Tennessee's "Guns-in-Bars" Sponsor Jailed for Drunk Driving with Gun & Interstate Concealed Carry Bill Heads For A Vote 13OKT11

THE government will legislate permission for drunks to carry concealed guns from state to state but still won't permit their constituents to bring their gun with them when visiting the government officials who pass these insane laws in their offices. What's good for the goose is good for the gander, and so these nra ass lickers in the U.S. House should face the same risk they are mandating for the rest of us. You can e mail your Representative and tell them to vote NO on H.R. 822, the National Right-to Carry Reciprocity Act here https://writerep.house.gov/writerep/welcome.shtml
From The Brady Campaign and Huffpost....

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Guns-in-Bars Sponsor is Caught Drunk Driving with Loaded Gun   This just proves that guns and alcohol don’t mix. On Tuesday night, Tennessee State Representative Curry Todd was jailed and charged with drunken driving and possession of a handgun while under the influence. Rep. Todd was the sponsor of the guns-in-bars legislation passed in Tennessee in 2009. According to Rep. Todd, drinking with your gun is something that no responsible handgun owner would ever do. In fact, it is prohibited under the Tennessee guns-in-bars law. The law "was only to let law-abiding (sober) citizens carry their licensed weapons into family restaurants to protect all the patrons against any would-be robbers or other armed assailants." What a hypocrite! (Or are we being too kind?) Guns and alcohol don’t mix. Donate today to keep up our fight in the states where the NRA continues to push dangerous bills like this. I would like to say "thank you" to law enforcement for apprehending the NRA's beloved Rep. Todd before anyone was hurt. We must use his shining example to help us stop the efforts of NRA-owned politicians in the push for more guns everywhere. Your Brady Campaign continues to fight against laws like guns-in-bars and other bad legislation that puts you, your families, and your communities at risk, and we need your help to continue our life-saving work. If this is the type of poster boy that the NRA wants to use as a "law-abiding gun owner" to push dangerous ideas in state legislatures, we need to work twice as hard to stop it. Donate today. Sincerely, Brian Malte Brady Campaign to Prevent Gun Violence P.S. We hear it so many times that people under the influence don’t make the best decisions. Representative Todd proves that. Help us continue our work in the states. Interstate Concealed Carry Bill Heads For A Vote WASHINGTON -- The arrest of a pro-gun-rights Tennessee lawmaker on charges of possession of a handgun while under the influence has provided a short-term boon for headline writers. The lawmaker, after all, had sponsored legislation to allow guns to be carried into bars and was, by all accounts, quite intoxicated upon arrest. But for all the irony, the news seems destined to have almost no repercussion or impact on policy. In fact, gun laws in Tennessee and other states seem likely to grow a touch more lax. On Thursday or Friday, the House Judiciary Committee will mark up the National Right-to-Carry Reciprocity Act of 2011, legislation that would require the various states that allow the concealed carrying of guns to recognize each other's permits. Gun control advocates have called the idea a veritable 'race to the bottom' in terms of concealed carry legislation, more or less forcing states to respect laws made by other states no matter their standards. Backers have said it would make the law for carrying concealed weapons from state to state no different than what states do with driver's licenses. The bill dictates, precisely, that a person "carrying a concealed handgun" legally under his or her state law "shall be permitted to carry a handgun subject to the same conditions or limitations that apply to residents of the State who have permits issued by the State or are otherwise lawfully allowed to do so by the State." With 244 co-sponsors, the National Right-to-Carry Reciprocity Act will not only make it through committee but seems poised to have a solid showing on the House floor as well. "It should have strong support," said a spokesman for Rep. Cliff Stearns (R-Fla.), who introduced the bill. But that might be because scant attention has been paid to it. Tennessee Rep. Steve Cohen was the lone Democrat on the Judiciary Committee to co-sponsor the bill. After The Huffington Post contacted him about it on Wednesday afternoon, however, he dropped his support. "He took his name off the bill and does not plan on supporting the initiative," emailed his spokesperson Michael Pagan. He did not return an email asking why. With the legislation set to move forward, gun control advocates are hoping that a wider spotlight might produce a few more Cohens. The coalition Mayors Against Illegal Guns and Philadelphia Mayor Michael Nutter emailed out a petition this week, authored by Philadelphia Police Commissioner Charles Ramsey, that urges President Obama to speak out against the legislation. "We need the Obama administration to send a strong signal that it will side with America’s mayors and police chiefs in preserving our ability to protect our local communities," the petition reads. "This law (H.R. 822) would override the standards of individual states and set a new standard at the 'lowest common denominator.' Dangerous people, including sex offenders and domestic abusers, could get a permit in one state and then carry hidden, loaded guns nationwide." Ramsey, a source with the mayoral group tells The Huffington Post, is the first law enforcement official in the nation who has publicly come out against the legislation. Meet Rep. Curry Todd: he is a state legislator beloved by the NRA, who says trust "law-abiding citizens", yet he exemplifies irresponsible gun owners. Donate Facebook Forward

