Constitutional Law

Brady Campaign--more on Heller

Check out the Brady Campaign Blog. It's a generic discussion of their top dog, Paul Helmke's surrender in Heller.

It sounds a little bit embarassed.

That would be understandable. After all, earlier this year Helmke posted of the "the long-standing view of virtually every Federal court ? that the Second Amendment has an obvious militia purpose, and is no barrier to the adoption of gun control laws by legislative bodies..." They've long argued that view. In fact their still has Helmke saying he's confident they will win. And of course they fundraised off Heller.

And now he's announced they are totally hosed. They're going to lose in the Court, and they've already lost in the minds of Americans, by a 75% vote.

I can't help but wonder -- what Justice is going to want to sign onto an opinion going his way, now? The Court has to be deeply concerned about its reputation. It's got no appropriations power, no police, no miltiary. It depends on respect in a way the other two branches do not. Who would want to sign on to an opinion taking a position, where its chief advocate just publicly confessed that it's a loser, not only in the courts, but in minds of 3/4 of Americans?

Full post as published by Of Arms and the Law on June 13, 2008 (boomark / email).