The Dogfight Begins: Rasmussen- Beauprez 44, Hickenlooper 44

Hickenlooper "is now officially in a dogfight to save his political life."

This link was sent to me by a reader with the comment: "Tell me again how popular gun control is! Hickenlooper was considered unbeatable prior to the wildly unpopular gun laws. It also explains why Hickenlooper tried to backtrack with the sheriffs the other day. His internal polling must have shown this one issue has made an easy race into at least a close one, and it might even cost him his office."

From the article:

This must have Hickenlooper’s handlers deeply disturbed, as Hickenlooper shows he becomes quite unhinged when things aren’t going well for him. It equally must be devastating to a man who only wants people to love him. Even after four years of trying his gosh darn best, less than half of Colorado likes Hick enough to want him around for another four years. At this rate, we can expect to see Hickenlooper standing on a street corner with a cardboard sign that says, “Will lie to you for affection.”

Seriously, how does Hick respond to this? His whole political career has been that of a one-trick pony, where he pretends to be above the political fray; more benevolent deity than politician. Now that his record of the past four years has shown this to be a complete fraud, he’s got no cards left to play. The man who deigns campaigns and politics to be beneath his grand stature, can’t suddenly enter the bare-knuckle, dogfight for your political life world without exposing himself for what he truly is: a complete sham.

Praxis: USMC Motorcycle Infantry

From two years ago, but interesting: Motorcycle-borne MARSOC Marines prey on Taliban

See also: MARSOC Marines will train on dirt bikes

"There is a storm coming." My short speech at the Westcliffe CO Independence Day.

I want to thank George Gramlich and the Sentinel for making it possible to be here today on this beautiful Independence Day. And I want to tell you all -- men and women -- young and old -- families and friends -- that you represent a powerful statement of American liberty and you are a sight to make the most blood-thirsty tyrant tremble!

You know, in an article in this morning's National Journal, Ron Brownstein whistled past the collectivist graveyard by claiming that no matter how badly Barack Obama has bungled politics and damaged his party that, and I quote, "cultural affinity has become the Democrats' most powerful weapon." He seems to be saying, 'Don't worry about getting beat in November, the future is ours.'

That will come as small comfort to Governor Hickenlooper after you derail his presidential ambitions by throwing him out of power in November!

But Brownstein is wrong about one of those 'cultural affinity' issues and that's the God-given, and inalienable right to keep and bear arms -- the natural right of self defense -- which does not come from the Second Amendment to the Constitution but is merely codified by it. That right is widely seen by most -- across all lines of race, class, economics and even party affiliation -- as absolute.

It is true that in the aftermath of Aurora and Newtown that the emboldened advocates of citizen disarmament have revealed their naked ambitions for your liberty and property with more unconstitutional laws and demands for the repeal of the Second Amendment -- but they tipped their tyrannical hand. They are no longer asking for "common sense gun control" -- they want confiscation.

But all over this country, from Connecticut and New York where their Intolerable Acts have sparked an 85 to 95 percent non-compliance rate -- to the Bundy Ranch where the bad behavior of the federal government led to an armed response by an aroused people -- to Colorado where you have your own defiant non-compliance movement and you successfully recalled these advocates of a government-monopoly-of-violence who shoved their unconstitutional law down your throats -- Well, their best laid plans are coming apart and to put it politely the politicians don't know whether to defecate or go blind.

For they are slowly beginning to realize what the Founders understood from bloody experience -- and what we Three Percenters boldly proclaim today -- WHEN DEMOCRACY TURNS TO TYRANNY, THE ARMED CITIZENRY STILL GETS TO VOTE!

And when this 60 trillion dollar debt house of cards that both corrupt political parties have built collapses -- taking their best laid plans with it down the toilet of history -- it will be YOU -- the armed citizenry -- that will work with local and state elected officials to save what can be saved and, God willing, who will restore the Founders' Republic that these domestic enemies of the Constitution have been doing their best to undermine and destroy.

They may whistle past the political graveyard now -- but rest assured that it will be THEIR political graveyard and YOU are the people who will make that happen.

