Best option for California Attorney General's in 2010? For gun rights?

[Steyr_223]

With Jerry Brown running for Gov, who should be the next AG? Who would be best for gun rights, law enforcement etc??

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/California_Attorney_General_election,_2010

Who is running:

Sen. Tom Harman, R-Huntington Beach;
SF DA Kamala Harris;
State Assembly Majority Leader Alberto Torrico, D-Newark;
Former LA city attorney Rocky Delgadillo;
Assemblyman Ted Lieu, D-Torrance;
Assemblyman Pedro Nava, D-Santa Barbara.
Former Face Book Exec, Chris Kelly

http://www.kelly2010.com/

[SvenFrost]

I met Ted Lieu at a fundraising dinner at a client's home. I waited until there was only one other person talking to him, then asked him about his stance on the Second Amendment. The conversation went something like this:

Me: There a landmark Second Amendment case, McDonald v. Chicago, which will be heard by the Supreme Court early next year. The SC recently found that the Second Amendment is an individual right in a case named Heller v. District of Columbia, and McDonald will likely hold that the right is applicable to the states. Are you aware of this case?

Lieu: No, I wasn't aware.

Me: One issue is that the right has not been defined. In other words, even though the right has been found to be an individual right, the cases have not started to define what types of arms are protected. Heller found that the right extends to a semi automatic pistol. As the chief law enforcement officer in the state, it may become your job to determine what types of arms are protected the the Second. What is your position on the Second Amendment?

Lieu: Well, my job would be to enforce what the legislature decides, but I believe it means what is says, that the people have the right to keep and bear arms. Does that mean semi auto rifles? No, I don't think so. What do you think it means?

Me: I think it means that the people have the right to own the types of firearms that are in common usage throughout the country.

Lieu: (Nodding) Okay, but not Bazookas right?

At this point, the third person in the conversation, a person I had never met, joined in.

Third Person: As a police officer, the Second Amendment is an important issue. I would like to see a uniform concealed carry permit policy implemented. Would you support such a policy?

Me: (Stunned look of disbelief)

Lieu: (Stunned look of disbelief)

Me to Lieu: Just so you know, I have never met or spoken with this person before, and I promise we didn't conspire to corner you like this. However, if the Second is held to apply against the state and local governments, concealed carry will become an issue you will have to address during your term.

Lieu: (Laughing) Well, aren't people already able to get a concealed carry license?

Third Person: The problem is that the issuance of concealed carry permits is not uniformly applied. They are issued in the discretion of the sheriff of each county. As police officers, we often advise citizens that they are not going to be able to get a concealed permit, and if they are in a dangerous situation, for example a liquor store owner who closes at ten o'clock, with a lot of cash, they should just carry.

Me: (Stunned look of disbelief)

Lieu: (Stunned look of disbelief)

Third Person: We need a state wide policy so we, as police officers, can feel comfortable advising citizens. If you live in (I think he said Mendocino) County, you can get a concealed permit with good cause, if you live in Los Angeles County, you can forget it unless you are a celebrity. It doesn't matter if your life is at risk.

Lieu: I can see that would be a problem. Well, I can tell you that I am probably the only candidate running that has marskmanship medals from my time in the military. I do support the Second Amendment.

Me: I'd also like to get your opinion on medical marijuana....

Interestingly, he made a pretty good case as to why he will likely win. The only Asian candidate, only so cal candidate, has raised more money than any other candidate, etc.

I left the dinner feeling that this is someone we can work with. Then I looked up his voting record and saw that he voted for AB 962.

-Sven

[Steyr_223]

Sven, thanks for that info..Per Bill W, Gene is going to take to the Facebook exec and see his stance.


Anyone know Harman's record?

[yellowfin]

It often seems that if we want a good candidate we need to run ourselves.

[command_liner]

The AG position is really important. Not only for the gun issue, but for
the larger budget issue and state employee union headaches.

We need somebody that is 1 part Chuck Michel, one part Tom McClintock
and 1 part Dana Rohr.

[johnny_22]

Earlier thread?

Harris was mentioned as providing opportunities for lawsuits. I thought Torrico would do the same.

Lieu sounds interesting, except he wants my M1!

[dfletcher]

Interesting conversation with Lieu, especially the LE. I'm a bit leery of the "I have my marksmanship medals, but no semi autos for you" bit. Why, in the same conversation as guns, would the subject of medical MJ be raised - or was the gun part over?

[bwiese]

Why, in the same conversation as guns, would the subject of medical MJ be raised??

Strategic error. The ulralibertarians hurt us when then mention guns & drugs in the same breath.

[kf6tac]

Why, in the same conversation as guns, would the subject of medical MJ be raised - or was the gun part over?

My sense from reading the original post is that the gun part was over, but still, there probably should have been a long interval between the gun part and the medical marijuana part.

[Mute]

Sounds half hearted. I'm not particularly pleased with the statement about semi-auto rifles.

[SvenFrost]

Strategic error. The ulralibertarians hurt us when then mention guns & drugs in the same breath.

The dinner was a group of physicians and attorneys, and medical marijuana was on the agenda of items to be addressed. I wanted to be sure that Lieu understood how appalled I am at the abuses of "medical marijuana" and my experiences where I have personally witnessed it ruin the life of young people.

Lieu's district includes Venice, and I also wanted to relate to him my recent experience in Venice where there are medical marijuana hucksters actually standing on the sidewalk wearing sandwich boards advertising medical marijuana.

Medical use of marijuana I am okay with, in a prescribed, monitored, and controlled manner. Legitimized drug abuse I am not okay with.

The gun part was over.

Interestingly, when the medical marijuana part of the talk came up, he related my story from Venice, agreed that there are too many abuses, and said that cleaning it up is an agenda item for him. That part of his speech was actually pretty impressive. He seems fairly conservative on that issue.

For those that think it was a "strategic error," I am more than a little irritated that you would jump to that conclusion, apparently based on your own assumptions.

Best,
Sven

[CABilly]

I voted Harris. She's so incompetent and extreme, beating her in court should be a cakewalk.

[bwiese]

T
For those that think it was a "strategic error," I am more than a little irritated that you would jump to that conclusion, apparently based on your own assumptions.

OK sorry Sven, it's just usually the overenthusiastic ultralibertarians that couple both med M.J. together with gunrights, which does us harm and worries me. Clearly the context in this situation was different, and I thank you for clarifying.

[esskay]

I have seen Kamala Harris speak. Vehemently and rabidly anti-gun. Some, how shall I say, very "odd" perspectives on criminal justice/prevention. But a slick talker and presentable -- need to keep an eye on this one!

As for Lieu, regardless of what he said at that event, I'm pretty sure that his voting record has been pretty consistently anti-gun.