrats' original language on universal checks. But that language is so unpopular that it could torpedo the entire bill. As a result, Harry Reid will likely pull the gun control legislation from the floor and move on to other issues.

Other Democrat efforts to limit Second Amendment rights went down in flames. Senator Frank Lautenberg (D-NJ) got only 46 votes for his amendment to ban high capacity ammunition clips. And Sen. Dianne Feinstein (D-CA) was able to muster only 40 votes in support of her so-called "assault weapons" ban. Only one Republican, Sen. Kirk of Illinois, voted in favor of the "assault weapons" ban, while 16 Democrats voted against it.

Meanwhile, Republican amendments to expand Second Amendment rights also failed, but they received far more votes. An amendment by Sen. Richard Burr (R-NC) to protect the Second Amendment rights of veterans received 56 votes. Senator John Cornyn's (R-TX) amendment expanding concealed-carry rights received 57 votes.


"Shameful"

Politico called the gun control votes "Obama's biggest loss" and suggested it could "foreshadow the slow decline" of his presidency. That's ironic considering how the media heralded his reelection as the beginning of a new liberal era in America.

Obama was clearly stung by the loss. At a White House press conference, flanked by former Congresswoman Gabby Giffords and Sandy Hook families, Obama lashed out at the senators who opposed him. Obama said, "There were no coherent arguments as to why we wouldn't do this." He said supporters of the Second Amendment "willfully lied." And he added, "All in all this was a pretty shameful day for Washington."

What is shameful is the way Obama responded. In all my years in Washington, I cannot recall any president reacting that way to a legislative defeat.

Members of the United States Congress are not his puppets. They were elected to represent their constituents, and, unlike Barack Obama, most of them will have to answer to the voters again.

On Fox News last night, Charles Krauthammer fired back. He said:

"If you're going to make all of these emotional appeals you've gotta show that if this had been law, it would have stopped Newtown. It would not have. It's irrelevant. …

"[I]t's emotional blackmail to say, 'You have to do it for the children.' Not if there's no logic in this, and that I think is what's wrong with the demagoguery that we've heard out of the president on this issue."