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This is really pitiful by even Fox's standards. As Rachel Maddow noted in the clip below where she responded to this segment that aired on Megyn Kelly's America Live this Thursday, it seems Fox is hoping to fool their blind viewers, because anyone who actually watched the recent ad being run by Mayors Against Illegal Guns would be able to tell that the man in the ad was not aiming his gun at the children in the background.

Here's more via Media Matters: Fox Analyst's Attack On Gun Safety Ad Requires Lack Of Depth Perception:

Fox News is continuing their effort to rebut a TV ad calling for stronger gun laws by falsely claiming it shows a man pointing a gun at children.

Fox News digital politics editor Chris Stirewalt criticized a recent ad produced by Mayors Against Illegal Guns that features a man with a shotgun calling for expanding the background check system, claiming that the man had the gun "sort of pointing back at the kids" who are playing behind him. Laughing, Stirewalt claimed that this allegedly unsafe behavior was "too hilarious" given that the ad's title is "Responsibility," adding, "I don't think too many Arkansans will be convinced that these people know what they are talking about."

In fact, as video from the ad Fox aired during the segment makes clear, the man in the ad is not pointing his shotgun in the direction of the children.

Stirewalt also joined several other conservative media figures in falsely claiming that the man in the ad had "his finger on the trigger" in an unsafe manner. But as Media Matters has documented, this is a false claim that critics are making based on a misunderstanding of where the trigger is on the firearm.

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Here's your Congress at work, still doing the bidding of the NRA and Wayne LaPierre when they hope no one is paying attention. As Zack Beauchamp at Think Progress noted, you'd think that after the tragic shooting at Newtown any new gun regulations would tighten regulations and make it harder for criminals to attain them, but sadly, just the opposite is true.

The First Federal Gun Laws To Pass Since Newtown Are All NRA Approved:

Six gun provisions were passed as riders attached to the resolution funding the government through September on Thursday. While all six had been federal law since 2004, each was approved by Congress on a year-to-year basis only. Now, four of the provisions are permanent. According to National Public Radio‘s Tamara Keith, the NRA “is the driving force behind these provisions.” Here they are:

1) Limit enforcement tools against crooked dealers. One rider would prevent Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, and Firearms (ATF) agents from shutting down gun stores due to “due to a lack of business activity,” arguably a sign of criminal sales.

2) Shield gun dealers who “lose” their guns. This legislation precludes any federal law that requires gun retailers to count their guns and submit the results as a mechanism of determining whether any weapons have been lost or stolen.

3) Interfere with ATF gun trace reports. The ATF is now mandated to include, in any reports concerning its tracing of guns back to crime, that trace data “cannot be used to draw broad conclusions about firearms-related crime.” Academic work on guns has used trace data to firmly establish that several firearm regulations effectively prevent the spread of guns to criminal.

4) Expand the class of protected guns. According to Roll Call‘s John Gramlich, the fourth permanent law would “place a broad definition of antique guns and ammunition that may be imported into the United States.”

As Martin Bashir pointed out in his rant above, the NRA's Wayne LaPierre might be crazy, but he's crazy like a Fox when it comes to the success of his lobbying efforts.

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After attacking the media for their "anti-gun agenda" and Slate Magazine for keeping a running tally of the number of people who have been killed by firearms since the Newtown massacre, Stephen Colbert opined over the fact that all of this anti-gun information has had an affect, with 93 percent of Americans now favoring background checks for all gun buyers.

"Luckily," Colbert noted, "we can fight this negative reporting about guns." He elaborated during his Word segment this Monday evening.

COLBERT: Folks, this isn't the first time our Second Amendment rights have been threatened by facts. Back in 1993, the jackbooted statisticians at the Centers for Disease Control published a study of guns in households. Now, according to the study, not only were guns ineffective in home protection, but “people who keep guns in their homes appear to be at greater risk of homicide... than people who do not.”

Well sure, with a gun in the house, my family is less safe, but isn't that a small price to pay for my family's safety? [...] Folks, think about it. If this kind of information fell into the wrong hands, who knows how much damage it could have done, but luckily the NRA stepped up to make sure it would never happen again.

(You can read more on that here: What Researchers Learned About Gun Violence Before Congress Killed Funding.)

