DOJ's Selective Amnesia on Civil Rights

DOJ fights for unfettered voting rights - Forgets the second amendment

Eric Holder's Department of Justice has filed a suit against both South Carolina and Texas to prevent the states from implementing a voter ID law.  Texans, of course, aren't taking this well.  

Texas recently passed a law that requires voters to show a photo ID when voting. The goal is to prevent voter fraud, of course.  Doing so protects the integrity of our electoral process.  As we saw in 2001, elections can be close contests and if fraud exists it can significantly impact our country and our lives. 

That such fraud exists is denied by most Democrats.  However that doesn't mean it doesn't exist.  Texas Attorney General Greg Abbott said both the Justice Department and the Texas AG's office have prosecuted and won convictions in scores of cases.  

"Those cases include a woman who submitted her dead mother's ballot, a paid operative who cast two elderly voters' ballots after transporting them to the polling place, a city council member who unlawfully registered ineligible foreign nationals to vote in an election that was decided by a 19-vote margin" and several other notable cases, he said. 

Worse is that it's easy.  James O'Keefe, who brought us the video "Primary of the Living Dead" in New Hampshire has followed up with a new video showing how easily he could have cheated in Vermont.  

The Democrats are protesting that requiring a photo ID to vote is an undue burden on the right to vote. Even though Texas has said it would provide an ID card free of charge to low-income people to avoid that burden, the Department of Justice's Tom Perez says the cost isn't the issue.


"It creates the additional burden of traveling to a driver's license office, undergoing an application process that includes fingerprinting and finding supporting documentation to prove one's identity." said, Tom Perez head of the Justice Department's civil rights division,

Using Census data, the Justice Department argued that the law creates an undue hardship on Hispanic populations that don't have the means to get a vehicle, live extremely far from a driver's license office or can't make it during the offices' limited operating hours.


DOJ's Double Standard

Perez argues that obtaining an ID card is an undue burden on the constitutional right to vote because of the time required to collect your documentation and travel to a government office.  But what about gun owners?

In Illinois, for example, just to possess a gun requires a Firearms Owner Identification Card (FOID card for short).  In New York City, you have to obtain a permit to possess a gun before even buying one. Then the gun itself has to be added to the permit before you can take it home.  In California, you are required to buy a "Safety card" for $25 (good for 5 years) before buying a gun and give a thumbprint each time you purchase a firearm.  California also requires separate "proof of residence", like a utility bill, lease or car registration with your name and address on it.  California, Massachusetts and other states impose a waiting period between purchasing the gun and actually taking it home.

All of these laws create an undue burden on gun owners to exercise their rights.

It seems DOJ has forgotten that the Second Amendment is a civil right, like the right to a lawyer or your right to due process.  It appears Mr. Holder believes states can create undue burdens on the right to arms, but will fight laws intended to protect our electoral process.

It might be different if the Attorney General offered a different solution.  In Iraq, they dipped the voter's index finger in purple ink to show they'd already voted and to prevent fraud.  Yet, Holder doesn't even suggest this as an acceptable alternative.

Meanwhile, Attorney General Holder closes his eyes and covers his ears if anyone dares suggest that existing state laws might infringe upon and create undue burdens on the exercise of a Second Amendment right.

It's about time that we, The People, remind the Attorney General that all of our rights are of equal importance.

Smith & Wessons That Never Were

or If I Ran Smith & Wesson

Smith & Wesson is one of the best known brand names in the world.  Certainly anywhere in the USA most people recognize the name.  So too will many people know it in England, Germany, France, Israel, Iraq, India, Japan and even Hong Kong, China.  That means it's one of America's greatest companies.

So that leads me to wonder how one of our best known companies, a premier gun manufacturer, can so boldly "miss" their target audience so often and still be a success.  To be sure, S&W has had it's problems in the last decade or so, starting with Americans losing control of S&W to Britain's Tomkins PLC.  In 2000, Tomkins signed on with the Clinton administration and agreed to make design and distribution channel changes that infuriated gun owners.  That led to an effective boycott of it's products that resulted in a 40% sales drop. In the end, the boycott allowed Saf-T-Hammer to buy S&W and begin rebuilding the company.

The current S&W retrenched, fell back on its core business, eliminated slow moving products and streamlined production.  Part of that included an investment in new machines, computerized design systems and reduction of production costs.  There was just one problem.

That damned lock.

Saf-T-Hammer held the patent on the lock before S&W was purchased but they had no interested buyers. Their ability to leverage Tomkins' monumental screw-up gave them a ready-made "customer", one they controlled.  The locks stayed, but the new company, Smith & Wesson Holding Co., quickly negated the agreement with the Clinton administration regarding distribution channels and designing a "smart gun".  In a sense, gun owners who were so outraged about the Clinton deal -- and later the addition of the lock -- are the most responsible for the lock being there in the first place.  Had we, as gun owners, not pushed S&W to the brink of failure it might have been sold to another company instead of the lock's maker.

The lock is still with us today and may or may not disappear on some more models. For many people, that lock is a reminder of the company "selling out", even though it is managed by completely new, American owners.

First Order of Business
So, the first step as the boss, I'd eliminate the lock on the majority of revolvers.  Why not all of them? Simple. Because there are people who want a firearm but are also concerned with the safety of their children.  In the past, these same people would buy a .38 revolver, take it outdoors and shoot it once or twice before relegating it to their nightstand or dresser drawer.  They might have raised six kids, none of whom knew the gun was in the house.  These folks are similar to people who buy a tennis racquet and use it twice during the summer.  For these people, a basic .38/.357 could be ordered with or without the lock as well as the large bore magnums, since hunting guns are often stored for long periods.

A Diet for the L-Frame
The L-Frame guns, the 581, 586, 681, 686 and 696 are all excellent guns. But they are just too damn heavy for what they are.  The four-inch N-Frame (.41/.44/.45) weighs in at 44 ounces and the 4-inch L-Frame at 42 ounces.  Worse, with a six-inch barrel the weight difference shrinks to only 1 ounce between the L-Frame and N-Frame. If you want the 8⅜" barrel, the L-frame is fully 5 ounces heavier than the N-Frame!

Of course, that full barrel underlug is part of the problem. And engineers could find at least another ounce to trim off the frame.  Mostly, I'd hollow out the underlug, thread the end and use a weight-kit so owners could set the balance of their gun to their tastes.  The goal would be a 4-inch L-Frame that weighed no more than 40.5 ounces without weights in the lug.  That'd be just an ounce and a half more than the six-inch Model 19.


