Wow.  I’m still in awe.  I just finished listening to this epic iVoices.org podcast with Dave Kopel interviewing none other than Alan Gura himself!! Or as Dave aptly refers to Mr. Gura, “the Luke Skywalker of the Second Amendment.” Alan Gura is the man behind the huge DC v. Heller Supreme Court gun rights victory. Because of his previous victory, Mr. Gura has taken on the new McDonald v. Chicago Supreme Court case. This new Second Amendment case will decide whether the Second Amendment is enforceable at the state and local level via the 14th Amendment. Now that may seem like a lot of legalese and Constitutional law jargon, but I promise that if you listen to a few of these previous iVoices.org podcasts before jumping into the newest one featuring Alan Gura, you’ll be fine. A special thanks goes out to Mr. Skywalker Gura for taking time of his day to speak with us.

We all celebrated the 2008 Second Amendment Supreme Court decision in DC v. Heller. This narrow 5-4 victory for gun rights settled once and for all whether the right to own a firearm for self-defense was indeed an individual right. You’ll remember our Dave Kopel  sat at the counsel’s table to assist the oral argument, in addition to writing a crucial amicus brief in defense of the Second Amendment.

So what’s new in the fight for your right to keep and bear arms? Turns out, as critical as the Heller decision was in advancing the cause, it only settled whether we as United States citizens have an individual right to keep and bear arms; a right the federal government may not infringe. What it did not settle was whether that right could be infringed upon at the state level. (The District of Columbia, which was the focal point of the Heller decision, is a federal jurisdiction and not a state). In other words, is the Second Amendment incorporated into the 14th amendment via the Due Process clause or the Privileges or Immunities clause. If the Supreme Court decides it is, then no state can infringe its citizen’s right to keep and bear arms.

This landmark Supreme Court case is McDonald v. Chicago. Good news is that lead counsel is once again Alan Gura, the man who won the victory in Heller. And once again, Dave Kopel has written an amicus brief on behalf of the Second Amendment. We shall see if this winning combination can strike gold twice. Dave joined me yesterday on iVoices.org to discuss where the case is at the moment, and the impact this decision will have.  After the Independence Institute’s amicus brief is filed on Monday, we’ll do a podcast discussing what’s in that brief.

Stay tuned!

***In our latest edition of Dave Kopel goes to Washington, this time Dave is asked to testify in front of the Senate Judiciary Committee on Supreme Court nominee Sonia Sotomayor. Here’s me sitting down with Dave to discuss the experience and whether she’ll fly through the confirmation anyway – despite Dave’s best efforts.

***Dave also wanted to talk about the national conceal carry reciprocity bill that narrowly went down in the Senate. Surprisingly (or as Dave explains, not so surprisingly), both Senators Udall and Bennet actually voted FOR the bill!

***Yesterday’s anti-Obama Care rally down at the Capitol was very successful. Several hundred folks came out on their lunch breaks to join in. And like I pointed out yesterday, there was however, one peeping Tom spotted. Face the State did a good job of pointing out Mr. Huttner’s hypocrisy in calling anything we do “astroturfing” and anything they do “grassroots.” Wait a second here, aren’t they the ones that pay and bus “protesters” in? Who’s the grassroots now?

***Ari Armstrong over at FreeColorado.com also spoke at the rally. He posted some highlights on YouTube that you can see here.

***Don’t forget that this Friday, it is Milton Friedman’s birthday. And as such, we will be celebrating it! You are invited to join us at the Irish Snug downtown at noon. RSVP now if you haven’t already.

What does the Senate Judiciary Committee do when they need expert testimony on a Supreme Court nominee Sonia Sotomayor? They ask Dave Kopel, duh. Dave’s legal mind is unmatched when it comes to second amendment issues, and disregarding his thoughts on this nominee would be like brushing aside MacGyver’s suggestions during a life and death situation (use the two match sticks with the cotton balls and duct tape stupid!).

Thus, Dave went down to Washington and delivered his testimony last Thursday, the 16th. Here is the written version and thanks to my favorite channel C-Span, here is the video.

In case you missed it before, here is Dave on Amy Oliver’s radio show (1310 KFKA) a few weeks back offering his initial thoughts and concerns.

On the next Independent Thinking, Second Amendment expert David Kopel is in with me for a one-on-one interview to discuss a whole host of second amendment issues. We will talk about HR 45 — a bill to require gun registration with the federal government, guns in national parks, a new Montana law to challenge the limits of the commerce clause, and the fallacy of U.S. guns in Mexico. Tune in this Friday night at 8:30 p.m. on KBDI Channel 12; repeated the following Tuesday evening at 5 p.m.