So here on this beautiful Independence Day in Custer County, Colorado, let us remember and honor the Founders' sacrifices. But let us also prepare for our own sacrifices which will be required in the near future.

There is a storm coming -- perhaps the worst storm in our country's history -- and we have a nation, a people and eternal principles to protect.

My speech at Westcliffe March.

Miller campaign should receive boosts from immigration watchdog and NRA

What does this have to do with the purpose of this column, the right to keep and bear arms? As Gun Rights Examiner has reported on several occasions, Gun Owners of America and Pew Research Center analyses show overwhelming preference among illegal immigrants for the Democratic Party. That the party’s platform includes what it calls “reasonable regulations ... like reinstating the assault weapons ban and closing the gun show loophole” is self-evident. That Barack Obama is working to undermine the Second Amendment is indisputable, at least to all who are rational. That Obama’s Homeland Security Secretary Jeh Johnson “said the approximately 11 million people who are in the country illegally have ‘earned the right to be citizens’” is documented. That the issues are tangentially related goes without saying, even if the one group ducking the relationship using the “single issue” dodge might prefer that it did.

A beautiful Inedpendence Day morning in Westcliffe, Colorado.

In the after-march speech today I will take my text, I think, from this little bit of whistling past the graveyard by Ron Brownstein in the National Journal: "Why Democrats Are So Confident."

"Republicans," Brownstein say, "are trending against a growing cultural majority, while Democrats are in tune with it." He includes "gun control" in his list. Well, perhaps they are in the narrowest of this-slice-in-time poll senses. We'll see how such wisp-in-the-wind statements of "cultural affinity" stand up to the terrible winds that are about to blow. If this house-of-cards that both corrupt political parties have built -- $60 TRILLION of accumulated debt -- collapses then we'll see who stands and who gets swept away. Post-collapse, the American armed citizenry are going to be the popular folks in their neighborhoods.

However, I am now out of time and have to get into the parade at Westcliffe. Hope to see some of you there.

I'm in Westcliffe CO getting ready for the 4th of July parade tomorrow.

Hope to see some of you here. We will assemble around 0830hrs in a parking area along the main drag.

Praxis: The DIY Sheet Metal Self-Loading Pistol

Another argument for the futility of firearms prohibition.

Had a great free-wheeling talk and Q&A session in Colorado Springs tonight, er, ah, last night.

I'm exhausted but I think I did okay. More tomorrow.

Chris Christie Vetoes New Jersey Gun Bill

Chris Christie wants to be president.

My tax dollars at work. My laptop and TSA. Again.

So, I fly out from Birmingham to Colorado Springs via Dallas-Fort Worth. Mindful of my last experience after the Bundy Ranch, I had the laptop in a carry-on. It was out of my sight for less than a minute (I would guess thirty seconds) at the check-in in Birmingham. By the time I got to DFW and pulled it out to update SSI and look at my emails, it was deader than Kelsey's nuts. I flipped it over and discovered that the bottom panel had been apparently removed and then hastily (and wrongly) reassembled. (See photo above.)

I also noted that there were tool marks on the small phillips head screw which secured the panel. (See below.)

When I got into Colorado Springs and was picked up at the airport by a friend, I showed him the evidence and he took the above pictures. The next morning we took it into the Geek Squad at BestBuy. They carefully opened it, agreed with my conclusion that it had been tampered with in haste and probably by someone who didn't know what they were doing. They had disturbed the power circuitry but BB was able to bring it back on line and they sent us on our way without charging me a dime. Great customer service. Hard to tell what that was all about, except perhaps to remind me that Darth Vader was still watching.

We are coming up on the 4th anniversary of the murder-by-government of Erik Scott.

I will have more on this as the anniversary approaches.

Land Mines: The Political Class Risks Soldiers’ Lives to Feel Good

The sort of “human rights advocates” were always ready to impose an obligation on the civilized West, and always ready to make excuses for the barbarous East, have long been agitating for the elimination of land mines. You may remember it was a favorite cause of that well-born but empty-headed blonde twit, Princess Diana, the Paris Hilton of her day, famous for being famous, and well informed about nothing whatsoever.