.327 Federal Magnum
Ruger and Federal teamed up to create the .327 Federal Magnum cartridge.  They succeeded in creating a true .32 caliber magnum cartridge.  This cartridge pushes a 100 grain soft-point downrange at 1400 f.p.s. and that is out of a three-inch barrel!  From longer barrels, such as a Ruger Blackhawk, velocities of over 1600 fps have been recorded.

The purpose was to create a small-bore, light-recoiling cartridge that would give recoil-shy folks another choice besides .38 Special or 9mm.  The old .32 S&W Long cartridge pushed a 98 grain bullet around 750 fps.  The later .32 H&R Magnum moved that up to about 1000-1100 fps to allow use in H&R's break-top revolvers.  The .327 Magnum sizzles and with any luck, it should be a good self-defense round.

Today, S&W chambers only 2 six-shot J-Frame (small frame) revolvers for the cartridge.  One is a 2" barrel and the other is a ported 3" barrel.  What's missing here is the obvious.  A K-frame .327 Magnum.  And we can make several good options here.  Even if the K-Frame can't manage to squeeze a 7th round into the cylinder, the L-Frame could if it's a big selling point.

Wishing the Model 16-6 in .327 Federal Magnum looked like this.

The .327 Federal Magnum could resurrect the premium Model 16 type, but this time using the older partial barrel lug instead of the full lug common today.  That would give a us a target revolver with adjustable sights in .327 that looked much like the older Model 19 (see above).   With a 4 and 6 inch barrel these would be good defensive revolvers as well as varmint hunters.  The 6-inch would be perfect for shooting Coyotes because it would be like the .32-20 on steroids.

The .327 Airweight M&P 
The Smith & Wesson Model 12 was their lightweight version of the Model 10, Military & Police revolver.  Made from an aluminum alloy it was mildly successful in both the 2-inch and 4-inch versions.  Some police captains carried the 4-inch version when required to wear a 4-inch revolver just to avoid the weight.

A .327 Magnum M&P Airweight would look similar to this 5-inch M&P

With a .32 caliber magnum, we could take this cartridge and slip it into a Scandium alloy M&P revolver with a 3-inch barrel (for the ballistics) for defensive use and a 5 or 6 inch barrel for hikers and backpacking or camping.  The .327 is a bit light for bear, elk or moose, but it should work for almost anything else.  It might make the most sense produce these with a stainless finish. The lightweight M&P would also mean that it can be carried by rifle-toting hunters easily as well as anyone working a ranch or farm.  Foxes, coyotes and wolves beware!

Big Bore Snubs
After many years of shooting and learning what is needed in a handgun, one thing has become apparent to me.  Short barreled guns are used at short distances, seldom beyond about 15 yards (45 feet), mostly for protection and self-defense.  Even when used at 25 yards, there is not really a huge need for adjustable sights with a short barrel.  Not on a fighting gun.  Out to 15 yards you'll make good hits with fixed sights without much trouble.  At 25 yards, adjustable sights offer very little improvement over fixed sights.


To prove this we tried an experiment with a three-inch Model 13 compared to a 2.5 inch Model 19, both using the same .38 Special ammo.  The goal was three shots in three seconds or less at both 15 and 25 yards, using five different shooters against a standard B-27 Silhouette target.  The difference in accuracy was  marginal (averaged less than 1⅔ of an inch per shooter).  None of the three-shot groups would win bullseye competitions, however all would have been very acceptable center-of-mass hits.  And let's face it, with a short barreled revolver, taking any shot at or beyond 25 yards would be an act of desperation in a public place.  


The Model 696 - Almost Perfect
Smith & Wesson introduced a 5-shot .44 Special revolver in 1996 that built on the L-Frame.  The Model 696 was their first stab at making an excellent big bore concealed carry gun.  The L-Frame is less bulky than the larger N-Frame making it easier to conceal and carry.  With a 3-inch barrel it was nearly perfect, save that S&W chose to equip it with adjustable sights and a Baughman front ramp sight.  The gun did not sell very well for several reasons, including a lack of marketing hype from S&W.

S&W's Model 696 .44 Special.  It wasn't a popular seller.

Here's almost everything you could want.  A large bore revolver with a cartridge more powerful than the .38 Special, yet similar recoil, in a stainless steel 5-shot package.  Just perfect for the civilian needing extra protection.


Well, almost.  


Revert the gun to a fixed-sight model with a simple ramp front sight and it'll be just as effective at 15 yards as this one.  S&W should have used the stainless fixed sight 681 as the base frame and built it from there.


Let me say that concealing any of the N-Frame revolvers is not easy unless you are physically large and/or can get away with a loose fitting jacket or coat. But for people who are invested in .44 Special, .45 ACP, or .45 Colt, giving them an carry option means happy customers.

In recent years, S&W has created runs of big-bore revolvers with 3-inch barrels in .45 ACP, .44 Special and even .41 Magnum.  In each case, each model has been equipped with adjustable rear sights and a larger than necessary front sight.  On top of having adjustable sights, some of these guns come with either a square-butt grip or a round-butt frame covered with round-to-square-butt grips.  A good example is the Model 24 .44 Special shown below. 

3-inch barrel Model 24 .44 Special

Here is a snubby .44 Special on a large frame which will be hard enough to conceal.  Yet S&W retains the rear adjustable sights, the tall Baughman front sight and a square-butt grip profile.  All of these features make it easier to manufacture, but also make it much harder to conceal.  For those customers looking for a big bore carry gun, this is tempting, but it doesn't really meet the needs of the customer.  

I don't have the Photoshop expertise to covert the image above into a round-butt grip profile, but I can show you what a fixed sight version of the Model 24 would look like.  The result is a revolver slightly shorter in height and it doesn't have anything you don't need.  

Concept of the fixed sight Model 24 

Here the rear sight has been removed and a fixed rear notch is used instead.  The front sight is replaced with the lower standard ramp that blends with a rib to fill the top of the barrel.  Add a round-butt grip and you now have a gun that's slightly lighter, easier to carry and just as effective.  


Probably the best example of converting a N-frame to a snubby fighting gun comes in the form of 3-inch Model 58. This .41 Magnum was not rechambered for a milder cartridge so it had plenty of potential for zapping thugs.  The Model 58 is one of the few fixed-sight N-Frame revolvers in the post war era.  With the grip frame rounded it makes a decent, if somewhat large, CCW gun.  

