Bill of Rights Sold Out For Political Influence

July 11, 2006

By Taffy & Andy Rice (View author info)
Copyright Taffy & Andy Rice

I am running for Georgia's Senate District 37, and my wife, Taffy Rice, is running for House District 36. My wife's opponent, Earl Ehrhart, BLOCKED EVERY pro-gun bill in the House in the 2006 session. Many Georgia pro-gun activists mailed post cards to him to force him to release the one bill he actually allowed to go to the floor, SB 396. Under this intensive grass roots pressure, Earl eventually voted in favor of the bill, since it would have been political suicide to vote against it. However, more important than the final vote is the fact that Earl attempted to keep the bill from seeing a vote. When it did come to the floor, he attempted to allow urban representatives to add anti-gun amendments to the bill, until he succumbed to pressure by activitsts.

My position paper on the 2nd Amendment is copied at the end of this press release. It has previously been published by Charles Demastus and others. My wife and I are truly the only Bill of Rights supporters in our races. Clearly, the NRA has sold out to the money brokers backing the incumbents. When I ran in 2004, the NRA appropriately gave me an A+ rating, although it did not support ANY candidate in the primary that year. The ILA representative, at the time, personally told me the ILA would not get involved in a primary that had 6 conservative Republicans competing. Subsequently, the NRA only supported Wiles only after he won the primary.

Along with my candidate questionaire, I personally faxed the NRA ILA information regarding the letters, flyers, and post cards that grass roots activists used to force Ehrhart to release SB 396 from the Rules Committee. The NRA ILA cannot deny knowledge of Earl's opposition to gun owners' rights. Additionally, numerous other pro-gun bills never came to the floor, at the hand of Ehrhart. Some of these "dead" bills are: HB 998, HB 1001, and HB 1439 Today, I received my orange NRA ILA post cards supporting Wiles and Ehrhart, listing both of these "controlled politicians" as A Rated by the NRA. How can the NRA say, with a straight face, Ehrhart has an A rating, when he blocked every pro-gun bill in the 2006 session? If you are an NRA member, call Jennifer H. Palmer (Georgia State Liaison, NRA-ILA, State & Local Affairs) at (703) 267-3976 and ask her to explain why the NRA does not support the three bills highlighted above. You can also contact the 11th District (which includes our House and Senate Districts in West Cobb County) Election Volunteer Coordinator (EVC) at:

GA-011
Jimmy Flanigan
Smyrna, GA
678-480-2122
Silversurfer_20@hotmail.com

As an Endowment Life Member I am obviously not represented by the NRA, if the organization misleads its members in such a corrupt manner. I am truly disenfranchised with the results of the NRA ILA candidate questionaires and subsequent endorsements. Do not view this as sour grapes. If my wife and I were not running, I would still be appalled that someone such as Ehrhart could obtain an A Rating after blocking so many pro-gun bills. For my entire adult life, I have trusted the NRA to give me accurate information on the activities of my elected representatives. Now, I can see, I have been duped for over 25 years.

In addition to the antics of Ehrhart, listed above, Wiles is an attorney, who is a power player in the Chamber of Commerce. All of you are aware the Chamber is always an enemy of gun owners. See Wiles' web site at www.EVICT.net. Both Wiles and Ehrhart are former leaders of American Legislative Executive Council (ALEC). To learn more about how ALEC helps legislators abuse your rights, visit www.ExxonSecrets.org. Furthermore, we are all well aware the legal profession also frequently opposes gun issues.

I hope you will consider informing your friends and associates of this travesty and sell out by the NRA. For more information about us, please visit www.ElectRICE.org or www.RiceGang.com. At these sites you will learn how we stand up for individual rights no matter what the personal cost.

The NRA's dubious endorsement highlights the very reason Taffy and I have refused the many gracious offers of financial campaign contributions. Taffy and I are paying all campaign expenses out of our own pockets, unlike the "bought and paid for polititcal fat cats" we are running against. WIles and Ehrhart are supported by Energy Companies, Banks, Insurance Companies, the Chamber of Commerce, and the legal profession. Who do you think they actually represent, citizens or contributors?

If elected, Taffy and I will not be in the General Assembly to support oil companies, PACs, and other big money contributors. We will be in the General Assembly to support the rights of individual Americans and Georgians. You need someone you can trust in the House and Senate. Do you TRUST Wiles and Ehrhart. The overwhelming majority of private homeowners we have met, while campaigning door to door, do not trust these incumbents. We strongly believe in the slogan on our large campaign signs, "HONESTY AND INTEGRITY MATTER." Clearly, the NRA has not displayed Honesty and Integrity in its most recent campaign endorsements.

It's time for the voters to "Evict Wiles" from the Senate and for the House to say "Goodbye Earl."

They are going fast, but if you would like one of our yard signs, please call. We have our "RICE: campaign signs, as well as "Evict Wiles" and "Goodbye Earl" signs available. There are only 10 days left until election day--July 18th--. Please make your vote count.

Thank you for all you do in supporting individual rights.

Andy Rice
Candidate for Senate District 37
(770) 605-5961

Ephesians 6:10-12

CANDIDATE POSITION OF 2ND AMENDMENT

By Andy Rice

Candidate for Georgia Senate District 37

www.ElectRice.org www.RiceGang.com

I am running for Georgia Senate District 37. My entire adult life has been devoted to protecting the Rights guaranteed by the Constitution. As a 19 year old, I took an oath to support and defend the Constitution against all enemies, foreign and domestic, when I joined the United States Marine Corps. During my service, I proudly wore the badges of Rifle and Pistol Expert. Now, as a retired Lieutenant Colonel, with 21 years honorable service, I still fight all enemies of the Constitution, no matter where they are found. All too often they are found in courtrooms and in elected positions.

I have been an active member of the National Rifle Association for all of my adult life. In the early 1990's, I upgraded my membership to the status of Endowment Life Member. I am also a member of Gun Owners of America. I was recently elected to the position of Jr. Vice Commander of my American Legion Post. In that position, one of my duties will include membership on the Americanism Committee, which attempts to educate Americans and immigrants on the Constitution, as well as the rights and duties of a citizen. Another program sponsored by that committee is the Junior Shooting Program, which I wholeheartedly support.

As a Boy Scout and Cub Scout Leader for the past 8 years, I have been a proponent of youth shooting programs. My own children are active shooters, who have won some local shooting competitions. My oldest son, Drew, is currently working on the Rifle Shooting and Shotgun Shooting Merit Badges. Our family frequently goes target shooting together.

As a gun owner, I hold a Curios and Relics license. I will never support legislation, which would serve to restrict the right to own any type of firearm, and I will actively oppose such legislation. I believe every citizen has an absolute right to defend his life, family, and property, and would have co-sponsored SB 396 during the 2006 session, had I been in office. I believe no American should have to pass any "test" or "license exam" in order to exercise his Constitutional right to bear arms, and would sponsor legislation to improve the concealed carry laws in favor of a law abiding gun owner. I support removing all barriers to the lawful exercise of our 2nd Amendment Rights. I support legislation to allow concealed carry, by law-abiding citizens, in the places that are currently prohibited, such as restaurants. I will also work to clarify ambiguous language in the current concealed carry laws, such as a clear definition of "public gathering," which currently is left to the discretion of police officers, prosecutors, and judges.

Some legislators work behind the scenes to defeat or impede gun-friendly legislation, but they eventually vote for the legislation when they must publicly vote yea or nay. These politicians sometimes slip through the crack and get the support of gun owners, who only look at the vote count. It is time to look at the person behind the position. I am a tried and true gun rights supporter. My opponent is a lawyer, who is backed by the Chamber of Commerce and the legal community, two natural enemies of gun owners in Georgia.

My wife, Taffy Rice, is running against Earl Ehrhart for House District 36. In the 2006 session, Earl blocked several important bills, which would have helped gun owners. These bills died in committee, due to Earl's actions. The NRA gave Earl an A+ rating in 2004. Unfortunately, Earl has not lived up to that rating. Specifically, he attempted to block SB 396, until concerned citizens deluged him with post cards demanding he allow the bill to leave the Rules Committee, which he chairs. Ultimately, he voted for it, but not before he attempted to derail it. Other bills, blocked by Earl: HB 1001would have allowed law abiding citizens to carry loaded guns in a car, without a concealed carry permit; HB 998 would have allowed a law abiding citizen to have a gun in a car in a parking lot; and HB 1439 would have kept police from confiscating your guns during an emergency, like happened in New Orleans with Hurricane Katrina last year. Earl blocked all of these, and finally, another bill would have allowed a concealed carry permit holder to carry a gun in a restaurant.

It's time to elect a Representative and a Senator FOR THE PEOPLE. Please honor us with your vote on July 18, 2006.