Results tagged “johnwarner”

...historically Congress has interpreted the Second Amendment as recognizing the right of law-abiding individuals to keep and bear arms. This Court should give due deference to the repeated findings over different historical epochs by Congress, a co-equal branch of government, that the Amendment guarantees the personal right to possess firearms. The District’s prohibitions on mere possession by law-abiding persons of handguns in the home and having usable firearms there are unreasonable per se.

One of the few Republicans in the Senate not to sign, though, was Sen. John Warner (R-Va.), who withheld his signature because he believes that this is a matter of home rule:

"While the District of Columbia is not a state, it operates under a framework of laws enacted by the Congress which gives its elected leaders the duty to advocate the positions and interest of its citizens before the federal judiciary."

While we've struggled with whether or not the District's restrictive gun laws should be re-tooled, we've consistently opposed Congress's repeated attempts to impose or overturn local laws. And when it comes to the city's gun laws, they've made overturning them an almost annual tradition. (Let's not forget that last year's House vote on D.C. voting rights legislation was held up when a crafty Texas representative tried to insert language nullifying the city's gun laws.)

The Associated Press is reporting that former Va. Gov. Jim Gilmore has officially announced he is a candidate for the U.S. Senate seat being vacated by retiring Sen. John Warner. Gilmore announced his candidacy by posting a video to YouTube. The formal announcement sets up Gilmore as the presumed Republican nominee for the seat, as the other leading candidate, Rep. Tom Davis (Va.-R), announced last month that he would not seek the seat. Gilmore will...

Now is the time of year when we all get to start complaining about how stupid standard time is and how walking out of our offices last night into pitch black darkness was weird and uncomfortable and made us confused about what time happy hour was supposed to start. That is all. 'Fat Gap' Between Whites and Blacks in D.C. High: We've certainly talked about the income gap between whites and blacks in our city...

>> Candey Hardware on 18th and Connecticut is closing its doors for good tonight. [Free Ride] >> Police Chief Cathy Lanier has scheduled another "All Hands on Deck" weekend after four murders took place in D.C.'s Fifth District over the past week. [WJLA] >> Surprise, surprise, the O Street Market development plans are being delayed. [ANC2C02 Forum via 14th & You] >> Va. Sen. John Warner is back in the hospital for a third...

Rep. Tom Davis (R-Va.) has decided not to seek the Senate seat being vacated by Sen. John Warner (R-Va.) next year. The Post is reporting that Davis will announce formally on Thursday what his plans are, but sources have indicated that he won't look to take on a number of potential Republican contenders or former Governor Mark Warner for the seat. Davis reportedly doesn't want his run to overshadow a tough re-election contest faced by...

Good morning, Washington. Feeling alright? We just thought we'd ask — there are two heart-trouble-related stories in the news today, and it's gotten us a little superstitious. First, Senator John Warner is in the hospital undergoing procedures to correct an atrial fibrillation that manifested itself yesterday morning (it sounds like he'll be fine). Second, Etan Thomas missed the first day of Wizards training camp due to a newly-detected cardiac irregularity. There's no word yet...

Written by DCist Contributor Fredo Alvarez In a 60-39 cloture vote, the U.S. Senate barely passed the Matthew Shepard Local Law Enforcement Hate Crimes Prevention Act of 2007 (S 1105) today as an amendment to the FY 2008 Defense Authorization Bill (HR 1585). The measure would expand protection against hate crimes to the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) community, and would enable the Federal government to provide assistance in the investigation or prosecution of...

Just like with the late-night votes in the D.C. Council on whether or not to finance the construction of a new stadium a few years back, we all hoped to wake up this morning and find out that the Senate had voted again and decided that voting rights for the District was a go. No such luck. We did, however, pick up a new champion for the cause. Sen. John Warner (R-Va.) was the only...

2:11 p.m. OK, we should be about ready to get going here. We've been told there will only be about 15 minutes of debate on this before a vote takes place to prevent a filibuster -- as you all know by now, we need 60 for the bill to move forward. I'll be posting updates as things get going, and Martin may pop in with his two cents if he can, so stay with us...

Popular former Virginia Gov. Mark Warner formally announced today that he is running for the U.S. Senate seat being vacated by Republican Sen. John Warner. The announcement immediately give the Democrats a strong frontrunner in a race that would help solidify a Democratic majority in the U.S. Senate, and makes the possibility of two Democrats representing the Commonwealth of Virginia for the first time since 1970 highly likely. No other serious Democrat is likely to...