Customized Model 58, .41 Magnum Short Barrel

But that's not all. Let's consider some other models that could become loved big bore carry guns.

In the post-war years folks could buy a surplus Model 1917 in .45 ACP for a low price, then spend a few bucks for a gunsmith to cut down the 5-inch barrel to something easier to handle indoors or on the person.  In fact, when I was young, the proprietor of the local liquor store kept a modified Colt 1917 under the counter with the paper bags.  It was in a holster mounted under the counter top for easy access. This 1917's barrel was cut back almost flush with the free hanging Colt ejector rod and the gunsmith had moved the half-moon front sight back and bobbed the hammer so it would not snag on anything. The result was one very slick defensive revolver.

Customized Model 1917 with shorter barrel

A similar version from S&W would give us a .45 ACP revolver that could be carried without all the added weight of barrel ribs or lugs or adjustable sights to get knocked askew.  Here is a concept illustration with the lanyard ring still attached which could be purchased as an add-on for hikers or riders.

The short length of the .45 ACP would allow us to shorten the ejector rod a bit more and still maintain complete ejection of the moon clipped cases.  With a 3-inch to 3½-inch barrel, it would not only work as a concealed carry gun but also as a companion gun for campers, hikers, ATV and horseback riders.  In the latter cases, allowing the addition of the lanyard ring keeps the gun from being lost.

The Model 21/22 Thunder Ranch 4-inch

The company's "retro-look" Model 21 .44 Special debuted in 2004 as the Model 21-4 Thunder Ranch Special and a year later the similar looking Model 22-4 .45 ACP Thunder Ranch Special was introduced.  The basic gun had a 4-inch tapered barreled with a partial underlug and fixed sights.  Its massive looks and the tapered barrel invoke thoughts of the 1930's.  This revolver makes a terrific home defense gun or an excellent woods gun when loaded with slightly warm .44 Special loads.

Slightly bobbed barrel on the Model 21/22's (.45 and .44 calibers)

With a shorter barrel it would make a dandy, albeit somewhat heavy, carry gun.  The extra weight of the partial barrel lug means that when it's empty it can be used as a large steel sap.  We might even offer this one in .45 Colt for those who are fans of the old Army cartridge.  All of these guns deserve a round-butt grip, however that was beyond the abilities of both myself and my graphics program.


S&W Brings Back The 586

S&W Model 586

This is certainly good news.  The stainless steel 686 has seen brisk sales and people tend to lavish praise upon it as the best .357 revolver.  The blued steel version is, to me, a better looking revolver than the stainless version. At right is the 4-inch barrel version and a 6-inch barrel is also available.

S&W does make a 2½-inch barrel for the 686, but not yet for the 586.  And I don't think they should either.  In keeping with my comments about a fixed sight snubby, S&W has a good chance to make it right by basing any future "snubby" on the fixed-sight Model 581 frame.

The 581, with its fixed sights makes it the correct platform to bring out a new snubby.  For those wanting adjustable sights, the 2½-inch 686 is the one to choose, while the 581 with a 3-inch barrel and fixed sights makes it a good choice for those who want simple and reliable protection. Simply add the round-butt grip frame and we've got it all.

Standard 4-inch Model 581 with fixed sights

Concept Image: 3-inch 581

What revolver should S&W be making that you don't see on the horizon?  Should they bring back the K-Frame .22 M&P (Model 45 "Post Office") revolver?  Another run of the 696?  The 696 in .45 ACP perhaps or as a six-shot 9mm revolver?  Use the Comments section to let me know what you think. 

Handgun Defined

Many people claim that a handgun isn't necessary for self-defense with today's technology.  They claim there are viable alternatives to using a handgun (indeed, they'll blindly apply it to any firearm). They will tell you about pepper sprays, stun guns and the Taser as examples.

I recently had a run-in with a local resident here in California who held these kinds of views.  It was his assertion that these technological marvels have replaced the lethal force of the handgun.  I decided to ask him what a handgun was and he gave me a dictionary's definition.  I found that definition somewhat lacking as far as describing the useful attributes of a handgun, so I invented my own.

Webster's dictionary: 
A firearm (as a revolver or pistol) designed to be held and fired with one hand. 


Bill's Definition: 
A reliable, concealable, all-weather, multi-purpose defensive weapon which can operated with one hand, usable by a wide variety of people from young to old, small to large in defense of their lives and those of their families because it is capable of effectively engaging multiple targets over both long and short distances, and/or can often be used to prevent a violent criminal act by its mere presence and its ability to inflict great bodily injury or death. 


What do you think?  Did I miss any attributes? 


I think it'll be a long, long time before handguns are replaced as a defensive weapon of choice.  

Want Some Salsa With Your Chips?

Recently there was an article about Chiappa Firearms plans to put RFID "chips" on its firearms.  Once that information was loose the New World Order and conspiracy theory types immediately began screaming that the sky was falling.  Big brother could drive by your house and know how many guns you have!

Good grief!

Our friends at Ammoland.com put out a brief message regarding this silliness.  As Sheriff Buford T. Pusser said, What we have here is a failure to communicate.   Seems someone's translation of Italian was less than flawless.  The common RFID tag was interpreted as a "tracking chip" and thus, panic was created.

As the Ammoland folks explained, the RFID system cannot transmit anything by itself. It requires an external reader than beams a coded radio frequency (RF) signal.  The RFID tag uses the very low power provided by the RF signal to do only one thing -- send a very low power RF signal back that represents a number. By itself, this number usually doesn't mean anything.  You need a computer and a database too.  That low power "reply" signal, by the way, requires a sensor to be within close proximity - less than 2 feet and typically within 6 inches.

I've worked with RFID systems in the I.T. business for several years in inventory management, freight management and retail systems.  Most likely, so have you.  If you've ever purchased certain products, like an expensive digital camera or high-theft items like DVD's or game joystick controllers you may have seen the cashier put the item into a "tub" after bagging and then press a button.  This deactivates the "anti-theft" RFID tag that those door scanners pick up.

You can walk past those door scanners carrying the "live" RFID tags without triggering the alarm. Only when you pass through the "focused" signal will the tag respond.  In this case, any response triggers the alarm.

On a production line, a handgun frame tagged with an RFID tag makes inventory easier. Instead of counting each frame, a reader is used to record each ID tag which corresponds to one frame. If the tags are issued in sequence any gap in the sequence indicates a missing frame that needs to be located. This can happen long before the frames acquire a serial number and aids in preventing "inside theft". 