Mexico arrests armed citizens for defending themselves against murderous cartels

The Mexican government has begun arresting armed “vigilantes,” desperate citizens in fear for their lives who can no longer wait for their compromised government to rein in ultra-violent cartels.

RIP, "Crazy Snake."

A long-time reader, faithful supporter, Three Percenter and American patriot, Jim “Crazy Snake” Blake, passed away in Richmond, KY. I met Crazy Snake on my recent trip to Knob Creek and points north and west. He was a great guy and will be missed by all who knew him.

A VERY busy yesterday.

In between getting around to various places and folks as part of what is becoming the Hickenlooper Harassment Tour I made a number of stops yesterday. Among them were several interesting firearms emporiums: Specialty Sports and Supply is a very large independent full service gun shop in Colorado springs. In chatting with the sales folks there, I discovered that one of the adaptations forced upon them by the new law is that all semi-auto rifles are sold without magazines, buyers bearing the responsibility of finding their own -- of whatever size. I've heard rumors previously of cross-border shopping trips for magazines to other states. I'll try to confirm that later. Another shop we visited was Paradise Firearms also in Colorado springs. The owner, Paul Paradis, was a leading figure in the recall elections last year. The folks at Paradise were unfailingly helpful and knowledgeable. A great little gun store.

We also visited The National Museum of World War II Aviation at the Colorado Springs Airport. Not only is it a remarkable static display museum, they have an educational mission that is second-to-none with hands-on exhibits to teach the fundamentals of aviation, with a WWII specialty -- to visiting groups of school students. Even more impressive are the restored air-worthy and flying aircraft such as a B-25 and a P-47 as well as, a short walk across the tarmac, a working relationship with one of the premier aircraft restoration companies in the world, Westpac Restorations. If you're in the area and want to schedule a visit, I told that the best time and date might be to coordinate it with the Pike's Peak Regional Airshow on August 9th & 10th. And then right nearby is the The Airplane Restaurant adjacent to the Radisson Hotel. The food was great and the company distinguished as we sat and "talked a little treason" to the Empire.

We ended the long day in a Wendy's, talking with another Colorado patriot. Went back to sleep the sleep of the exhausted, but with a feeling of having accomplished a very great deal. Plans are being made to come back here in October to finish what we started. Hope to see more of you folks at the speech tonight in Colorado Springs.

Enter the "brownshirts."

Medical staff warned: Keep your mouths shut about illegal immigrants or face arrest

Gun-Grabbers Can’t Get No Satisfaction

David's column makes the Daily Caller.

Praxis: Weapon Mounted Lights and a Dirty Little Police Secret.

Here’s the dirty little secret about police training…it rarely happens. If the common citizen knew how poorly trained the average cop is there would be complete anarchy. Most agencies have a wholly inadequate firearms training program. In talking to cops around my state as a firearms instructor for the last 15 years, I’ve found that most departments do very little firearms training. Shooting more than 100 rounds per year is unusual.

The Trouble Isn't Liberals. It's Progressives.

The progressive movement at the turn of the 20th century had roots in German philosophy ( Hegel and Nietzsche were big favorites) and German public administration ( Woodrow Wilson's open reverence for Bismarck was typical among progressives). To simplify, progressive intellectuals were passionate advocates of rule by disinterested experts led by a strong unifying leader. They were in favor of using the state to mold social institutions in the interests of the collective. They thought that individualism and the Constitution were both outmoded. That's not a description that Woodrow Wilson or the other leading progressive intellectuals would have argued with. They openly said it themselves.

Dick Metcalf: "Heads Further Left, Becomes A Useful Idiot For The Gun Control Cult."

(Metcalf) showed that despite a long publishing and academic career, he fundamentally doesn’t grasp the meaning and intent of the Second Amendment. Specifically, he betrayed that he either simply is incapable of understanding what the Founders meant when they stated the need for a well-regulated militia, or that he simply doesn’t agree with it. Instead of showing contrition for his ignorance (or arrogance), he continues to insist that “well-regulated” means “lawyered to death,” and that his fellow gun owners simply aren’t as good as he is.