9/11 Responders To Be Warned They Will Be Screened By FBI's Terrorism Watch List (EXCLUSIVE)

THIS is BULL, but hey, it is also a result of the repiglican extremist and the tea-baggers being empowered by the electorate to represent and protect the financial interest of the wealthy and corporate America (insurance companies) over the interest of the general public. So to all those who have to submit this information, did you even vote in the last election? Did you vote for the tea-baggers and their policies? If you did, or if you didn't vote at all, I have to ask, how's that gop / tea-bagger agenda workin out for ya now????
WASHINGTON -- A provision in the new 9/11 health bill may be adding insult to injury for people who fell sick after their service in the aftermath of the 2001 Al Qaeda attacks, The Huffington Post has learned.
The tens of thousands of cops, firefighters, construction workers and others who survived the worst terrorist assault in U.S. history and risked their lives in its wake will soon be informed that their names must be run through the FBI’s terrorism watch list, according to a letter obtained by HuffPost.
Any of the responders who are not compared to the database of suspected terrorists would be barred from getting treatment for the numerous, worsening ailments that the James Zadroga 9/11 Health And Compensation Law was passed to address.
It’s a requirement that was tacked onto the law during the bitter debates over it last year.
The letter from Dr. John Howard, director of the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health, informs medical providers and administrators that they should begin letting patients know before the new program kicks in this July.
“This is absurd,” said Glen Kline, a former NYPD emergency services officer. “It’s silly. It’s stupid. It’s asinine.”
“It’s comical at best, and I think it’s an insult to everyone who worked on The Pile and is sick and suffering from 9/11,” said John Feal, a former construction worker who lost half a foot at Ground Zero and runs the advocacy group Fealgood Foundation.

The provision was added in an amendment by Rep. Cliff Stearns (R-Fla.) during the heated debate over the bill in the House Energy and Commerce Committee last May.
Sept. 11 responders in the committee room at the time mostly shook their heads at the move, which Democrats accepted on a voice vote after battling to bar other amendments on abortion and immigration that might have killed the bill.
But suddenly the point is no longer just a strategic concession to get a law passed.
As doctors and administrators begin acting on the federal instructions, participants in the 9/11 treatment and monitoring programs will soon be told that their names, places of birth, addresses, government ID numbers and other personal data will be provided to the FBI to ensure they are not terrorists.
Howard's instructions include a sample letter to responders designed to minimize alarm.
“Although neither we nor [the Centers for Disease Control]/NIOSH anticipate the name of any individual in the current Programs will be on the list, CDC/NIOSH is expressly required by law to implement this particular requirement of the Act,” it says.
“Thank you for your understanding. We look forward to working with you and ensuring that you continue to receive uninterrupted services under the new WTC Health Program,” it concludes.
Feal, who counts hundreds of first responders in his foundation's membership, predicted the letters would not go over well.
“When cops and firefighters get this at home, they’re going to hit the roof,” he said.
Kline, who sits on the Fealgood Foundation’s board, said he personally wasn’t offended, but couldn’t think of a good reason for cops and firefighters to be screened by the FBI in order to keep getting treatment.
“I mean, who are we even talking about -- the undocumented workers who cleaned the office buildings?” wondered Kline Thursday. “We know who all the cops, firefighters and construction workers were. They’re all documented.
“Is the idea that a terrorist stayed to help clean up? And then stayed all these years to try and get benefits?” he asked. “In all the things I’ve seen out of Washington, this probably takes the cake.”
Some are more understanding.
“Do we want terrorists getting money? No,” said Anthony Flammia, a former NYPD Highway Patrol officer and Sept. 11 responder. “How do you know if there were any terrorists there? Were they there as observers, watching? Probably.”
But he noted that his perspective likely would not be shared, especially if people whose names are similar to actual terror suspects get flagged, as happens with air travelers.
“I’ve got nothing to hide, so it’s no big deal for me, but there’s got to be safeguards in place to protect the people who are innocent,” Flammia said. “It’s going to be controversial,” he added. “It’s probably going to create an uproar, but I think it will dissipate. I hope they're ready to answer people's questions.”
Congressman Stearns said in a statement that his intent was to answer exactly the questions raised by Flammia.
“This amendment was adopted in the full Energy and Commerce Committee without opposition and it merely requires that the names of those receiving health benefits be cross-checked with the terrorist watch list to ensure that no terrorists get these benefits,” Stearns said.
“These benefits are not just for our first responders; nearly anyone who was in the vicinity or worked on a cleanup crew afterward is eligible,” he noted.
The prohibition is included in two parts of the bill. One specifically covers responders, while the other deals with all survivors, including office workers, bystanders and residents.
Feal acknowledged that the terrorist screening has to be done because it is the law, and that the letters have to go out.
But he holds Stearns responsible, as well as several other Republicans who were hostile to the 9/11 bill, and tried to tack all manner of amendments onto it.
“I think Congressman Stearns is stabbing at pettiness. He’s a buffoon,” Feal said. “We get sicker and die, and they’re going to disseminate a letter wondering whether we’re terrorists or not. ... I think everybody needs to start showing a little more compassion.”