As I said, the RFID tag replies to a reader with "a number". That number can be controlled by the company when tags are ordered. Suppose the tag replies with the number 5567783. Once the frame acquires a serial number like AJ84995, a worker enters the serial number on a computer, then scans the tag, associating 5567783 with the serial number.  Later, when the gun is boxed up, the shipping department can "scan" the closed box and read the tag's number -- 5567783.  The reader asks the computer's database for the serial number which it displays on the scanner's LCD screen.  This allows the shipping clerk to confirm the serial number matches the one on the box and release it for shipping.

There are "chip" style RFID tags too.  Some people have them implanted in the ear of their pets so that animal shelters can identify them from strays.  Sometimes they can even get the owner's name from a national database.

An RFID expert once told me that the signal put out by an RFID chip, at 6 feet is about one third the singal strength that NASA receives from the Galileo probe near Jupiter, almost 400 million miles away.  But if you're worried about some kind of scanner detecting your Chiappa firearm, just remove the RFID unit from the gun.   It's that easy. 

If you still think this is some kind of nefarious scheme, I can get you a great deal on tin foil -- cash and in small bills.

Just Thinking

Drug Cartels, Money & Guns

I really am wondering if we're all being fooled.

A news article caught my eye today. Seem the Hondurans discovered drug smugglers using a fiberglass "submarine" to smuggle up to $500 million worth of cocaine along the coast.  That's over 7 tons of the stuff.  In the past, drug smugglers have used airplanes to smuggle up to one ton loads across the gulf into the southern states. 

Now, let's think about this a moment. The drug producers and smugglers can afford to buy an airplane and are now using semi-submersible submarines.  These are not cheap toys. A twin engine airplane will set you back $200,000 or more.  A working "submarine" may not cost that much (no certifications of course) but it will still cost at least $100,000 by the time you outfit it with an engine, pumps, nav gear, etc.  Smugglers have ditched their planes (and loads) at sea, letting them sink to avoid prosecution. The same goes with these "subs" -- in the last few years two were scuttled off the Pacific coast.

Now, we're dealing with an outfit that can afford to "write off" a $250,000 airplane or $100,000 submersible, plus its cargo and still stay in buisness.  And many do this several times a year.  So my question is why do drug cartels need to buy guns in American gun shops?  With millions of dollars at their disposal, they can afford to procure even brand new guns via the black market.  Or brand new fully automatic weapons. 

One suspect in Operation Fast and Furious reportedly bought over 300 guns while the BATF picked its collective nose and watched. At an average of $600 each, that's $180,000 for 300 semi-automatic rifles.  If reports are correct -- that 2,500 guns were "walked" into Mexico -- a combination of AR's and AK's plus numerous pistols the average price for these would come to around $750 or $1.75 million.  That's chump change when you compare that against the hundreds of millions the drug trade rakes in every year.  In cash. 

We know they're buying black market goods -- grenades, C4 plastic explosives, RPG's, fully automatic weapons, even a few mortars.   One shipment of cocaine can easily reward these animals with $100 million.  Paying $1.75M for civilian rifles is like handing your nephew $1.75 out of a $100 bill to buy a slurpee.  So why would cartels buy American guns under American laws when they could purchase equivilant guns on the black market and probably for less?

Operation Fast & Furious - The White House Connection

Much is being made over a memo from Phoenix BATF office chief William Newell to Kevin O'Reilly, Director of North American Affairs of the National Security Council, which reports to the White House.  O'Reilly asked about guns going to Mexico and Newell provided some information in an e-mail, saying "You didn't get this from me." 

Newell says that O'Reilly is a long time friend and makes it seem that he was, essentially, doing a friend a favor.  But as Dave Codrea says, we can rephrase the question thusly;

Why are ATF field office management communications about Fast and Furious with NSC’s North American Affairs Director significant?

The best explanation comes from Mike Vanderboegh of the Sipsey Street Irregulars blog as he describes the relationship of the National Security Council to the Executive branch.

The President, Vice President, Secretary of Defense, and Secretary of State are considered to be statutory attendees of NSC meetings, but they are also regularly joined by the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, the Director of National Intelligence, the National Security Advisor, and other executive officials. The NSC conducts its meetings in the White House Situation Room, and the National Security Advisor’s presence in the West Wing provides the President with direct access to research, briefings, and intelligence related to all aspects of national security. During times of crisis, the National Security Advisor is also responsible for operating out of the Situation Room in order to provide the President and other members of the NSC with regular updates pertaining to the situation at hand.

What this means is twofold. First, it provide congressional investigators with a nexus between the White House staff and Operation Fast and Furious. It helps to show that there was recognition at the highest levels of the administration that Phoneix was a "key player". 

I also suspect that with Newell's caveat that "you didn't get these from me" means that (a) he didn't want the ATF/DOJ to find out he'd provided the information "outside of normal channels" and/or (b) he didn't want to end up verifying the information in the Oval Office should someone question the information.  This would imply that the President didn't know all the details of the operation or was deliberately being kept out of the lop on th details. 

The most important factor here is that the NSC did know that Phoenix was a key element regarding gun smuggling into Mexico and it shows that the Oversight committee has access to more documents than previously believed.  In the end, it's likely they'll find Fast and Furious was National in scope, violating the laws and constitution wholesale.

That's when the big fireworks will begin.

 

Weekend Recap

Not letting any tragedy slip away unexploited, the Brady Campaign issued a press release today that shows just divorced from reality they are.  They refuse to see the truth in front of their faces when it comes to crimes of violence.  For example:

"The staggering toll of young lives taken by a gunman at the Utoya youth camp reminds us all, once again, that guns are the enablers of mass killers"

Right... unlike, say box cutters or  perhaps car bombs which are never used by mass killers, right?  The Brady bunch completely overlooks how easy it was for some nutjob in Oslo to obtain tons of ammonium nitrate fertilizer to make a massive car bomb. It was just as easy for a guy named Tim McVeigh to load a Ryder truck with several tons of the stuff and blow the bejesus out of the Oklahoma federal building. This guy in Oslo is an amateur compared to the 168 people McVeigh killed.

The other statement was obviously issued for the thinking impaired.

"The shooting in Norway is neither a reason to condemn Norway's strong gun laws, nor to celebrate our own."

