McCain’s Growing Net Roots and Donations

The network of McCain supporter sites is going through a growth spurt, right, left, and center. On July 1st, the anniversary of John McCain’s promotion to Commander of Attack Squadron 174 in 1976, the founders of John McCain 2008 Social Network and McCain Now are launching LetsGetThisRight.com. They have worked tirelessly to launch a site that focuses on supporting Senator McCain and local Republicans across the country. They are looking to raise money for a series of candidates in important races.

On the other side of the spectrum, let me welcome Clinton supporters who now support Senator McCain to the club. The establishment and networking of Clinton supporters not willing to support Senator Obama, has been impressive to say the least. Over 125 sites and blogs have emerged within a few weeks. A list of all (or most) is available at Just Say No Deal. Here are a few that have already established a significant following. Clintons 4 McCain, Savage Politics, Puma Party (which includes the Puma Party forum), Done Dems, Hillary Clinton Forum, and Dems 4 McCain. Certainly, not all who have decided not to vote Obama have committed to voting McCain. However, there is mounting evidence that many Clinton supporters will vote McCain.

Some Hillary supporters have even decided to donate to Senator McCain’s campaign on July 4th. As a show of support, many long time McCain supporters have also agreed to contribute on that day. The request is that Hillary supporters make donations in amounts like $5.44, $25.44, or $125.44 and others donate in whole dollar amounts so Clinton supporters can be differentiated and counted.

Other new Pro-McCain sites include...
Battleground States ‘08 is a contributor based blog giving a state to state perspective on the presidential race.
Local Republicans similarly is a contributor based blog focused on down ticket candidates and state and local Republican candidates.
Grand Old Partisan is an excellent site for those interested in history. It remembers that the GOP is the party of Abraham Lincoln and Teddy Roosevelt.
also...
Jews for McCain
Conservative Mom in a Liberal World
Its All Dicta
McCain Brigade
McCain Independent
McCain Supporters
Local Republicans
Obama Independent or McCain Independent?
Red Arizona
Right Score
Stop Obama Vote McCain
Democrats and Independents for McCain Social Network

SCOTUS Strikes Down D.C. Ban on Handguns

ARRA News Service: Today, the Supreme Court in a 5-4 decision stuck down the District of Columbia's ban on handgun ownership as unconstitutional and ruled that the Second Amendment, one of our guaranteed rights, protects a person's right to own guns for self-defense not just for being in a militia. The court also said that the requirement that lawful weapons be rendered inoperable, by trigger locks or disassembled, was unconstitutional because it rendered the weapons useless for self-defense. Those justices ruling in the majority were Chief Justice John G. Roberts Jr. and Justices Clarence Thomas, Anthony M. Kennedy, Samuel A. Alito Jr. and Antonin Scalia. Resenting were Justices David H. Souter, Ruth Bader Ginsburg, Stephen G. Breyer and John Paul Stevens.

Some of the key points made by Justice Scalia writing for the majority were:

“The court’s opinion should not be taken to cast doubt on longstanding prohibitions on the possession of firearms by felons and the mentally ill, or laws forbidding the carrying of firearms in sensitive places such as schools and government buildings, or laws imposing conditions and qualifications on the commercial sale of arms.”

“Undoubtedly some think that the Second Amendment is outmoded in a society where our standing army is the pride of our nation, where well-trained police forces provide personal security, and where gun violence is a serious problem. That is perhaps debatable, but what is not debatable is that it is not the role of this court to pronounce the Second Amendment extinct.”

Republican Presidential Candidate John McCain previously filed his own brief in support of the plaintiff in the case, DC security guard Dick Heller. McCain applauded the decision: "Today's ruling recognizes that gun ownership is a fundamental right - sacred, just as the right to free speech and assembly." Democrat Presidential Candidate Barack Obama has a dismal record supporting gun rights. Last year, a spokesman for his campaign said that Senator Obama felt the tough DC gun law was constitutional. However, in reacting to the Court's decision, Obama said that supporting gun rights and some gun controls was not a contradiction.