Dems Humiliated Themselves With Their Own Study On Illegal Online Gun Sales

Gun-hating democrats who demanded a study into the sale of guns online were smacked with a dose of reality.   They wasted two years attempting to buy guns illegally on the “dark web,” and the group of Democrats failed every single time.

Senator Elizabeth Warren joined with Senator Brian Schultz, D-Hawaii, and Representative Elijah Cummings, D-Md., to commission the GAO report.

An embarrassing attempt to try to regulate guns further went horribly wrong when Democrats took it upon themselves to try to skirt the law to prove it can be done.  Over the course of the two-and-a-half year investigation, agents tried to buy firearms illegally on the “Surface Web” and the “Dark Web,” generally by sharing their status as “prohibited individuals” or trying to buy across state lines.

The NRA described the study as an attempt to replicate the findings of former New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg’s 2015 report, titled “Point, Click, Fire: An investigation of illegal online gun sales,” which found that 62 percent of private sellers were willing to proceed with a sale, even if the prospective purchaser could not pass a background check.

But the GAO revealed that every single one of their 72 attempts outside of the “dark web” were “unsuccessful.” It kind of makes one wonder where Bloomberg got his information and statistics. As if that isn’t bad enough, to humiliate those in power who think of us as less equal than them, the bulk of this rather embarrassing study is being ignored by the mainstream media.

“Private sellers on Surface Web gun forums and in classified ads were unwilling to sell a firearm to our agents that self-identified as being prohibited from possessing a firearm,” the GAO reported, noting that in their “72 attempts … 56 sellers refused to complete a transaction once we revealed that either the shipping address was across state lines or that we were prohibited by law from owning firearms.” In the other cases, the investigators’ website was frozen or they encountered suspected scammers.

On the dark web, GAO agents successfully purchased two guns illegally, as the serial numbers on the weapons were “obliterated” and “shipped across state lines.” But in the attempt to purchase, the GAO agents “did not disclose any information indicating they were prohibited from possessing a firearm.” –Fox News

Based on the findings of this study, the Democrats have no recommendations to report. “GAO’s findings showed nothing so much as that private sellers advertising online are knowledgeable about the law, conscientious, and self-policing,” The National Rifle Association said, adding that online gun sales are “subject to the same federal laws that apply to any other commercial or private gun sales.”

 

Another Gun-Grabbing Criminal Bloomberg Mayor Guilty

Fake backdrop and false front — as phony as his oath to the Constitution … (Mayor Jose “Joey” Torres/Facebook)

“The mayor of Paterson, New Jersey, resigned on Monday, a city official said, after the mayor pleaded guilty last week to a state criminal conspiracy charge that he ordered city employees to perform work at a warehouse leased by his family members,” Reuters reports. “Mayor Jose “Joey” Torres, 58, pleaded guilty on Friday in state superior court to second degree conspiracy as part of an agreement in which prosecutors will recommend a five-year prison sentence…

“The plea agreement also required that Torres relinquish his office, never again hold a government job in New Jersey and repay Paterson $10,000 for the time city workers spent at the private warehouse,” the report explains. Left unsaid is another ironic result of the felony conviction: Torres is now a “prohibited person,” forbidden by law to own a gun.

I say “ironic” because Torres was a vocal member of Michael Bloomberg’s Mayors Against Illegal Guns, a coalition of oath-breaking urban chief executives committed to treating “shall not be infringed” as an option to ignore or eviscerate as suits their agenda.

When he was mayor of New York City, Bloomberg actually called Torres out for special recognition in a “State of the City” address:

“Today, we’re joined by the mayor of Paterson, Jose (Joey) Torres. Mayor Torres, New York City offers its deepest condolences to you and your city. And we’ll also join you in working to bring sanity to gun policy in our nation. Next week, more than 50 mayors from across the country — who are part of our coalition of Mayors Against Illegal Guns — will gather in Washington, D.C., to take up this challenge.

“And I’m happy to say that Mayor Torres will be with us. Our goal will be getting Congress to overturn a wrong-headed law — one that blocks access at the local level to federal data that would let us hold gun dealers accountable for illegally selling to gun traffickers. Mayor Torres and I have a simple message for Congress: It’s time to take ideology out of crime-fighting and time to give mayors — the people who are responsible for policing our streets — the tools we need to protect our citizens.”