Hold on here!  Aren't these the same people who, claim "our guns laws aren't strong enough!  We need stricter controls" every time there is a tragic shooting?  So here is a country with stronger laws that ours and they weren't enough.  That begs the question of what is enough gun control?  Unfortnately we know what their goal is and it's lethal.

"Whereas 84 shooting deaths in a single day is a historic event in Norway... 84 dead is essentially the everyday toll of fatal gun violence in America," the Brady Campaign said.

The Brady campaign knows very well this is a misleading comparison. Forget the cultural differences (the Brady's ignore that already).  Norway has a population of 4.9 million (1.64% of ours) in a land area of 148,000 square miles.  In essence, spread the population of Alabama out across Louisiana, Alabama and Mississippi.  There are huge differences between the two countries that account for the level of violence in each.

Missed Truths
The Brady boobs are completely blind to the truth of life's lessons.  They want a nice, safe world where no one can do them harm, yet set themselves and others up as victims.  To wit:

• Trust needs to be earned. The people who wet themselves in panic at the sight of a peaceful armed citizen will not even bat an eye at the presence of an armed man in a uniform.  If guns somehow make people killers, then uniforms magically turn them back into "responsible" people. You really have to worry about these folks.
• You can't always run and hide from evil. No one on the island was able to stop this madman. They were too helpless to fight back. No, what stopped his killing spree was the presence of other armed men who took him into custody. In fact, as soon as he was confronted, he surrendered. How many lives might have been saved from this jackass if just one student pointed a big-bore muzzle at his forehead?
• Killers prefer weak, defenseless victims. If some nutjob wants to slaughter people like cattle the defenseless are easy prey. In Norway, their culture can barely fathom the idea of someone being so evil.  As a result, by law and by their culture, adults at the youth camp were totally unprepared to defend anyone, especially the youngsters under their care.
• Reliance on others for your protection is a fatal mistake. It took police almost one hour to respond because they couldn't get to the island "in force".  When seconds count, police are only minutes hours away.
• More laws can fix it. Gun control proponents will decry existing laws as "too lax" and demand more laws that can be broken almost as easily.  Anyone bent on killing knows their life will be forfeit if caught, so will it really matter if he broke 17 laws instead of 16? 

The Brady bunch continues to exploit the victims of tragedies and mislead the public.
I really wish they'd just go away.
 



Criminal Police Officers, Corruption and More Gunrunning!

It's almost unbelieveable what has been cropping up in the last few weeks.  It's mind boggling and makes me wonder if we still live in the USofA anymore.  Just a couple of examples.

First up - Criminal Police Officers

This is a long, 17 minute video of an encounter a new CCW holder had with the Canton, Ohio police.  In the video, police pull up on a stopped car that's "suspicious" to them.  In the car is a white male driver and a black male in the back seat.  Outside is a young white woman whom a police officer declares is a prostitute. 

Watch in amazed disgust as I did as these cops easily violate their training on car stops, unlawfully search the back seat of the car, threaten the woman with a beating, handcuff and detain the black male for no apparent reason.  The worst comes after about six minutes. Ohio law requires you to notify police "promptly" that you're carrying.  Yet this officer hardly lets the driver say much before going ballistic when he can finally tell the cop he has a carry gun.

Warning - Graphic language!

Feel free to post your comments below.  Easy on the profanity please.

Corruption and More Gunrunning!

To recap, early this year, David Codrea and Mike Vanderboeh broke the story of how ATF was letting guns "walk" into Mexico.  It focused on Operation Fast and Furious out of the Phoenix, Az, ATF office and up to 2,500 guns the ATF avoided interdicting before they reached Mexico's cartels.  A congressional investigation has been stonewalled for months by the DOJ, parent org for the ATF. Recently the acting director of the ATF told congress bluntly that Eric Holder's DOJ was obstructing Congress and refusing to allow others to cooperate.

If that wasn't bad enough, In early July word leaked out of another "fast and furious" operation possibly being run out of the Tampa, Florida office, sending guns to Honduras in Central America.  Why Honduras?  Honduras is a way-stop for cocaine on the way to Mexico and the USA.  Cartels are reportedly planning to bring in the raw cocaine at a cheaper cost per kilo, the process it themselves before shipping to the U.S.  That means higher profits for them by a factor of at least 3 times.  They need the guns to help set up local gang leaders as processors with their own "protected" turf. 

State Department Joins the Corruption Network

A new report from Pajamas Media says that the State department has been selling guns, via the foreigh commercial sales program, to the Los Zetas cartel.   The Zetas are the most ruthless cartel in Mexico.  Originally published in the El Paso Times, it appaears the Zetas formed a corporation and purchased guns "legally", then exported them to Mexico.

Before selling the guns, State needs documents that say the company is a legitimate concern. This usually requires permission from the host country to allow the company to purhcase arms.  If the company is in the U.S.A., export licenses to move arms to Mexico would be required along with Mexican documents allowing the company to sell guns to a government approved entity.  PJ media asks, How, then, did a drug cartel purchase weapons through this program when it is neither an international organization nor a government?

Good question.  Could this be some kind of Robert Ludlum-esque plot to supply arms to both sides, then let them kill each other?  Given that warped sense of morality, one would wonder where the CIA fits in.

Guns, Gold and Silver



Some thirty-five years ago, when I was younger, slimmer and less sophisticated, I engaged my shooting buddies in a game of "what if".   What if... we had an economic collapse?  At the time, the question was barely plausible.  Sure, we were in the "rust belt" years of Jimmy Carter's administration (if you could call it that). But no one realistically thought our economy could just collapse overnight.

Rather than a "Mad Max" scenario, we painted one like the Great Depression.  Too many people without jobs, driven to beg, driven to menial jobs for food and driven to steal to survive. We called these conversations our "Round Table & Beer" sessions because most took place at a Round Table Pizza parlor over pizza and beer.

One of my friends, Ron, had read a report the government did in the late 1960's that showed almost any American city was no more than 7 days from starvation.  The suppositions were that after some catastrophe (i.e. a nuclear strike) if a city was cut off from regular supplies, it would take only 7 days for most people to begin starving. It would be worse in the summer if there was no electricity to preserve food by refrigeration.  One of the most significant items was that every grocery store would be completely emptied of any useful items at the end of 3 days.

