Anti-Gun Former Governor at it Again

Former Governor Eliot Spitzer (D -NY) must have an awfully short memory.  After being sued by the firearms industry almost 10 years ago for conspiring to cause economic harm by imposing arbitrary regulations on the design, manufacture, distribution and sale of firearms, Mr. Spitzer is now advocating an illegal boycott of companies that don't kowtow to his anti-gun agenda.

In March of 2000, New York Attorney General Spitzer and other government officials announced formation of a coalition to coerce firearms manufacturers to abide by an arbitrary and politically motivated list of firearms regulations entitled the "Code of Conduct" as a condition to supplying firearms to members of the coalition.  Spitzer said, "We want every appropriate government entity to agree to purchase firearms only from companies that have signed a comprehensive code of conduct."  Spitzer said the objective of the coalition was to "...boycott gun manufacturers who fail to adhere to a new safety code." 

Now, flash forward to yesterday's column on Slate.com:

"The government that President Obama oversees is also a gigantic, well-funded procurement agent. And it can-and should-use that power to change American gun policies. Specifically, the government buys lots of guns, for sheriffs, patrol officers, and detectives; for FBI agents, DEA agents, IRS agents, Postal Inspectors, immigration agents, and park rangers; and for soldiers, sailors, airmen, Marines, and spies. The government buys guns by the crate."

Mr. Spitzer goes on to argue that government agencies (federal, state and local) should only purchase firearms from manufacturers who adhere to a "code of conduct." Spitzer specifically notes that the government should not purchase firearms from manufacturers who sell to retailers with multiple firearm traces (despite the fact that ATF has repeatedly stated that a trace is in no way an indicator of criminal wrongdoing by either the retailer or first purchaser of the firearm) or to manufacturers who sell certain types of firearms to citizens.

It will be interesting to see how law enforcement officers and military personnel react to the suggestion that the firearms they carry (to protect themselves and others) be selected for political reasons rather than the best gun suited for their needs.  

As for Mr. Spitzer, clearly his departure from public office hasn't given him the time he needs to reflect upon all of his past, ahem, "illegal activities."

Comments

[Mr. Hunting Scopes]

I dont know why they have to make everything so hard. If you look hard enough you will find good and bad it just about everything.

[Sean Sorrentino]

Do you guys hire lobbyists? If so, I hereby volunteer my services to lobby Elliot 'whoremonger' Spitzer. For a nominal salary (by lobbyist standards) and expenses, I will follow him around and attempt to change his mind on this issue by loudly denouncing him as a dishonest patron of prostitutes. I will work tirelessly to ensure that every mention of him in the newspapers starts off with "the whoremonger and disgraced former Governor of New York Elliot Spitzer..." I will also spearhead a movement to rename him "Dishonest John." for no extra money on your part, at times when "DJ" is hiding in his expensive digs, I will go to Harrisburg and lobby Fast Eddie Rendell. Having seen him make a fool of himself on national TV saying how "assault weapons" jam, I will start by convincing him of the necessity of upgrading the weaponry of his bodyguards to side by side shotguns, bolt action rifles, and .38 caliber revolvers. as a further service to the members of the NSSF, I will undertake to spend all (that's right ALL) of the extra money that you pay me above my current salary to buy firearms related items including rifles, pistols, holsters, and ammunition. It’d be like paying yourselves!

[online gun shop]

The government should really give an eye to the slumping economy rather than chasing to take away people's guns.