Colbert was terribly upset that the NRA's efforts are now being undone by President Obama, who signed an executive order which lifted the ban on the research, although it's not clear where they'll get funding for that.

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I'm not sure why 'Gun Appreciation Day' organizer Larry Ward decided it was a good idea to come on and spar with the Rev. Al Sharpton over the legacy of MLK and whether he would have approved of his upcoming event, which is scheduled just before the holiday honoring Dr. King, but all I can say is, it wasn't pretty.

Ward appeared on CNN last week and made the ridiculous statement that "slavery would not have happened if slaves were armed" and pretended that his event "honors the legacy of Dr. King." Sharpton took apart that and the rest of his arguments quite nicely during this interview.

WATCH: Gun Appreciation Day organizer insists he’s honoring MLK’s legacy, Sharpton responds:

Ward joined Rev. Al Sharpton on PoliticsNation to defend his controversial comments about King, and Sharpton argued vigorously about King’s legacy, pointing out that the civil rights leader preached non-violence and was killed by a gun. [...]

Ward justified his argument by pointing out that King once applied for and was denied a gun permit, but Sharpton added that King later said he was glad he had been turned down for the permit and that he would never carry a gun again.

Ward continued to push the issue as a civil right. “Dr.King fought for equal opportunity, and we look at cities like Chicago and New York that have a majority of minorities in it right now and those cities themselves do not grant the same access the same equal opportunity that somebody in Texas would have to defend themselves.”

Sharpton and Ward discussed Ward’s claim that slavery wouldn’t have happened if slaves could own guns. When Sharpton pointed out that armed slave rebellions of the early 19th century failed to liberate any slaves, Ward continued his argument that gun ownership is a civil right and that citizens have the right to use whatever weapons the government uses against them.

Ward also tried to distance Gun Appreciation Day from the Newtown shooting. ”This Gun Appreciation Day, just so we’re clear, is not in reaction to the shooting in Newtown,” Ward said. “It’s in reaction to the reaction.”

When asked if Gun Appreciation Day included appreciating high capacity ammunition and automatic weapons, Ward said, “Absolutely,” adding that he believes that “any ban on a semi-automatic weapon would not have changed the outcome of what happened in Newtown.”

According to ABC News, "Ward represents conservative clients through his firm, Political Media; Revolution PAC, the libertarian group launched by Ron Paul supporters, is one of his biggest." Color me not shocked given Ron Paul's history. Looks like he's doing his best to make sure he raises his profile by getting some face time in the corporate media with this stunt.

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Here's the latest excuse to come from Fox News on why Republicans will not cooperate with President Obama on passing any new gun control legislation. According to Bloody Bill Kristol, they're only going to feel compelled to work with him on legislation that he campaigned on.

WALLACE: The Obama White House is clearly determined to keep up the pressure for more gun controls in the wake of Newtown. Bill, do you see any sign, and you heard the conversation today between Neera Tanden and Larry Pratt, of a new willingness on Congress to pass this kind of legislation?

KRISTOL: No, not much. I assume they'll consider various measures, but ultimately those measures are not really going to do much about it, unfortunately, the mass killings we've had. The President didn't campaign on gun control. Second term presidents do well when they actually try to implement things they told the voters they hoped to focus on. President Obama was going to focus on the economy. He was pro-Israel and now he's nominated one of the most anti-Israel Senators as Secretary of Defense.

He didn't talk about gun control when he controlled Congress in 2009 and 2010 and Democrats had huge majorities. They didn't reinstate the assault ban.

WALLACE: But we did have Newtown.

KRISTOL: We did have Newtown, but honestly, one incident does not tell you what policy should be and in any case, as we pointed out a million times, the particular things Vice President Biden seems to be proposing would have nothing to do with Newtown. There's not a single proposal in their menu that would have stopped Mrs. Lanza from buying those guns and having those guns apparently. There would have been a registry where people would have known she had those guns. Would that have really helped?

One incident, huh? As my fellow contributor Mugsy pointed out today, it was hardly one incident that led up to them finally having this long overdue debate. And the idea that these Republicans in the Congress would work with President Obama on anything simply because he campaigned on it is laughable.

Kristol also seems to have a short memory about just what sort of majority President Obama had during his first term. He had a filibuster proof majority for a few months, but when that majority includes a bunch of consderva-Dems in the Senate who are as bad or worse than their Republican counterparts, you're not going to get any real progressive legislation through that Congress.

