Politics

ThinkProgress slammed the NRA over the weekend. The gun group supports federal legislation to let felons win their firearm rights back—something that is essentially impossible for those convicted in federal court. (It’s determined state-by-state otherwise.) But the organization’s executive vice president recently criticized moves in Virginia and Maryland to restore felons’ voting rights.

The point is fair, but it cuts both ways. Efforts to restore voting rights typically leave gun rights untouched, too.

A member of the National Rifle Association of America has made a chilling video calling out the Ayatollahs in Iran. In the video a cowboy country singer and NRA representative warns the Iranian spiritual leaders to pray to god that they never have to face the great redneck Satan. The NRA has published a number of videos making statements against the liberal elites, Hollywood celebrities and feckless politicians accusing them of wanting to take away their rights to bear Arms and defend the land of the free.

Contra Brooks, it’s not complicated at all.

1. She still has strong and passionate primary opposition. Her general election opponent no longer does. Her net favorability rating among Democrats dropped from 61% in January to 36% in April, and no doubt has fallen further since then. Just eyeballing, this looks like the primary explanation of her dramatic drop in approval in recent months.

In a surprising reversal, what many thought was impossible, namely the State Department cracking down on its former head and Democratic presidential frontrunner, Hillary Clinton, seems all too possible following news that the State Department Insecptor General audit has faulted Hillary Clinton, other secretaries of state for poorly managing electronic communications.

Emma Ashford reviews the recent Advancing American Security conference, and adds this: