Here we go again.
You would think that even disgraced former New York Attorney General Eliot Spitzer would have learned that illegal “Restraint of Trade” does not play well when challenged, something about antitrust laws and the Commerce Clause of the Constitution. Apparently, he has not grasped that lesson and has brought back a bad idea he first talked about in the year 2000.
Writing on Slate.com last week, Spitzer again suggested that government entities, this time the federal government, the city of New York and the Bloomberg-funded Mayors Against Illegal Guns (MAIG) get together and use their market purchasing power to boycott firearms manufacturers unless the manufacturers agree to stop selling to the public both ammunition magazines “with more than 10 bullets” and, even more unbelievably “semi-automatic” firearms, of any kind – the very issue in the Heller and McDonald cases decided by the U.S. Supreme Court.
Twelve years ago Spitzer, then the NY Attorney General, and then HUD Secretary Andrew Cuomo, led an almost identical effort to have antigun public officials agree to refuse to buy firearms for their law enforcement agencies unless manufacturers agreed to abide by a so-called “code of conduct” that contained their gun control “wish list” they couldn’t convince Congress and the American public to support.
NSSF and a number of firearms manufacturers took swift legal action to put a stop to this unlawful antitrust conspiracy by suing Spitzer, Cuomo and other politicians who agreed to illegally boycott manufacturers. Once sued Spitzer and his cohorts abandoned their scheme. Our lawsuit quickly achieved its objective of stopping the illegal boycott dead in its tracks. In fact, lawyers for the officials disavowed the boycott saying, “…no code has been approved, much less applied to the purchase of firearms.” They further claimed that government officials have “…only made vows, pledges or other statements of support for purchasing preferences that are based on proposed criteria.”
As was the case then, NSSF stands ready to take immediate legal action against any attempt by antigun politicians to implement an illegal boycott.
No doubt such an attempt to manipulate the free market will be frowned upon by law enforcement officials when they learn that the decision as to which firearm they can purchase is being made for political reasons rather than being based on which firearm they believe is the most reliable and has the features they desire to protect themselves and our communities.
With apologies to “The Who:” Meet the new idea, same as the old idea.
I am quite frankly surprised that Spitzer has shown his face in public. This individual is a pig, and not too many years ago, would have been shunned by his community. Apparently, the concept of shame no longer exists.
Spitzer, like many GOP leaders, has redeemed himself in the public eye by showing remorse and humility. Dick Morris, for example, a regular “analyst” on FOX News with Bill O’Reilly, was caught red-handed in 2001 by the IRS. He had to pay back taxes to the tune of $130 million. Is he also a pig? Numerous politicians have made a similar comeback because Americans are a forgiving people. Mayor Bloomberg has reduced the homicide rate in NYC over the last decade from 2,200 per year to 530 per year, all because he required strict background checks on gun purchasers. So, Spitzer is on the right track, yet no one can out-lobby the NRA.
Republicn or Democrat, pigs is pigs. As far as Bloomberg reducing the NYC homicide rate by requiring strict background checks on gun purchasers, this is nonsense. Legitimate gun purchasers are not the problem. Criminals, who by definition break the law, are not subject to background checks when they buy their guns on the street. Spitzer, as usual, is grandstanding. Nobody can out-lobby the NRA because the NRA represents more than 4 million American gun owners, who have had it with the Spitzers and Bloombergs and other low-lifes who know what’s best for everyone else.
The industry could meet Spitzer and his commie allies half way. They could refuse to sell weapons and magazines that accept more than 10 rounds to the law enforcement departments in the cities run by the MAIG mafia.
Ronnie Barrett had the right idea years ago. I would ask all manufacturers to stop selling firearms to the organizations that want to do these things and cease any warranty work unless they come pick them up. Right, they cannot pick them up handguns if they are from out of state …
“market purchasing power”?
Mr Spitzer needs him some remedial math.
The U.S. military, active and reserve, has just under three
million people. There are about 800,000 federal, state, and local law
enforcement officers. (Only about 35,000 work for NYC.)
With 4.5 million members, the NRA has more small-arms purchasing power.
Eight million concealed handgun licensees have double, as do 9 million sport
rifle owners. 3.7 million soldiers and cops are less than 5% of 80 million U.S.
gun owners.
So make the call, Mr. Spitzer. We’ll be ROFL.
All this from a man with zero moral compass & does not know a thing about protecting his family. To the point that he would not wear protection while sleeping with prostitutes and spending almost $100,000 of the family money on immoral, illegal activity. This man has some deep psychological issue’s I hope he is on the prohibited list.
The moral decline in this country by the “leaders” i.e. Eliot Spitzer. William Clinton, et al and the saturation of extremely violent video games, and movies are the major contributing factors to gun violence.
Mr. Spitzer you are not the solution , you ARE the problem.