Tennessee up to 471,882 permits in July 2014, Michigan at 558,403, Utah at 550,663, and Florida at 1,290,362

Click on above screenshots to enlarge them.  It is pretty amazing that just seven states now have a total of just seven states account for over 5 million concealed handgun permits.  Indiana has had about a 13 percent increase in the number of permits in just 9 months.latestAfter about 6mnths or noted otherwiseFlorida1,290,3621,215,7086%Indiana557,789537,9644%Michigan558,403425,97231%Minnesota175,026159,9689%Pennsylvania872,000Tennessee471,882441,1717%Texas708,048584,85021%Change...

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A look at the types of things Lois Lerner called conservatives while writing on her government email account

If Lerner called conservatives these things on her government email account, imagine what she might be writing on her personal account.  But you would think that a government official would be somewhat circumspect in writing something down in a permanent form for others to see.  However may be she knew that these emails wouldn't be permanent!  From the WSJ:A newly discovered email shows that former Internal Revenue Service official Lois Lerner once referred to conservatives as "---holes," according to new documents released...

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Stunner: Three of the four women on "The View" support gun ownership for protection

TranscriptJENNY MCCARTHY: “People who would definitely disagree with the NFL ruling is a gun safety group that is trying to pressure Republican senators to support gun restriction laws for domestic abuser with a brutal PSA. Now, warning, get your kids out of the room. Because this is pretty disturbing. Take a look.”[Everytown for Gun Safety Ad]MCCARTHY: “Right? Effective, Lara?”LARA SPENCER: “I would say highly effective. I mean so upsetting. Very strong message. And-“SHERRI SHEPHERD: “For not getting a gun? For, for having gun safety?”SPENCER:...

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Great speech by Congressman Thomas Massie: "Day 3 - Washington Under Siege"

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My newest piece in the Philadelphia Inquirer: "Armed doctor saved lives"

My newest piece in the Philadelphia Inquirer starts this way:On Thursday afternoon, Dr. Lee Silverman undoubtedly saved many lives. Using a handgun, the Delaware County psychiatrist stopped what both police and the district attorney described as a certain mass killing at Mercy Fitzgerald Hospital. The attacker, Richard Plotts, is a convicted felon, which bans him from legally owning a gun. But Pennsylvania's universal background check law did not stop him. Neither did the hospital's signs banning guns. The proposed federal law on expanded...

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Median Household Income still much lower today than it was when the recession ended!

Click figure to enlarge.  The original figure is available here.It is one thing to say that the economy is worse than before the recession hit.  It is another to say that we are lower now than when the "recovery" start...

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Federal Judge Strikes Down DC's ban on concealed handguns, for non-residents DC is at least temporarily a constitutional carry area

A copy of the decision and some analysis of it along with key quotes is available he...

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Obama correctly insisted for years that he had absolutely no legal authority to slow deportations on a broad scale, well forget about that

Remember Obama's repeated public claims that he had no legal authority to ignore immigration law and purposely slow deportations?  Presumably he repeatedly made that promise because he didn't want to scare voters that he might do something radical.  Well, now that he no longer faces voters again, that repeated point is being ignored.  From Politico:Obama’s pledge to use his executive powers by the end of the summer marked both a dramatic reversal in rhetoric and a major strategic shift on immigration. The president is no longer emphasizing...

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Obamacare: Jonathan Gruber blatantly lying about whether federally run health insurance exchanges get a subsidy

It is rare for a prominent academic to so blatantly lie repeatedly for purely political purposes.  Unfortunately, for MIT's Jonathan Gruber there are videos to prove it.  Here is a video of Gruber in January 2012 where he makes it completely clear that only state run insurance exchanges get federal subsidies (see discussion starting at 31:55 in video):JONATHAN GRUBER: What’s important to remember politically about this is if you're a state and you don’t set up an exchange, that means your citizens don't get their tax credits—but...

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Fortunately, doctor with a gun critically wounded shooter who attacked hospital, gun-free zone sign didn't stop attack

This attack apparently occurred in a gun-free zone.  Here is a great quote from the Philadelphia Inquirer:"There's a sign on the door that says you have to check your weapons at the front," she said, "But you can't expect every crazy person to do that."From Fox News about an attack at Mercy Fitzgerald Hospital in Darby, PA that was stopped by Dr. Lee Silverman:A doctor who was grazed by gunfire from a patient in his office at a suburban hospital on Thursday helped stop him by apparently returning fire with his own weapon and severely...