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It looks like Arizona's wingnut, corrupt Sheriff Joe Arpio is ready to take his all-volunteer, armed posse from hunting down illegal immigrants to the schools in the wake of the Newtown shooting and the NRA head Wayne LaPierre's recommendation that we put armed volunteers into every school . What could possibly go wrong?

Sheriff Joe Arpaio Wants ‘Armed Posse’ to Protect Schools:

In the wake of the Sandy Hook school shooting, Maricopa County Sheriff Joe Arpaio is getting ready to deploy an armed posse to protect children in Phoenix, Arizona area schools.

Eric Bolling asked Sheriff Arpaio on ‘Your World’ today how the armed posse would be implemented. Arpaio responded that it would work the same way it’s been working for 20 years and that he’s used the posse to go after illegal immigrants and prostitutes. “I think it’s a good program and we’re going to do it. I don’t just talk about it like politicians after this massacre. We’re going to do it within a week,” he said.

Arpaio further described the initiative saying the posse would patrol the perimeter of the schools and take any action necessary in case there is suspicious activity. “I want everybody to know that we are out there,” he said.

And, as they noted over at Jesus' General, it seems some of these guys aren't exactly spring chickens: Sheriff Joe to Arm Great Grandpa Elmer to Protect Schools .

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The GOP's leading wordsmith and propagandist, Frank Luntz, made an appearance on CBS News this Wednesday morning and stated the obvious to anyone who has watched how the NRA reacted to the tragic shooting in Newtown, CT and who understands who the organization actually represents -- they're not paying attention to public opinion.

Of course they're not Frank. They're representing the gun manufacturers. Luntz's own polling has shown that the NRA's membership doesn't even agree with them.

GOP pollster: "I don't think the NRA is listening":

Luntz said that based on his polling and conversations with lawmakers in Washington, "the public is asking, if not insisting that something be done so that this does not happen again."

"The public wants guns out of the schools, not in the schools," Luntz said, speaking to the NRA's response to the Newtown shooting, in which the organization advocated for armed guards in schools across the U.S.

"I don't think the the NRA is listening. I don't think they understand," Luntz said. "Most Americans would protect Second Amendment rights and yet agree with the idea that not every human being should own a gun, not every gun should be available at any time, anywhere, for anyone - that at gun shows you should not be able to buy something right there and then without any check whatsoever."

Luntz added that what Americans are looking for from gun control legislation is "a common sense approach that says that those who are law-abiding should continue to have the right to own a weapon, but don't believe the right should be extended to everyone at every time for every time of weapon."

And when it comes to public opinion on the looming "fiscal cliff," Luntz said his polling indicates that Americans believe the GOP is primarily fighting for "the rich" and "big business" over "hardworking taxpayers," but added that on the other side of the aisle, "what the Democrats don't understand is the hostility towards how much Washington spends."

Luntz might be right when you talk in broad generalities about that spending, but when you break it down to specific issues like whether they want to see Social Security or Medicare cut, you're going to see some different results.

h/t Raw Story

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It's so brave of her to come out and say this now that she's leaving the Senate, isn't it? Texas Senator Embraces Federal Gun Control, Limits On Large Magazines:

Texas Republican Senator Kay Bailey Hutchison, a strong ally of the National Rifle Association and its legislative priorities, told CBS’s Face The Nation on Sunday that she could support tighter regulations of high-capacity magazines in the aftermath of the shooting in Newtown, Connecticut. [...]

The NRA has taken any discussion of gun control off the table, arguing that government should instead station armed security guards in schools, limit cultural violence, repair the mental health system, and get tough on crime. Though group endorsed Gov. Rick Perry (R-TX) in his gubernatorial primary against Hutchision in 2010, the Texas chapter of the organization gave her an A+ rating, noting that it is the policy of the group to endorse incumbents.

Of course Bob Schieffer didn't ask her why it took her until now to soften some of her views on any new regulations. I'm pretty sure we wouldn't be hearing this out of her if she was planning on running for office again.

