Thursday Winter Returns Wrap-Up

Oh boy! It's snowing again! Thank heavens...I was afraid it was going to be spring!

Anyhow, the big news this AM is that Steve Sanetti, COO of Ruger, has been tapped to replace Doug Painter as the President and CEO of the National Shooting Sports Foundation:

Sanetti was hired by Bill Ruger in 1980 to be the company's first general counsel and rose up through the executive ranks to become, in 2003, president, vice chairman of the board and chief operating officer, the position he currently holds. A founding member of the Firearms Litigation Support Committee, Sanetti helped direct the successful coordinated response to municipal lawsuits that threatened the firearms industry in the late 1990s.

In addition to his legal and executive experience, Sanetti brings strong communications skills to the position, having written numerous articles and given many interviews defending the lawful and responsible ownership and use of firearms. He has spoken on 60 Minutes, ABC News Nightline, CNBC, National Public Radio and before various federal and state legislative bodies.

Sanetti is an avid hunter, target shooter, firearms collector and amateur gunsmith who was a three-year member of his college rifle team and later the team's coach. He was the enthusiastic captain of many victorious Ruger shooting teams at industry competitions and says his favorite hobby is to spend a day target shooting with his family.

Here's the whole story.

Okay, I called that one wrong, but I believe this is a great choice by the NSSF Board. In addition to being a longtime personal friend of mine, Steve Sanetti is one of the sharpest and forward looking executives in the business. More importantly, he is a rock-sold gun gun...he works for one of the most important handgun companies in the world, is a shooter and hunter — I shot against him on clays in the last Industry Masters, and he handed me my head — and a man who understand the fight.

That last bit is important because depending on how November goes, we many well need a "wartime consigliere," to borrow a phrase from that font of all wisdom, the Godfather. Steve comes on board at NSSF on 1 May; we'll no doubt be interviewing him for DOWN RANGE Radio.

From the lovely and charming Bitter Bitch, a scathing — and totally on-target — attack on my Congressman, Mark Udall of Colorado...whose getting ready to make a run on the U.S. Senate:

I Don’t Have Balls, So I Hope Someone Else Does!

It would seem that’s what the subtitle quote should be for this article:

Udall wouldn’t kill gun ban but hopes court will

That’s so unflattering for a title. I mean that’s spelling out for constituents that he doesn’t want to be on the record voting on an issue and hopes other people will make other decisions for him. That’s not usually what Congressmen are elected to do. So let’s see if the rest of the article fits.

When the U.S. Supreme Court heard arguments last week about the Washington, D.C., ban on handgun ownership, U.S. Rep. Mark Udall of Colorado issued a news release saying he hoped the court would affirm the right of citizens to “keep and bear arms.”

But on four occasions when Udall, a Democrat running for an open U.S. Senate seat, could have voted in Congress to repeal all or sections of the gun ban, he did not.

Not once, not twice, not three times, but four times he refused to take a vote that would leave a record. Of course, upholding an individual right and upholding a right that has meaning (aka no DC ban) are two different talking points. So let’s see how he digs…

Udall campaign spokesman Taylor West said the congressman did not support the 32-year-old ban but also didn’t think Congress was justified in overriding the district while the issue was before the courts.

“He believes in self-rule and the rights of local government,” West said. “The people should be able to set their own laws.”

Well, Udall should believe in the Constitution. DC is ruled by Congress. Congress can overrule the City Council. It would stand to reason that someone who believes that rights mean something would say, “You know City Council, I generally defer to you. But tonight, you want to deny people their rights. That’s a problem when it’s spelled out in the Constitution, so I’m going to overrule you in the morning.”

Here's a link to the original Denver Post article. Bitter's right. Durning his period in Congress, Udall has had his head up the skirts of the excreble Diana DeGette, one of the most relentless and brainless antigun harridans to ever be elected Congress. She apparently has never seen the Constitution, has never seen any antigun legislation she didn't wholehearted support and will bleat like goosed sheep at the command of her masters. When Udall was elected, I sent him a long note asking if we could get together and try to bridge the gun issue. I pointed out that once you crossed the Boulder City Limits, Colorado was an extremely pro-gun state, and it would be worth his time to at least talk to someone other than DeGette on the issue.

Of coruse I didn't hear back from him!

Now that Udall's preparing a Senate run, he's discovered that — surprise! — when you get outside the Boulder City Limits, Colorado is an extremely pro-gun stste, and he's treading water. Any day now I expect to see him in cammie capping some poor helpless duck.

Finally, in the Thursday News You Can Use, this from Fox News:

Man Claims to Speak 'Australian' After Allegedly Being Raped by Wombat

SYDNEY — A New Zealand man has been sentenced to community service after telling police he was raped by a wombat and the experience had made him speak "Australian".

Arthur Ross Cradock, 48, from the South Island town of Motueka, called police on February 11 and told them he was being raped at his home by the wombat and he needed help, The Nelson Mail newspaper reported.

The orchard worker later called back and said: "Apart from speaking Australian now, I'm pretty all right, you know."

The wombat, reached in his burrow, said it good for him, too, closing his comments by saying, "Whazzup, homes?"