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Fortune Magazine completely mangles story on gun sales "declining"

Fortune magazine's Laura Lorenzetti makes a lot of logical mistakes in her "news" article here.It looks like Americans may be buying fewer guns this year. Smith & Wesson  SWHC , the 162-year-old gunmaker, lowered its guidance for the quarter and rest of the year, even as it reported better than expected sales in its fiscal fourth quarter that ended Apr. 30. Shares of Smith & Wesson’s stock had dropped nearly 9% by...

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Very amusing piece by Chris Friend on "Seeing red over Indian nickname debate"

The piece starts this way, but I strongly recommend that you follow the link and read the entire article:Life is good. Summer is in full swing, the Trayvon/Zimmerman soap opera is finally fading away, government is probably reading only half our emails now, and the excitement of football is in the air. Most important, though, is that America apparently has solved all of its problems. Otherwise, how could you possibly explain the fact that a cadre of congressman — both Republican and Democrat — recently sent a letter to NFL Commissioner...

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East Tennessee family restaurant posts "Guns are Welcome"

From WBIR in eastern Tennessee:Gun control is a hot topic across the country, and one East Tennessee restaurant owner is making her opinion very clear by posting a 'Guns are Welcome' sign on the front door of her family-friendly establishment."As the owner, I wanted to stand my ground. I have that constitutional right. If you like it, that's great, if you don't, I'm sorry for you. I can't change who I am," said Sharma Floyd, with Shiloh Brew and...

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Obama uses Russia's actions in the Ukraine to ban importation of AK-47s

The day before the tragic shooting down of a passenger airline the Obama administration banned the importation of AK-47s from Kalashnikov company.  Here is the Treasury order:374. If I own a Kalashnikov product, is that product blocked by sanctions?  Am I able to resell a Kalashnikov product at a gun show or other secondary market?  If a U.S. person is in possession of a Kalashnikov Concern product that was bought and fully paid for prior to the date of designation (i.e., no payment remains due to Kalashnikov Concern),...

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Follow up on Philadelphia mother who unintentionally violated New Jersey's gun laws

The penalty for this mother of two children is out of all proportion to any possible harm that she did.  The point of these laws in New Jersey is to make people so afraid of violating the laws that they are worried about owning guns.  More background on the case is available here.  The new article from Fox News:Allen, who has no prior criminal record, said she acquired the gun legally just a week prior to her arrest. She was headed to Atlantic City, N.J., in the early-morning hours to prepare for her son’s birthday party, which was...

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Newest piece at Fox News: "Chicago violence: The buck stops with you, Rahm Emanuel"

The newest CPRC op-ed at Fox News starts this way:Over the July 4 weekend, in Chicago alone, 16 people were shot to death and another 66 were wounded.  At a press briefing on July 11, the White House weighed in, stating that Obama would "continue to make the case" that lawmakers should adopt new gun control laws. Two days later, on Sunday, Gov. Pat Quinn also called for more gun control, in particular a state ban on assault weapons, as the solution. But Chicago's problems lie with the city’s politicians. Nationally, police solve...

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Share of permits issued to women is soaring: Tennessee and Texas

The raw Tennessee data is available here.The raw Texas data is available he...

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House of Representatives passed a budget amendment that would have only federal gun control regulations in DC

By a 241 to 181 vote, the House passed a budget amendment by Rep. Thomas Massie limiting DC gun control laws to those passed by the federal government.  From The Hill Newspaper:. . . Rep. Thomas Massie's (R-Ky.) amendment to the fiscal 2015 Financial Services and General Government appropriations bill, which includes a $637 million federal payment for the District of Columbia, would prohibit funding to enforce its handgun ban and other gun laws. The amendment passed 241-181. Massie said the District's gun laws ran counter to the Supreme...

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Detroit Police Chief credits city's huge drop in violent crime as due to surge in citizens carry guns

From the Washington Times:Detroit has experienced 37 percent fewer robberies than it did last year, and Police Chief James Craig is crediting armed citizens for the drop. “Criminals are getting the message that good Detroiters are armed and will use that weapon,” said Chief Craig, who has been an open advocate for private gun ownership, the Detroit News reported. “I don’t want to take away from the good work our investigators are doing, but I think part of the drop in crime, and robberies in particular, is because criminals are thinking...