SCHIEFFER: I think we reestablished communications with Texas. Senator Hutchison, you were talking about you do suggest, at least schools being able to put police in schools if they think it's needed, but how about some of these other things? What about this idea of a ban on assault weapons? What about, as Senator Warner is talking about, restricting the sales of these magazines that have 30 rounds in a clip? How do you feel about that?

HUTCHISON: You know, I think we ought to be looking at where the real danger is, like those large clips, I think that does need to be looked at. We do have a ban on assault weapons, as was stated earlier. But it's the semiautomatics, and those large magazines that can be fired off very quickly. You do have to pull the trigger each time, but it's -- it's very quick. I think we should be looking at those mega- opportunities as one of the things that might be looked at. And we need to talk to real hunters who say what is a sporting rifle capability that continues the sport? We need to talk to people in all areas. But, Bob, what hasn't been mentioned, you know, in this conversation, is also the violence in our society. What children and kids are seeing even on P.G. movies and these video games like Black Ops 2 and those kinds of things. I mean, really, we have a more violent society in general, and I think a lot of it has to be looked at in that framework.

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Surprise, surprise... another Republican senator decided to play the part of mouthpiece for the National Rifle Association: NRA-Backed Senator Says Washington Can’t Find ‘Real Solutions’ To Gun Violence:

On Fox News Sunday this morning, Sen. John Barrasso (R-WY) refused to answer questions about any specific gun control legislation he would consider supporting in the aftermath of the Newtown shooting. Host Chris Wallace referenced the suggestion made by the NRA’s Wayne LaPierre that schools need more armed guards and also President Obama’s call for more gun control, but all Barrasso could offer is that he is a “strong supporter of our Second Amendment rights.”

In fact, he suggested he might not support any relevant national legislation because “Washington is not necessarily the place” to find “real solutions”: [...]

Barrasso claimed that health care is part of the solution to the “culture of violence,” but he has led the effort to repeal the Affordable Care Act. The American Psychiatric Association has said the law is crucial to extending mental health parity throughout the health care system and expanding access to mental health services to prevent tragedies like the Newtown shooting in the future. He also has supported decreased funding for health programs.

The NRA endorsed Barrasso this year, awarding him with an “A” rating for his support of their positions.

Full transcript below the fold.

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After the NRA finally crawled out from under their rock and released a statement on the shooting at the Newtown, CT elementary school and promised a press conference this coming Friday where they said they were "prepared to offer meaningful contributions to help make sure this never happens again," MSNBC's Lawrence O'Donnell had a few words for the NRA and its head, Wayne LaPierre during his Rewrite segment this Tuesday evening.

Lawrence O’Donnell Rewrites NRA’s ‘blood-drenched’ boss:

But in his latest Rewrite, MSNBC’s Lawrence O’Donnell noted a prominent theme in past statements by NRA head Wayne LaPierre, who O’Donnell called “blood-drenched,” after gun violence grabbed national headlines. To highlight it, he focused on a recent statement by LaPierre in the wake of a gun violence story going national when the NRA boss said, “There’s a lot of different ways this crime could have been committed.”

O’Donnell argued, however, when it comes to the Sandy Hook horror, there are not “a lot of different ways” that crime could have been committed. ”There is only one way,” O’Donnell said. “The way that Wayne LaPierre wants to preserve: mass murder by firearm, an all-too-common American way of death.”

O’Donnell also noted some facts from a 2011 Harvard School of Public Health study on gun safety. O’Donnell read from the study:

“A Harvard School of Public Health study finds ‘the health risk of a gun in the home is greater than the benefit… that gun accidents are most likely to occur in homes with guns… (and) that a gun in the home is a risk factor for intimidation and for killing women in their homes.’ The Harvard study also found, quote: ‘… there is no credible evidence of a deterrent effect of firearms or that a gun in the home reduces the likelihood or severity of injury during an altercation or break-in.”

In the face of those facts, O’Donnell says there is one certainty about what Wayne LaPierre and the NRA will say during the group’s press conference on Friday. “We know this,” O’Donnell said. “There is nothing Wayne LaPierre can say, there are no words that can wash the blood from his hands.”

The NRA has been pretty quiet all week and we've had the really extreme wingnuts coming out of the woodwork instead to defend their positions. We all assume once they finally do make a statement and offer their "meaningful contribution" to the dialog, it will just be more of the same like we've seen from their cohorts, wanting more guns in the schools.