Today, I think that government report was optimistic.  Computers have allowed the industry to shift to just-in-time (JIT) supply-chains where products arrive "just in time" to replenish the shelves. Run that concept through the entire supply-chain and one interruption can disrupt a huge portion of business.  It gets worse if multiple disruptions occur and no substitutes are available.  In the event of a catastrophe, especially one that takes more than about 3 days to come to a head (remember the Cuban missile crisis?)  people would put a huge demand on supply lines.  I'll predict that once things go from crappy-looking to toilet-flushing, grocery stores (along with hardware stores, automotive, camping goods and gun shops) will be empty within 2 days.

Remember in 2008, when our current President was merely running for office, between October and December, the firearm supply chain was sucked dry.  Ammunition for common calibers dried up quickly.  Finding any kind of AR/AK rifle, a 1911, Glock or other quality 9mm pistol was almost impossible.  Propane and Butane vendors reported a surge in sales as people "topped off" their tanks on rural properties and stored extra.  Generator sales jumped too, though to a lesser extent. 

And this was because it was merely likely we were going to elect an anti-gun socialist-minded candidate as president.  Imagine if the "catastrophe" was a comet that might hit earth.  How quickly would the supply chains dry up today? 

Now we have people in the mainstream like Robert Kiyosaki, author of the very successful Rich Dad, Poor Dad books suggesting that food shortages, inflation or hyperinflation and economic collapse are not the stuff of fantasy.  He's even suggesting that people buy a gun in the event of an economic collapse.  That's getting scary.

In my youth, we figured with a gun and some supplies we'd muddle through.  But until 1999, I had no concept of just how much stuff you have to stockpile just to make it through one winter. In modern terms, that's stuff like propane for stoves & heating. Gasoline for a generator and rarely used car. That's half a ton of food stuffs, canned or otherwise if two people eat twice a day.  It's having a supply of (heavy and hard-to-move) water for drinking and sanitation.  Bathing we can do twice a week.  With gray water. And this was calculated with a 1200 calorie diet per person/day, calculated out by the weight of food.  And in a California winter. You'd need lots more calories and propane in Minnesota or Buffalo NY. 

Gold and silver are not money.  Not according to Ben Bernanke at the Fed. They're assets.  So is a gun.  So are bullets.  So is a shovel. But gold and silver are always looked at as useful metals for trade.  Where someone is selling, gold and silver are usually acceptable when the value of government money is questionable.  I'm planning to expand my assets a bit now.  But it may be too little, too late.

Gold is good. It's compact. It's easy to work with. It carries a high value-to-weight ratio. People know gold is valuable. Silver is almost as good, though it's not as highly valued as Gold.  Most of my asset expansion will be in silver for several reasons. It's cheaper for one, and if its value rises significantly, it's as good as gold for an investment. Silver is a good industrial metal for several reasons and it's cheaper than gold for that purpose.   It means goods containing silver are easier to sell. And Silver looks something like lead. In fact, it can be alloyed with lead easily.  I'm already hoarding lead in the form of ammunition.  Buying some ingots for casting is another good idea.

Guns, Gold and Silver. A good combination investment. The guns allow you to defend your gold and silver (plus yourself, loved ones, home and food).  You can carry silver in small enough quantities to buy things you need (e.g. $120 worth of silver = 4 coins) whereas one ounce of gold is over $1,500.  Who'll be able to give you change for a $100 purchase?  In theory, if you have Guns, Gold and Silver (and a supply of useful lead-tipped products) you can get what you need.  One way or another.

ATF Scandal: A Growing Cancer in DOJ

Gunrunning Scandal Widens

Where to begin?  Over the July 4th holiday, ATF acting director Melson met with members of the House Oversight committee, along with his personal attorney.  Melson accused DOJ of obstructing the Congressional investigation, specifically newly confirmed Deputy Attorney General James Cole. 

Melson said he notified the Office of the Deputy Attorney General (ODAG) at the end of March that the department needed to re-examine how it was responding to requests for information from Congress. He also said the Justice Department officials directed the ATF senior team not to respond to Congressional inquiries, and Justice took full control of replying to briefing and document requests from Congress. The result is that Congress only got the parts of the story that the Justice Department wanted them to hear.

Robert Ludlum, Please call your office

One of the "big fish" targets the ATF was allegedly building a case against was an FBI confidential informant. The informant was a drug dealer deported by the DEA that the FBI converted into an informant. The FBI's stake was information related to information about "dirty bombs" and any Al Qaeda suspects moving across the border. It's reported that this informant was paid by the FBI and was using the money to finance gun buys in Arizona. The FBI knew of the ATF investigation but never told the agency of the informant's status. Not only was the U.S. government indirectly using taxpayer dollars to fund the gun buys, but their "big fish" would never be indicted because he was an FBI "asset" in Mexico.  This is like something out of a Robert Ludlum novel!

Spreading like a Cancer?

Following on the heels of Melson's "interview" with the House Oversight committee comes word that "Fast and Furious" has spread to the Tampa, Florida field division!

Source say that the Tampa ATF field division was walking guns into Honduras using techniques and tactics identical to Operation Fast and Furious.  Dubbed Operation Castaway, it was run by Special Agent-in-Charge (SAC) Virginia O’Brien. O'Brien was previously the Special Agent in Charge of the Phoenix Field Division, was later promoted to the Deputy Assistant Director (DAD) of ATF, but then "stepped down" to the position in Tampa.

Reportedly, there are emails in existence where O’Brien has advised those involved that Tampa does not have to report their walked guns because Tampa field division is not a part of Southwest Border or Project Gunrunner. Sipsey Street Irregulars has a good write-up on "why guns to Honduras?"

As of Thursday, insider sources say that the Tampa Field division is in a "melt down" and shredders are working overtime. SAC O'Brien's partner in the bungle was ASAC Scott McCampbell, who went along with O'Brien when they decided to keep Castaway going to "get more" against the advice of their field employees and the number of walked guns got out of control. O'Brien is terrified that her intentional concealing of her walked guns is going to do her in since she disregarded orders to report to DOJ and Congress. The new player is DAD-East Julie Torres. She took O'Brien's old DAD job when O'Brien went to Tampa and has given OB carte blanche to do whatever she wants with little oversight.

This little revelation shows that the "Fast and Furious" program wasn't simply a case of one "rouge" ATF office.  This plan is national in scope.  Reporting from the Dallas/Houston region is sparse, but there's plenty of reason to believe they were doing the same thing. 

Rep. Allen West (R-FL) has called for Holder to be removed from office and a special investigator appointed to delve into the Fast & Furious scandal.  "This is just another sad chapter in the Eric Holder book of ineptness and incompetence," West said. "Eric Holder needs to be brought before an investigative committee and if those charges are warranted he needs to be held accountable.