Bloggers across this fair nation thought they couldn't get a bigger gift from a Virginia senate race than they did last year, after the epic and appalling Macacaness of Sen. George Allen's eventual defeat to Sen. Jim Webb. But via Wonkette, it would seem we could all have been wrong. Rumors are flying that Pat "Homosexuality is Not Only Immoral, but Filthy" Buchanan is considering a run at the seat being vacated by Sen. John...

Good morning, Washington. Does your commute include the Wilson Bridge? If so, enjoy this morning's trip — it's the last speedy one you're likely to have this week. As Fox 5 details, some of the traffic around the bridge will be redirected beginning at 10 a.m. this morning. But the worst will be saved for overnight on Friday, when traffic will be reduced to a single lane. Hateful Vandalism Galore: What the hell is going...

Even though the U.S. Senate is known as the best retirement home in America -- great healthcare, plenty of daily activities, and people continue to pay attention to you for some reason -- Virginia Sen. John Warner announced today that come next year, he's out. And while his announcement is big news, even bigger is the fight that's about to come to replace him. Consider the circumstances. The commonwealth is a political toss-up these days....

Welcome to Friday, Washington ... and the last day of August, and the beginning of your holiday weekend, and more or less the end of the summer? This particular date, as you prepare for your weekend barbecues and last-minute getaways, is always a bit of a depressing occasion. It may not be the de jure end of the summer, but it's certainly the de facto one. To cheer you up about the imminent demise...

Sen. John Warner (R-Va.) made national news last week when he asked President Bush to start bringing the troops home in time for Christmas. But of more importance locally has been the continued speculation as to whether Warner would run for another term in 2008, and if not, who would replace him. By way of FreeRide, we find out today that yesterday the Post's Sunday Fix briefly noted that Rep. Tom Davis (R-Va.) has been...

Months after a fire gutted the interior of Eastern Market's South Hall and almost destroyed the District landmark, vendors will be back in business tomorrow in a temporary structure built across the street. The structure, which looks like a big white tent, cost $1.5 million and will be used while $25 million in repairs are completed on the South Hall, a process that could take up to two years. We're happy to see things slowly...

This morning the Senate Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs approved legislation granting the District a voting seat in the House of Representatives, sending the measure to the full Senate for cosideration. The vote was 9-1, with Sen. John Warner (R-Va.) casting the lone dissenting vote (seriously, can't Rep. Tom Davis (R-Va.) have a talk with this guy?). Senator Norm Coleman (R-Minn.), Senator Susan Collins (R-Maine) and Senator George Voinovich (R-Ohio), all considered key...

It's Thursday, and while were out of commission last week, we're back this week with your weekly transit news, all packaged up and ready for delivery. After the jump, we're feeling the Metro love from Maryland's senators even while another tunnel debate is brewing in their state. Also, Fairfax roadways are beginning to look like tallgrass prairie. Photo by tony_fiorini...

The U.S. Senate Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs has scheduled a hearing to consider legislation that would grant the District a voting seat in the House of Representatives. The hearing, which will be presided over by bill sponsor Sen. Joe Lieberman (I-Conn.), will take place on Tuesday, May 15 in 342 Dirksen. The hearing -- which we'll try to live-blog, obvs -- should be interesting. Among the Republicans on the committee are a...

The election of Democrat Jim Webb as the junior Senator from Virginia has given political spectators another chance to speculate on what particular shade of indigo the Commonwealth appears to be these days. Webb's victory was hardly a blowout, but considered alongside the last two gubernatorial campaigns and the swelling population and influence of Northern Virginia, it's not hard to imagine that Virginia's statewide tendencies are only going to get bluer. Virginia hasn't become Massachusetts...

We awake this morning knowing that Londoners are slowly recovering from the terrorist attacks that yesterday killed at least 50 and left hundreds more injured. We here at DCist are with them in thought, and can't do enough to thank our peers at Londonist for their continuing reporting. For more reaction from the D.C. blogging community, check out DCBlogs, the source of the above image. As for us, well Washington, brace yourself -- what's...

Today will be mostly cloudy with a 30 percent chance of rain, with highs in the lower 60s. Matthew Bradley posted this photo of historian Howard Zinn to DCist photos yesterday. Also, it's only one more day before DCist celebrates Cinco de Mayo at Chief Ike's! Same-sex Couples Prohibited from Filing Joint Taxes: D.C.'s Chief Financial Officer Natwar Gandhi ruled yesterday gay couples could not file taxes jointly in D.C., even if they were...

Just in the nick of time, Mayor Anthony Williams announced early this morning that a deal had been worked out for RFK's naming rights. While the formal announcement isn't expected until 11:30 a.m., Williams appeared on both WTOP and Fox 5 News this morning and hinted that RFK would become the "Armed Forces Field at RFK." Under the terms of deal, the military would pay $6 million over three years for recruitment kiosks and signage...