Topic: National Rifle Association

Featured

Playing the IRS card: Six presidents who used the IRS to bash political foes

Since the advent of the federal income tax about a century ago, several presidents – or their zealous underlings – have directed the IRS to use its formidable police powers to harass or punish enemies, political rivals, and administration critics. Here are six infamous episodes.

All Content

The Monitor's View Why Holder's probe of 'stand your ground' laws stands out

US Attorney General Eric Holder said after the George Zimmerman verdict that Justice will take a 'hard look' at the many 'stand your ground' state laws, such as Florida's. Such laws need challenging as they reverse history's path away from killing.
Conceal-carry: Heeding court, Illinois becomes 50th state to allow it

Both chambers of the Illinois legislature on Tuesday overrode a veto on the matter by Gov. Pat Quinn. About 300,000 residents could apply for conceal-carry permits, although some details of the law have to be worked out first.
Gun control: Why Vice President Biden is trying again

Vice President Biden on Tuesday will tout executive action on gun control and push to revive legislation. But the recent news on NSA data-mining could make it even harder to get votes.
Decoder Wire Ted Nugent's brother slaps Ted on gun background checks. Family feud?

Ted Nugent's brother Jeffrey, in an op-ed, argues that the NRA and Ted are wrong to fight expanded background checks for gun buyers. Ted, naturally, doesn't take that lying down, whips out ... a pen?
Playing the IRS card: Six presidents who used the IRS to bash political foes

Since the advent of the federal income tax about a century ago, several presidents – or their zealous underlings – have directed the IRS to use its formidable police powers to harass or punish enemies, political rivals, and administration critics. Here are six infamous episodes.
Editorial Board Blog A better way to talk about guns in America

Tragic events such as Sunday's Mother's Day parade shooting in New Orleans will fuel the debate over gun control in America, even if legislation is stalled. For a more productive conversation, what if we shelve policy debate and focus on understanding why people hold the views they do?
Struggle to find burial site for Boston bombing suspect is 'unprecedented' (+video)

The family of Tamerlan Tsarnaev continues to struggle to arrange for a burial, while the administrator of the One Fund Boston announces preliminary plans for distributing donations.
Decoder Wire Glenn Beck and stagecraft wizardry: Why his NRA talk trumped all

The conservative talk show host deployed no fewer than five props during his keynote address to the NRA over the weekend. (So there, Sarah Palin.) And not one of them was a chalkboard.
Readers Write: Indie booksellers must adapt; Bloomberg money vs. NRA members

Letters to the Editor for the May 6, 2013 weekly print issue: Independent booksellers also need to be active participants in the e-book world; In the gun debate, Mayor Bloomberg's wealth is giving him an outsized influence over the NRA's 4.5 million members.
Decoder Wire Sarah Palin's chaw: Why did she wave chewing tobacco during NRA speech? (+video)

Sarah Palin used a tin of chewing tobacco as a visual aid at last weekend's NRA convention in Houston. This follows her sipping from a Big Gulp during her CPAC speech in March.
As NRA meets, Great Gun Debate intensifies America's culture war (+video)

Both sides in the debate over gun policy are indulging in stereotypes and name-calling, fueled by a distrust bred from previous culture war fights. As the NRA convention continues this weekend, are red and blue America really so far apart?
Sarah Palin: Chewing tobacco is her latest prop (+video)

Sarah Palin chewing tobacco? Speaking at the NRA annual meeting, Sarah Palin pulled out a tin of chewing tobacco to tweak NYC Mayor Bloomberg for his proposed ban on displaying tobacco products.
Decoder Wire NRA 'Stand and Fight' convention: Political big guns will be there (+video)

The NRA's annual convention begins Friday, and the theme this year is 'Stand and Fight.' In the line-up to speak to the 70,000 attendees: a host of likely 2016 GOP presidential hopefuls.
Gabriel Gomez, GOP candidate for Sen., rejects 'people's pledge'

Gabriel Gomez said Markey has spent decades in Congress building up a campaign war chest of special-interest money. Gomez said it's the 'height of hypocrisy' for Markey to talk about a pledge to limit spending.
Decoder Wire Gun control forces take fight to New Hampshire, Sen. Kelly Ayotte

Gun control advocates are taking their message to the states, through ads, town hall meetings, and shaming campaigns. They poked Sen. Kelly Ayotte (R) of New Hampshire on Tuesday.
Gun control, Arizona style: Guns given to the state will be re-sold

In Arizona, guns turned in at 'buyback' events will not be destroyed but instead be sold to gun dealers, under provisions of a law signed last night by Gov. Jan Brewer.
To Obama's dismay, America not outraged by gun control fail, poll suggests

A new poll finds that less than half of America is upset by the Senate's failure to pass expanded background checks. That was supposed to be the gun control issue with the broadest support.
Argument over NRA T-shirt gets eighth-grader jailed. Dress code run amok?

A student at a West Virginia middle school was suspended and arrested after a confrontation with a teacher over an NRA T-shirt with a picture of a rifle on it. Public schools have some leeway in setting dress codes, the Supreme Court has found.
'No more hurting people.' Will a safer future follow Boston tragedy's wake?

Martin Richard, the 8-year-old boy killed in the Boston Marathon bomb attack, once held a sign that said 'peace' and 'no more hurting people.' Research finds a pattern of lessening violence as human history moves forward.
Decoder Wire Gun control: Three ways supporters are carrying on the fight

While gun control proponents may have conceded defeat in the Senate, they insist the war isn’t over. President Obama himself said he saw the defeat as just Round 1.
'Shame on you!' Gun vote shamed by Obama, Giffords, Maisch

'Shame' was the word of the day after the U.S. Senate failed to pass gun control legislation yesterday. A spectator in the gallery yelled out 'Shame on you!' while President Obama referred to the vote as 'pretty shameful' and Rep. Gabby Giffords wrote 'Shame on them' in an op-ed about the senators.
Decoder Wire After Senate defeats, prospects for gun control shift to states

The failure of the Senate to pass even gun control measures that had overwhelming public support signals that the clout of the gun lobby is powerful enough to block reform on Capitol Hill.
Opinion Why the 90 percent lost on gun background checks

The Senate defeated background checks for gun sales, despite 90 percent of Americans favoring broader checks. The simplest explanation for this is Senate procedures, but NRA intensity counts for a lot. The way ahead for gun control groups is to match the NRA email for email.
Senate's failure to pass meaningful gun control 'shameful,' Obama says (+video)

The Senate on Wednesday failed to get the 60 votes necessary to pass a bipartisan bill that would have expanded gun-control background checks to gun shows and Internet sales.
Monitor Breakfast Rand Paul: Obama politicizes tragedy, uses Newtown families as 'props'

Sen. Rand Paul says gun control is a legitimate issue for political debate. But he says President Obama has used the parents of children killed in Newtown, Conn., as ‘props.’

Watch video