We are seeing this debacle reach out to infect the DOJ, FBI and DEA.  It's only a matter of time until this thing connects to the other alphabet-soup agencies -- DHS, ICE, CBP, et al.  Expect that the "most transparent administration ever" will turn out to be just the reverse.

Read the entire scandal timeline at Handgunclub.com

Comments?  Opinions?  E-Mail me!

Happy July 4th!

Celebrate Independence Day (while you still can)

It seems to me that our historical celebration of Independence day has taken away from us, like many other rights and privliges, under the guise of "safety".  To be sure, there are some compelling reasons to limit fireworks sales to those 18 and older.  But many cities, especially throughout California, have banned the sale, possession and use of fireworks altogether.  The "company line" is if you want to enjoy fireworks, go see a city or county-sponsored display. In a sense, this is like telling us you don't need a gun for protection, just phone the police.  It's the government usurping what was once a citizen's proud tradition.

Yeah, kids do stupid things with fireworks sometimes. When we were kids, some were fired off into the air with slingshots. Our biggest worry wasn't setting fire to a house, but landing one on old (he was 55) Mr. Roberson's house and his reaction!  But none of us had any serious accidents and no one was maimed or burned (much).  I like to think of those days an a IQ test. If you weren't smart enough to figure out a simple chemical-thermal reaction and it's consequences, you deserved to get burned or hurt. 

Now, budget cuts and shortfalls are causing even the government to give up fireworks displays. One town in California said it could no longer afford it and cancelled their 25 year tradition. However, when several businesses stepped up to subsidize the display, the city rejected their offer, then rejected their attempt to get a permit at the city's traditional location. The city had decided there just would not be any display at all.  The government taketh and the government prohibits.  Kiss another American tradition good-bye.

Whitewash at the Washington Post

It's no news that the Washington Post acts almost as a PR sheet for the Democrat party.  So it was no surprise to see them run a whitewash article on ATF's Fast and Furious.  Noted plagiarist Sari Horowitz wrote her hit piece, praising Rep. Elijah Cummings (D-MD) for his report on our "weak gun laws" and trying to pass the blame off on Congress and the NRA. 

Cummings interviewed gun control advocates and a couple of ATF agents (a redundant statement to be sure) then published a wish-list of gun control laws on the Brady Campaign's Christmas list.  Cummings, of course, did not hear from any gun-rights witnesses.

Titled “Outgunned,” the 26-page report recommends stronger penalties for “straw purchasers” who illegally buy guns for others and a reporting requirement for multiple purchases of long guns, such as AK-47s. Cummings will hold a forum on the report Thursday on Capitol Hill.

This is the amazing part. "Stronger penalties" for a straw-purchase?  Current law says you can be fined up to $250,000 and given 10 years in jail.  That's pretty damn severe.  But obviously it's not much of a deterrent if people are still committing the crime.  But wait. It gets better.

Larry Alt, a lawyer and senior ATF field agent, testified that “we don’t get traction with the U.S. attorney’s office. They don’t follow through. They don’t want to prosecute cases.”

So, even if the penalties were stiffer, no one gets prosecuted because the U.S. Attorneys fail to prosecute?  Unless I miss my guess, it's not the law which is "toothless" here.  It's the spineless U.S. Attorneys installed by the Obama administration who can't be bothered to enforce the laws.  Even if we made it a capital punishment crime, there's no deterrent if few are ever prosecuted for it.

ATF proposed a multiple long-gun reporting scheme earlier and it was pointed out that they lacked the authority to do so.  Such reporting would need to be mandated by Congress, not by a regulatory fiat order from ATF.  But even if we had put such a program in place, how would that have helped?  C'mon now, the gun dealers were calling ATF about straw buyers and it was ATF itself that authorized the sales to proceed.  How would another piece of paper stopped these crimes when ATF is an accomplice to the crime?

Agents also said their efforts to combat the cartels would be strengthened with a federal statute criminalizing gun trafficking.

I sure hope they meant illegal gun trafficking. There are already laws against exporting firearms from the U.S. without a license or permit from the State Department. So, that means a statute against trafficking across the US-Mexican borders would be redundant. 

So what would constitute illegal trafficking?  That would be some kind of "illegal" movement of firearms within the U.S.  So, if you legally purchase 5 AR-15 rifles in Arizona the week before you move to, say Missouri, is that then "trafficking"? 

Obtaining arms illegally - straw buys, from illegal dealers and theft - are already illegal acts. So is selling them without a license.  All these acts have substantial penalties attached. So, why is it we need yet another law to combat trafficking?
The Cummings "forum" and his report are simply political propaganda intended to push for more ineffective and useless gun control laws.  Cummings should be ashamed of jumping on this bandwagon to divert the attention of the public from the ATF scandal.  The fact is that people died because of the ATF's screw up and those responsible should be held accountable.  Cummings report focuses on the deaths of Mexican soldiers, political figures and journalists in Mexico.  But he ignores the more than 150 innocent Mexican citizens (the figure is probably several times that number) and then jumps to the number of American citizens killed in Mexico.  I can thus infer that Cummings doesn't give a rat's ass about the average Mexican, unless he is a government employee like Cummings. 

Representative Cummings should be ashamed of himself.  He should be called to task for this whitewash of ATF's illegal activities and his disregard for the suffering of Mexican citizens.

Comments? Questions?  Your opinion?  Email me here.

Scatter shots

Latest Gunwalker Scandal Update 

House Oversight Committee chairman Darrell Issa has returned from Mexico.  There's little word on what transpired as sources are being tight lipped.  Issa was attempting to gain Mexico's cooperation in the House investigation.  Word is, however, that Mexican officials are extremely pissed off about the whole thing.  They have not dropped their options to charge and try to extradite those involved for violating Mexican laws.  How much, if any, cooperation Mexico gives remains to be seen. I have to say that Issa has a pair of brass one's for traveling to Mexico at a time like this.  Gotta tip my hat to the man.

Partisan Politics Being Played

We now know that Rep. Elijah Cummings (D-Md) is going to hold Democratic meeting on “Project Gunwalker” Thursday (today).  But before you get warm and fuzzy thinking that the Democrats are finally getting it, take a look at Cummings (stacked) "witness" list.

• Charles Schumer (D-N.Y.) a completely anti-gun Senator 
• Paul Helmke, current President of the Brady Campaign
• Kristen Rand, Legislative Director of the Violence Policy Center
• A former ATF agent and...
• "Other gun control advocates."