In other words, not content to disregard the Bill of Rights in their own ruined corners of the Republic, they’re intent on imposing their edicts everywhere, in Everytown, bending everyone to their will.  And as for that “wrong-headed law” Bloomberg and Torres sought to overturn? If they do, they’re likely to screw things up and get people killed:

“Both BATFE and the Fraternal Order of Police (FOP) oppose release of trace data. In fact, BATFE has fought for years in the federal courts to keep trace records confidential, because they contain information (such as names of gun buyers) that could jeopardize ongoing investigations—not to mention law enforcement officers’ lives.”

It’s like Mos Eisley in Star Wars: “A wretched hive of scum and villainy.”

The galling thing about this to gun owner rights advocates is that criminal mayors like Torres appear to be the exception rather than the rule. Just two weeks ago I reported on another Bloomberg coalition member who resigned after years of child rape accusations.  It’s actually something I’ve been reporting on for years, documenting instance after instance of corruption, violence, substance abuse, sexual perversion and more.

Then add in the conduct of other gun-grabbing politicians higher up in the food chain, like California gun-runner-to-the-gangs Leland Yee, or just sentenced while weeping control-for-thee-but-not-for-me freak Anthony Weiner.

That society compensates such corrupted ethics with political power, when by all objective standards these degenerates should be regarded as weaklings and reprobates, speaks not of their achievements but of the misplaced cultural values they exemplify and feed off of. These oath-breakers conduct their lives with arrogance, deception, deviancy and gall. They seek to control good Americans when they won’t control themselves, and as such merit nothing but loathing, defiance and resistance.

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If you believe in the mission of Oath Keepers, to defend the Constitution against all enemies, foreign and domestic, please make a donation to support our work.  You can donate HERE.

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David Codrea’s opinions are his own. See “Who speaks for Oath Keepers?”

Tags: Anthony Weiner, BATFE, David Codrea, Every Town, Fraternal Order of Police, Leland Yee, Mayor Jose “Joey” Torres, Mayors Against Illegal Guns, Michael Bloomberg, New Jersey, Paterson

Public May Never Know if Gun-Grabber Ed Murray is really a Boy-Grabber, Too

Ironic or, given the circumstances,  just plain creepy? (Mayor Ed Murphy, Facebook)

“Mr. Bond, they have a saying in Chicago: ‘Once is happenstance. Twice is coincidence. The third time it’s enemy action’,” Ian Fleming’s villain Auric Goldfinger warned the secret agent. In embattled, just-resigned Seattle Mayor Ed Murray’s case, five men, the latest being his cousin, have come forward after years of silence, accusing him of molesting them when they were minors.

The openly gay Murray denies it, of course. He characterizes his resignation as taking one for the team, falling on his sword so the city he loves can get on with the important business of distraction-free governance. He’s proud of his “progressive” achievements, “including landmark gay civil-rights laws and enactment of a $15 minimum hourly wage.”

On the other hand, the men accusing him, including former street kids, drug addicts and male prostitutes, hardly make for sterling witnesses. Could this be a case of all smoke and no fire?

“An Oregon child-welfare investigator concluded that Ed Murray sexually abused his foster son in the early 1980s, leading state officials to assert that ‘under no circumstances should Mr. Murray be certified’ as a foster parent in the future,” a July Seattle Times report on records preciously thought destroyed revealed.

Prosecutors never pursued allegations and now it’s too late. Washington state statute of limitations laws mean Murray will not be criminally charged, at least over the accusations that have surfaced to date.

Nor will he ever be charged for his rape of the Constitution. There seems to be something about those with questionable ability to control themselves being perversely obsessed with controlling others. And in Murray’s case, the compulsion to mandate defenselessness on those under him seems driven.

Wonderful people, these oath-breaking gun-grabbers, no?

Murray was a proud member of Michael Bloomberg’s coalition of mayors demanding gun owner controls. He joined, among others, the Demanding Moms (and reportedly, the National Rifle Association) in denying the right to keep and bear arms to citizens who have been accused, but not convicted, of criminal actions — exactly as he has been.

And his solution to used Seattle Police guns was to melt them down.

Murray is the latest in a long list of oath-breaking Bloomberg mayors accused over the years of crimes that have resulted in numerous convictions. In his case, it’s reminiscent of former Portland Mayor Sam Adams, who exploited a “mentor” relationship with a teenage male for personal sexual gratification.