Cory Gardner, Colorado GOP Candidate, Holds Fundraiser With BP Lobbyist And Joe Barton 23JUN10

HERE'S A REMINDER FROM THE GOP OF WHO THE TYPICAL GOP POLITICIAN REALLY STANDS FOR.......BP AND THE OTHER BIG OIL COMPANIES.....AND THE QUESTION REMAINS.....WILL AMERICANS BE STUPID ENOUGH TO ELECT THESE POLITICIANS??? UNFORTUNATELY I AM AFRAID THEY WILL.....BUT I WOULD LOVE TO BE PROVEN WRONG!

A set of upcoming political fundraisers has brought up once again a question often asked by good government groups: Just how tainted do donors have to be before politicians stop taking their money?
On Thursday, Dan Meyer, a lobbyist for BP -- the besieged oil company responsible for the biggest environmental disaster in U.S. history -- will co-host a luncheon at Hotel George in Washington D.C. for the benefit of Colorado GOP congressional candidate Cory Gardner. An official with the Dubernstein Group, Meyer serves on a BP account that has brought in $100,000 in lobbying fees during the first quarter of 2010. He's not the only Republican official hosting the $1,000-a-plate affair (Meyer formerly served as the chief of staff for Newt Gingrich as well as chief congressional liaison in the Bush White House). Rep. Marsha Blackburn (R-Tenn.) and Rep. Erik Paulsen (R-Minn.) are participating as well.
But at a time when BP is in the news for all the wrong reasons -- and when members of Congress are being asked to play an oversight role over the company's actions in the Gulf -- Meyer's presence on the host list seems a bit brazen for Gardner.
"When you see that members of Congress are supposed to have oversight over a particular interest and at the same time they are going to events hosted by lobbyists who represent those interest, how can there not be a conflict of interest?" asked Gabriela Schneider, communications director for the Sunlight Foundation, a open-government group which first reported on the Gardner fundraiser. "The fact of the matter is members are constantly having to raise money... The fundraising circuit is just a mater of life
And yet that fundraiser could very well take a backseat in terms of political riskiness to the one being held in honor of Rep. Cliff Stearns (R-Fla.), who is putting together a June 30 lunch fundraiser "With Special Guest, Congressman Joe Barton." Barton of course was a political toxin last week after he apologized to BP for the "shakedown" they endured at the hands of the Obama administration.
After offering an apology for the apology, however, Barton has earned his way back into the good graces of some in his party. Not only is Stearns fundraising with him, on Wednesday Barton's fellow Republicans in the House offered a vote of confidence, choosing to keep him on his perch as ranking member of the House Energy and Commerce Committee.