I wrote this in 2008 before the election. Unfortunately, too many gun owners could not see this coming or just did not care. The NRA was right, again1

Politicians will say anything to get elected. That is why it is so important to examine their record and look at what they do and say before running for office. Listen to what they say but verify what they have done. Never has that been more important for gun owners than in this presidential election.

Here is what the candidates for president and vice president say now, what they said before this election and their voting record. Most of the information is taken from

http://www.ontheissues.org/ where you can find lists of votes and statements without comment.

Senator Obama says he believes the 2nd Amendment is an individual right. He also said he supported cities like Washington, DC and his home city of Chicago banning the ownership of guns. He co-sponsored a bill to limit the purchase of handguns to one per month. He refused to sign a Congressional Brief in support of the Heller case that overturned the DC handgun ban. And he endorsed the Illinois ban on handgun ownership.

Last January Obama called for “common-sense” gun licensing. He supported the renewal of the “assault weapon” ban. He voted against stopping lawsuits against gun manufacturers. He called for a ban on semi-automatic guns and for more gun possession restrictions. And he wanted to punish gun sellers if their guns ended up being used in crimes. And he is in favor of banning bullets that can penetrate “bullet proof” vest, which seems to include all center fire rifle ammo.

Senator Obama is rated “F” by the NRA.

Senator Biden recently said he would not let Obama take his Beretta away from him. He voted to keep the assault weapon ban and voted for the original ban. He had introduced several versions of the ban before it was passed. He voted against ending lawsuits against gun manufacturers twice. And he did not sign the Brief in the Heller case supporting the 2nd Amendment that was signed by 300 members of congress.

Background checks at gun shows received a yes vote from Biden two times. He also voted against increasing penalties on criminals using guns. Biden voted against letting guns be sold without trigger locks, voted for the Brady Bill and pushed to make it stronger.

Senator Biden is rated “F” by the NRA.

Senator McCain says he supports the 2nd Amendment as an individual right. He signed the Brief in support of Heller and says he knows how to use guns but does not own one. He voted against lawsuits against gun sellers three times and voted in favor of allowing guns in National Parks. He opposed extending the “assault weapon” ban and voted against the original ban. He also voted against the Brady Bill.

McCain has voted against background checks at gun shows although he sometimes supports them. He voted for more penalties for criminals using guns several times. McCain has called for a ban on “cheap” guns, requiring trigger locks and gun show background checks in the past.

Senator McCain is rated “C” by the NRA.

Governor Palin says she supports the 2nd Amendment as an individual right. She is a life member of the NRA and hunts and fishes as did her father. She hunts as much as she can and keeps her freezer full of wild game. She supported the Heller case ending the DC handgun ban.

The NRA says “Gov. Sarah Palin would be one of the most pro-gun vice-presidents in American history, and Joe Biden would definitely be the most anti-gun.

The following excerpts from the party platforms were printed in The Shooting wire on September 3, 2008:

The Democratic Platform: “We believe that the right to own firearms is subject to reasonable regulation, but we know that what works in Chicago may not work in Cheyenne. We can work together to enact and enforce commonsense laws and improvements — like closing the gun show loophole, improving our background check system, and reinstating the assault weapons ban …”

The Republican Platform: “We condemn frivolous lawsuits against firearms manufacturers, which are transparent attempts to deprive citizens of their rights. We oppose federal licensing of law-abiding gun owners and national gun registration as violations of the Second Amendment. We recognize that gun control only affects and penalizes law-abiding citizens, and that such proposals are ineffective at reducing violent crime.”

You decide.