Unfortunately, Murray’s resignation will not slow Seattle gun-grabbers down one bit. Politics there will continue to be dominated by “progressive” control fetishists who don’t have to look far for powerless, intellectually immature and willing victims to exploit.

And not just there. The following was just posted by The Daily Caller:

“…Murray isn’t alone. At least 11 then-current and former mayors have been accused of child sex abuse-related crimes since 2016. The allegations range from child porn to physical abuse. The alleged victims were as young as four years old.”

These aberrations don’t trust us…?

Also see: State Investigator Concluded Bloomberg Mayor Ed Murray Sexually Abused Foster Son

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If you believe in the mission of Oath Keepers, to defend the Constitution against all enemies, foreign and domestic, please make a donation to support our work.  You can donate HERE.

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David Codrea’s opinions are his own. See “Who speaks for Oath Keepers?”

Mayor Bloomberg: Democrats Will Lose In 2020 Because "Party Is Going To Be Torn Apart"

Last night, in CNN and Anderson Cooper"s effort to desperately avoid discussing the Democratic debacle unfolding in Georgia, Cooper decided to pivot his discussion with former New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg to focus on the 2020 election cycle.  We can only imagine the thought process: "ignore Georgia, surely there must be some silver lining for Democrats if we just look far enough out on the horizon, right Mike?"

Unfortunately, Bloomberg didn"t offer up the reassurances that Cooper, and his employer, were so desperately seeking.  Instead, he pegged Trump"s re-election odds at 55% and predicted the entire Democratic party would be in complete disarray by the time the next election cycle rolls around.

Cooper:  "I think recently you gave the chance that Trump would be re-elected of 55%."

Bloomberg:  "Yeah, sure.  The incumbent always has an advantage."

“And the Democratic Party is going to be torn apart by the left and the centralists."

Of course, after Wikileaks" DNC leaks exposed the complete corruption of the DNC, which went to great lengths to undermine the candidacy of Bernie Sanders, the real question isn"t whether the Democratic party will suffer the consequences of a deeply divided electorate, but rather why that division hasn"t already manifested itself in the form of a deep party restructuring.

But the trainwreck, at least for CNN, didn"t end there.  Asked why Hillary lost, Bloomberg seemingly had two explanations: 1) Republicans are dumb and got duped by a catchy slogan and 2) the media, "given that it is mostly Democratic" should have done even more to help Hillary.

"Hillary never got a real message out."

"Whereas Donald had a great saying: "Make America Great Again." I don"t know what "Again" means, but "America", that"s patriotic and great...that"s a good word."

"Slogans matter.  You don"t think that"s what your decision"s based on but it predisposes you to really want to do something."

"And I never understood, given that most of the media is Democratic, why Hillary couldn"t find someone to give her a good tag line."

Guess Mayor Bloomberg is done pretending that the mainstream media bias is a "right-wing myth."

"We're Taking Matters Into Our Own Hands": de Blasio Signs Executive Order Committing NYC To Paris Agreement

The symbolic resistance against Trump"s climate agenda took another step on Friday evening, when New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio signed an executive order reaffirming the city’s commitment to the Paris climate change agreement despite, or rather due to, Trump withdrawing the U.S. from the agreement.

We"re taking matters into our own hands. pic.twitter.com/F3zHYHVBFR

— NYC Mayor"s Office (@NYCMayorsOffice) June 2, 2017

“We here in New York City are shocked at the development this week in Washington, D.C., to see the president of the United States pull out of the Paris accord and literally set this nation, and the whole globe, on the path of denial,” de Blasio said.

De Blasio’s order instructs New York City to adopt the principles of the Paris climate agreement, supporting its key principles of reducing greenhouse gas emissions 80 percent by 2050 and keeping a global temperature increase below 1.5 degrees Celsius. It also directs city agencies to work with the mayor’s Office of Sustainability to create a plan by September 30 to further reduce their own greenhouse gas emissions, and notes that New York City will work with other U.S. cities, states and countries to meet commitments set in the agreement.

I signed Executive Order 26 because New York City"s future is threatened by climate change. We will honor the goals of the #ParisAgreement. pic.twitter.com/ujskQl2q2o

— Bill de Blasio (@NYCMayor) June 2, 2017

“The actions of President Trump have undermined what we’re doing and what cities and states all over the country are doing, and that means we have to go farther,” de Blasio said. “We have to take matters into our own hands.”

