Capitol Fax: Slow down or risk a backlash

Looks like politicos in Illinois are already getting ready to bring concealed carry to Illinois. Rich Miller however says that Illinois isn't ready for that yet. Even in areas that are pro-gun concealed carry may have a tough acceptance.

If 2010 in Illinois is ripe for an expected Republican takeover, pushing or pulling hard for concealed carry may cost them a lot of elections. Even if no one is particularly excited about the opposition who are the incumbents!

To be sure I'm not entirely sold on concealed carry. While I do believe I should be able to have a gun at home, I'm not entirely certain that we should allow citizens to carry concealed in the city. Of course in some of those 40 states that offer concealed carry, they do allow permits for that which is something I would support.

BTW, I want to refer you to this article about how Democrats are coming to grips with the McDonald v. Chicago ruling via Instapundit:

“It removes guns as a political issue because everyone now agrees that the Second Amendment is an individual right, and everybody agrees that it’s subject to regulation,” said Lanae Erickson, deputy director of the culture program at centrist think tank Third Way.

A House Democratic aide agreed that the court’s decision removed a potentially combustible element from the mix.

“The Supreme Court ruled here that you have a fundamental right to own and bear arms, and that means at the national level it’s harder — whether it’s Republicans or whether it’s the [National Rifle Association] — to throw that claim out: If Democrats are in charge. they’re going to come get your guns,” said the aide. “It pretty much took that off the table.”

The likely removal — or at least neutralization — of the gun issue this fall is of no small matter in the battle for the House and Senate. The Democratic majorities in both chambers were built, in part, on victories in pro-gun states and districts that had until recently been difficult terrain for Democratic candidates as a result of the national party’s position on gun control.

Even an Illinois Democratic Congresswoman chimed in:

“The decision by the United States Supreme Court to uphold the freedoms guaranteed in our Constitution is a major victory for Americans,” said Deborah Halvorson (D-Ill.), who represents a district that extends well beyond the Chicago metropolitan area and who is in a competitive race with Republican challenger Adam Kinzinger.

Depending on the situation it sounds like smart politics, although whoever is donating money to their campaigns well they may not like this development in the least.