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Young woman's life likely destroyed because of NJ's bizarre gun laws

Dallas News | myFOXdfw.comFox News in Dallas-Fort Worth has this story from New Jersey:27 year-old Shaneen Allen wanted to protect her family. She took a gun safety course, applied for and was granted a concealed carry permit and she purchased a gun. “One of my family members, he thought it was appropriate for me to get one because I’m a single mother and I have two children and I work two jobs and I work late and getting up at that time of night I got robbed twice last year and he felt the need for me to get my license to protect me and...

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The Rolling Stone Interview: Michael Bloomberg says he isn't afraid of the NRA, but should we be afraid of him?

Michael Bloomberg's interview with Rolling Stone magazine has already created its share of controversy but really just for his comments about Colorado recalling several Democrat state Senators for voting for gun control.In Colorado, we got a law passed. The NRA went after two or three state Senators in a part of Colorado where I don't think there's roads. It's as far rural as you can get. And, yes, they lost recall elections. I'm sorry for that....

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Is Apple where really controversial old Obama administration employees go after they leave government?

Among the major Obama administration employees Apple hired were former EPA administrator Lisa Jackson in 2013.  Jackson, who tried to hide government communication by using an EPA pseudonym "Richard Windsor," had a very controversial record.  "Windsor" was granted at least six ethics and cyber-security certifications.  From the Washington Examiner:Among the certificates awarded to "Richard Windsor" was a Nov. 2, 2009 "Certificate of Completion" for "E-mail Records Management." Jackson had only been appointed by President Obama...

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Could the writers of The Bill of Rights have anticipated modern guns? Meet the auto cannon, the Puckle gun, from 1718

Click on pictures to enlarge them.Here is a gun from 1718 that can fire 9 or so cannon shells very rapidly.  Once the principle was developed the number of shells that could be quickly fired could be increased even more.  The Puckle gun was developed long before the Gatling gun in 1862.  If a auto cannon was developed well before The Bill of Rights, how could it be claimed that they couldn't foresee machine guns and other modern weapons?It...

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New Tennessee law allows loaded guns in vehicles without requiring concealed handgun permits

From WJHL TV in Johnson City, Tennessee:No permit necessary that's the new law for people in Tennessee who want to carry a loaded gun in their car.The law took effect July 1st and is an extension of the castle doctrine, that's the law that allows home owners to have guns on their own property.Proponents of the legislation area saying a person’s car is an extension of their home."I have no problem with the law I voted for it and I think if you're a law abiding citizen as with many other issues in our country the government needs to stay out of your...

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Latest concealed carry permit numbers for Arizona

The numbers are available he...

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Estimated Second Quarter GDP growth implies that Weather wasn't the reason for the drop in 1st quarter GDP

GDP fell at an annual rate of 2.96 percent in the 1st quarter.  To make that up, just to get back to where we were at during the end of December, would require a 3.1 percent increase in the 2nd quarter.  But that would leave us with zero growth over the first half year.  But if the shrinking GDP in the first quarter was just a temporary aberration from weather, we should easily make that up and be back up to at least the meager annual growth rate of 1.8 percent we have experienced during the Obama "recovery."  From The Hill:Business...

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Last year Government gave $100B to people likely not entitled to receive them, congress thinks that the waste is greater

So much for Obama controlling waste and fraud.  From Politico:By its own estimate, the government made about $100 billion in payments last year to people who may not have been entitled to receive them — tax credits to families that didn’t qualify, unemployment benefits to people who had jobs and medical payments for treatments that might not have been necessary. Congressional investigators say the figure could be even higher. The Obama administration has reduced the amount of improper payments since they peaked in 2010. Still, estimates...

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Jimmy Fallon makes a joke about Obama abusing executive actions

FALLON: "Here is some news out of Washington.  House Speaker John Boehner is threatening to sue President Obama for using executive actions to create laws instead of going through Congress first.  And Obama just shrugged and made a new law saying you can't sue the president.  [Fallon pretending to be Obama] I can do this all day Boehne...

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Ann Coulter and Ted Nugent's reading level of their tweets higher than WaPo's Greg Sargent or NYT's David Leonhardt

A measure of reading level of tweets is available here.  Some amusing comparisons are here.  Possibly the level that people write at might be one very rough measure of intelligence.  With actor Jim Carrey juvenile humor, it probably isn't too surprising that his tweets are at a 3rd grade level.  Or that Kanye West tweets at the 4th grade level.  But it is more interesting to compare some political commentators.  Ann...

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