In a series of tweets on Wednesday, de Blasio slammed Trump’s decision to withdraw the United States from the agreement, calling it “horribly destructive.”

De Blasio joins Pittsburgh Mayor Bill Peduto, who also signed an executive order this week affirming his city’s compliance with the Paris agreement.

Furthermore, as reported last night, billionaire and former NYC mayor, Michael Bloomberg, announced that he is developing a coalition of U.S. states, cities and business leaders to defy the President"s decision and comply with the terms of the original deal. And yet, considering that Trump won the presidency among other things on the vow to do precisely what he did, and withdraw from the Paris agreement, some have suggested that while global climate trends may a priority for Bloomberg, a man who flies around the world on a fleet of private jets and whose carbon emissions footprint is an "outlier", it is likely safe to say that a majority of Americans, especially those living outside the safe spaces of New York, Los Angeles, San Francisco and Seattle, either disagree, don"t feel the urge to be lectured by hypocrites, or simply don"t care.

Incidentally, here is the NYT on Mike Bloomberg"s carbon footprint:

Meanwhile, speaking of carbon footprints, here is a Elon Musk"s brand new Gulfstream G650 ER private jet, purchased in 2015.

Elon Musk private jet (Photo by Royal King)

How 8 Men Have Become Richer Than Half of the Entire World’s Population

January 18, 2017   |   Shaun Bradley

(ANTIMEDIA) Research and advocacy group Oxfam International released a new report on Monday that outlines the latest developments in global economic inequality. Unfortunately, the results validate previous concerns that these massive imbalances would only accelerate. The number of people who control more wealth than the poorest 50% went from 62 to 8 in just one year. With half the world’s net worth now in such few hands, it should be easier than ever to bring awareness to this ongoing trend — but finding a solution is far more complicated.

Oxfam used Forbes’ list of billionaires and new information from Credit Suisse to reach their conclusion. The eight individuals named are Bill Gates; Amancio Ortega, founder of fashion house Inditex; Warren Buffett; Mexican business magnate Carlos Slim Helu; Jeff Bezos; Mark Zuckerberg; Oracle’s Larry Ellison; and Michael Bloomberg, the former mayor of New York.

Although many people with resources like these have made tremendous contributions to society, the question of how obligated they are to contribute to the common good still remains. After all, their fortunes have the potential to completely reshape the world for the better, but the problem arises when government dictates how much should be taxed and where that money will go. The public sector’s track record of wasting and mismanaging funds is unmatched and can only be rationalized by the economically illiterate. In an ideal world, bureaucrats would be fiscally responsible and impervious to corruption, but reality is never so utopian.

The rapid consolidation of wealth by so few showcases who the current government policies have benefited most. Artificially low interest rates and money printing, which have sent stock markets soaring for nearly eight years, have only helped solidify the elite’s hold on the financial world. They can borrow money for next to nothing and buy up huge stakes in companies, all while enjoying profits courtesy of the Federal Reserve’s stimulus programs.

Government regulations may stem from good intentions, but they can easily create a dragnet that ends up targeting those they were intended to help. While normal people are losing their jobs, seeing rent skyrocket and health care costs explode, the State has been propping up those it really serves.

In the report, Oxfam vaguely lays the blame at the feet of corporations:

“Businesses are the lifeblood of a market economy, and when they work to the benefit of everyone they are vital to building fair and prosperous societies. But when corporations increasingly work for the rich, the benefits of economic growth are denied to those who need them most. In pursuit of delivering high returns to those at the top, corporations are driven to squeeze their workers and producers ever harder – and to avoid paying taxes which would benefit everyone, and the poorest people in particular.”

Since the financial crisis began, the 1% has been scapegoated continuously, but complaining about an abstract hierarchy won’t help the millions of people living on less than $2 a day. If substantial changes are going to be made, the focus needs to be on finding hard evidence of tax evasion and unethical business practices on an individual level rather than demonizing anyone with substantial wealth. Verifiable information is what sways public opinion, just like the Panama Papers did by taking the first step in exposing some of the world’s richest people for utilizing tax havens and loopholes to avoid being held responsible. Instead of indiscriminately blaming all those who have achieved success, reports like this could act as a blueprint to help put names and faces to those anonymous adversaries who have avoided accountability.