Great little yard sign showing exactly why everyone benefits from the freedom to own guns. Or as an economist would say, gun ownership provides positive externalities.

(H/T: Rossputin.com)

***Ari Armstrong puts the smack down on Senator Mark Udall over controlling the credit market. It’s simple Mark, READ the contract BEFORE you sign it! Duh.

***Exploited intern Luke Jackson, between clipping my toe nails and mowing my lawn, somehow had time to research and write about public debt (amazing creatures these interns are). This work turned into our newest Issue Backgrounder titled, Debt Detective. He also had the opportunity to do a podcast on his work with Fiscal Policy Center director Penn Pfiffner. Good job Luke!

***Get your very own Government Motors tee shirt here. New slogan: “In Soviet Amerika, the car drives YOU… bankrupt!”

***Health care policy nerds take heed: Linda Gorman penned an in-depth piece on direct-purchase health care models. Yes, I did read the entire thing.

***Dave Kopel made an appearance on Amy Oliver’s radio show (1310 KFKA) to discuss Obama’s Supreme Court pick Sonia Sotomayor. You can listen to the audio here.

***Finally, the most politically correct event of the year is coming up! That’s right, the Alcohol, Tobacco, and Firearms Party is upon us. This year is looking to be the best one yet. We’ve got Joe the Plumber and Radley Balko of Reason Magazine speaking, along with a special celebrity shooter: Andrew Breitbart of the Drudge Report and Breitbart.com! Amy Oliver and I talk nannyism, the ATF party, and the incredible, star-studded ATF pre-Party here. Tickets WILL be sold out, you can count on that. Please RSVP now to save yourself a spot.

***In addition to ATF 2009, we’ve got an incredible ATF pre-Party planned for the day before – Friday, June 19th. This is going to be a star-studded nanny panel event at the high class Warwick Hotel in downtown Denver! We will be serving lunch, dinner, and cocktails in between the panels. Keynote speakers include, but not limited to: Radley Balko, David Harsanyi, Dave Kopel, Andrew Breitbart, David Martosko, and Terry Gallagher. Check the event page for an agenda and more information. Seats are filling up fast, do not wait to RSVP!

***View 2 minutes on how to party – ATF style!

Here it is folks. Exactly what you wanted to hear. Constitutional expert and super human Dave Kopel on Amy Oliver’s radio show discussing his take on Obama’s Supreme Court nominee Sonia Sotomayor. Audio thanks to 1310 KFKA out of Greeley.

***Our most sexist event of the year! No, not sexiest, SEXIST. That’s right, the Independent Women’s Luncheon is scheduled for Wednesday, June 3rd. It is going to feature keynote speaker Tara Ross, author of Enlightened Democracy: The Case for the Electoral College. Listen to my podcast with Amy Oliver, where she tries to defend the strict NO MEN policy the sexist women’s lunch adheres to. Although, men who shave their legs and show up in drag will be allowed in, just as long as they stay in character.

***How many of you get special thank you notes from Steve Forbes? Yeah, didn’t think so. Health Care Policy Center director Linda Gorman does. Next time, send a check Steve!

***Speaking of health care, the Galen Institute is running a video contest intended to showcase videos that break down the ever growing single-payer myths out there. Here’s my favorite video: great analogy, using the idea of “Universal Car Care” to get the point across.

***Senator Michael Bennet evidently has lots of friends in other states. His out of state fundraising abilities has even been featured in a major Denver Post piece. But what does this mean for Republicans poised to grab his seat? I’ll let Jessica Corry answer that one.

***Finally, Dave Kopel continues to Kopelize the country. This time, he managed to infiltrate the heavily guarded New York Times editorial board with this piece on guns in national parks. Which brings me to one of Kopel’s most Kopelized one-liners, “guns don’t exercise free will.” But maybe they do in national parks?

***Bonus: While on the topic of gun control, check this out: (click to ENLARGE)


(courtesy of my friends over at the People’s Press Collective)

A large percentage of Colorado legislators think that the Electoral College has outlived its usefulness. What is the Electoral College? Why has it been successful for more than 200 years? Why do some want to get rid of it? Former State Senator Ken Gordon and Independence Institute Research Director David Kopel debate whether Colorado ought to choose the president, or if that right should be exported to the whims of the nation. Tune in tonight at 8:30 to Independent Thinking for a lively discussion on the future of the Electoral College in Colorado.  Repeat next Tuesday at 5pm.

(Warning: This Independent Thinking gets HEATED!)