Well, I'm certainly glad Cummings is going to be "fair and balanced".  He'll give Charles Schumer a chance to repeat his call to "hammer guns on the anvil of a relentless legislative strategy. We`re going to beat guns into submission" and otherwise pollute the air in D.C.

And Paul Helmke will tow the company line, that Fast & Furious is the fault of the NRA and Congress for not giving ATF more funds, power and tighter gun laws.  I'm sure Ms. Rand will tell us that the world will turn pink and rosy, plus we'll solve the middle east violence if only we ban assault weapons and close the gunshow loophole.  Other gun control advocates are expected to be just as daft and looney.

ATF Retaliation?

Darrell Issa sent a letter to ATF deputy director William Hoover, warning him not to retaliate against the whistleblowers.  Such actions would be unlawful.  So what does ATF do?  Why, they fire one of the whistleblowers, of course.  Special Agent Vince Cefalu was given his termination papers on June 23rd.  Typically, the  ATF thinks it can violate the law with impunity.  This isn't going unnoticed.

Jon Stewart Nails Gunwalker

It's probably unintentional that Jon Stewart really hits the satire mark on Fast and Furious in a recent episode of The Daily Show.  He manages to hit many salient points head-on.  His most recent send-up, unfortunately, makes fun of those of us who think there was a conspiracy to pad ATF's numbers.  You can see Stewart's video here.

Political Cartoons

Oh my!  The political cartoonists have discovered the Gunwalker scandal too.  Day-by-Day has a great send  up of the President's answering machine here.  Day-by-Day also did a great satire using Sergio Leone's The Good, the Bad and the Ugly as the setting. See that one here.

Investor's Daily - Was Gunwalker a Gun Control Plot?
Now we have a business investor's news sheet asking if Gunwalker scandal was a plot to advance the call for more gun control.  When business analysts are seeing the possibility you can bet others did too.  See their editorial here.

Dick "Dumbass" Durbin Strikes Again

Senator Dick Durbin once again proves that some U.S. Senators are not smarter than a fifth-grader. In pushing the DREAM act, a program to permit illegals to stay in this country the Democrats brought in an audience of illegals to the capitol. Not just a few, but almost two hundred.

Durbin, looking at this audience spoke to the future, saying "I see America's future. Our doctors, our teachers, our nurses, our engineers, our scientists, our soldiers, our Congressman, our Senators and maybe our President."

Great flatulent flamingos! Even a fifth-grader knows that the president must be a natural born citizen of the United States to qualify for office, under Article 2, Section 1, Clause 5 of the Constitution. We should expect more from the flamin' Majority Whip in Congress, don't you think?  It's likely that Durbin hasn't paid attention to the whole "birther" issue, or read that pesky document that enumerates the powers of his job.

Comments? Suggestions?  Flames?  Email me here.

And apparently DHS madam-fuhrer Janet Napolitano looked the other way as the illegals filed through the Capitol building while TSA continues to grope children and harrass 95 year old cancer victims.

Fast And Furiouser

Chicago's Top Cop Plays the Race Card

Chicago's new top cop, Garry McCarthy, played the race card at a Chicago church recently.  If you listen to the speech it almost makes sense.  Especially if you're black.  But a little analysis shows that McCarthy's diatribe was a classical piece of propaganda.  I was utterly disgusted. If you want to read why I think McCarthy (as well as Chicago's government) should be ashamed, read Of Racism and Gun Control on the Handgun Club website.

Fast and Furious picks up speed

This week things are moving along with the ATF "Fast and Furious" scandal - aka "Gunwalker".  This is the scandal by which the Bureau of Alcohol Tobacco and Firearms allowed over 2,500 weapons to be puchased and smuggled into Mexico and delivered to the ultra-violent drug cartels.

House Oversight committee chairman Darrell Issa went to Mexico over the weekend to seek their cooperation in his investigation.  Mexico is rightfully pissed off about the ATF scandal.  Not only did it provide guns to their worst violent groups, those guns likely killed hundred of Mexican citizens.  ATF guns were found to be involved in the brutal torture killing of the brother of the Jalisco state attorney general. 

Word now is that Kenneth Melson won't quietly let the Obama administration throw him under the bus.  Insiders say that the acting director has said he wasn't going to be "the fall guy".  This, of course, implicates someone higher up in DOJ was pulling his strings. 

The good news is that Senator Patrick Leahy, chair of the Senate Judiciary committee,  wrote a letter to Eric Holder on behalf of Senator Chuck Grassley.  In the letter he urged Holder to allow Melson to testify and for DOJ to release the documents Grassley has requested.  In return, Grassley would lift his blockade on three DOJ nominees.  This has been done  and Melson is expected to testify in July.

Developing story:  ABC-15 News is Phoenix is reporting that some of the ATF "Fast and Furious" guns are showing up in local crime now. This is new and would indicate that not every gun purchased by the straw-buyers went across the border.  So now the ATF has also allowed US criminals to obtain weapons in violation of US gun laws.  A follow-up story is due to be aired on Thursday.

Just For Fun

Ageless Darrell Issa?

This is just for fun. While looking at several photos of Rep. Darrell Issa (D-CA) who chairs the House Oversight Committee, I kept thinking he looked familiar somehow.  I mean, that I'd seen him someplace else.  Well, a little relaxation time helped.  I'd put in a DVD of the 1960's TV show Combat! which was always well written and acted.  And sure enough, that led me to looking a little closer at Darrell Issa.

Here is a composite comparison photo of Mr. Issa and actor Rick Jason, who played Lt. Gil Hanley on Combat for five seasons.  Mr. Jason was born Richard Jacobsen and described himself as "second-generation nouveau riche" and a born romantic.  He was an outdoorsman, hunter and marksman with a rifle.  Sadly, Rick died of a self-inflicted gunshot wound in 2000. He was 77 years old. 

Perhaps it's just me, but I see a striking resemblance between the two men. The  noses, shape of the face, eyebrows, even the eyes. 

Is it possible that Mr. Issa is related to Rick Jason?  Mr. Issa is of Lebanese descent so it's quite possible there is some kind of family relation, however remote.  Or could Darrell Issa be one of Robert A. Heinlein's "Howard Family" members from Time Enough for Love?

Like I said, this is just for fun. I happened to notice the resemblance between the two.  But you can be the judge here and decide for yourself.

Comments? Questions? Suggestions?  Email Me!