In this age of information, the opportunity to seek individual justice lays with every journalist and activist. When people group others into left-right, rich-poor, or privileged-oppressed, for example, the uniqueness of each individual experience is lost. The inequality seen across the planet is heartbreaking, and any person with a shred of empathy should want to help. Unfortunately, the solution is rarely State intervention. The tool used to remedy this situation must come from grassroots origins. As government’s management of resources demonstrates, there is no other viable alternative. By inspiring others to take action voluntarily, we can build a foundation that doesn’t rely on the threat of violence and use of force for progress.

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This article (How 8 Men Have Become Richer Than Half of the Entire World’s Population) by Shaun Bradley is free and open source. You have permission to republish this article under a Creative Commons license with attribution to Shaun Bradley and theAntiMedia.org. Anti-Media Radio airs weeknights at 11 pm Eastern/8 pm Pacific. If you spot a typo, please email the error and name of the article to edits@theantimedia.org.

GOP Plans 'Pre-Emptive' Law Crackdown On Liberal City Agendas

For years the liberal elitist politicians of large metropolitan cities around the country have overstepped their boundaries by passing city-level taxes on things like sugary drinks while also imposing new regulations like minimum wage hikes and, our personal favorite, plastic bag bans, which just went into effect for many cities across the country. 

As exhibit A, just yesterday we presented the following receipt showing the impact of Philadelphia"s new 51% "beverage tax":

And who can forget Bloomberg"s attempt to ban sugary drinks over 16 ounces from being served in restaurants, movie theaters, stadiums and arenas in New York City back in 2012.  While New York"s highest court ultimately ruled that New York City lacked the authority to implement the ban, it nonetheless became the poster child for the liberal Nanny State.

But, as The Hill points out, the consolidation of power in state capitals as a result the 2016 election has many Republican state legislatures looking to fight back against their rogue bastions of liberalism. 

Republican state legislatures are planning so-called preemption laws, which prevent cities and counties from passing new measures governing everything from taxes to environmental regulations and social issues.

Republican legislators around the country say liberal cities and counties vastly overstepped their bounds by implementing new taxes on sodas and sugary beverages, by raising local minimum wages or through strict new environmental regulations.

“What we see is circumventing the process that’s in place,” said Linda Upmeyer, the Republican speaker of the Iowa state House. “I think we will likely look at language on preemption so that the state is making decisions where it ought to, and cities and counties are making decisions where they should.”

In fact, in the last month alone both Michigan and Wisconsin passed state laws preventing individual cities from banning plastic grocery bags.  Moreover, the state of Ohio overturned Cleveland"s effort to raise its minimum wage.

In just the last month, legislatures in Michigan and Wisconsin have passed laws preempting local governments from banning plastic grocery bags. In the last few years, courts have upheld the rights of Colorado and Texas legislators to prevent municipalities from banning hydraulic fracturing, also known as fracking, within their borders. Ohio is the latest state to preempt local efforts to raise the minimum wage, after Cleveland tried to boost wages for its lowest-paid workers.

Proponents of local control worry that with the incoming Trump administration, even more power will bleed away from cities and counties. The outgoing Obama administration sided with municipal utilities in Chattanooga, Tenn., and Wilson, N.C., when the utilities wanted to expand access to broadband internet services beyond city borders. Republican-led legislatures in both states blocked those efforts, before the Federal Communications Commission stepped in.

Anticipating the number of measures likely to spring up in legislatures in the coming months, Pertschuk added: “This is going to be the worst year we’ve ever had.”

Meanwhile, rather than addressing new rules and regulations individually, other states are considering "blanket preemption" laws that would automatically cut off state funding for cities that pass legislation that runs contrary to state law.

At least some Republican-dominated states are considering what Pertschuk calls “blanket preemption” laws, similar to a measure Arizona lawmakers passed last year. That law would allow the state to cut off funding to cities that refuse to give up laws that run counter to state law.

The city of Tucson is in the midst of a legal battle over a local gun control measure that Attorney General Mark Brnovich (R) says stands in contrast to state law.

And Trump has been quite clear that he intends to pursue a similar strategy when it comes to withholding federal funding from states that refuse to enforce federal laws, like harboring illegal immigrants.

Battle over sanctuary cities - President-elect @realDonaldTrump pledges to block federal funding. #SpecialReport pic.twitter.com/AOrdY1csmI

— Fox News (@FoxNews) November 30, 2016

And while we"re not quite sure whether the masses will survive without Mayor Bloomberg dictating what size soda they should drink, we certainly look forward to giving it a shot.