You thought you voted for a conservative?

B-Daddy here. Many of us bought into the idea that the man at left is a conservative in the Goldwater tradition. However, the actions of his administration once again give the lie to this notion. The man pictured at right is the Solicitor General of the United States, Paul D. Clement. He filed a brief with the Supreme Court arguing against an individual rights interpretation of the 2nd amendment that the Second Court of Appeals used to strike down the D.C. gun ban. Why does this matter? Because if the D.C. law is declared unconstitutional, per se, then the burden of proof will be on government, where it always should have been, to show how regulation of gun ownership does not interfere with a fundamental right. Ironically the Goldwater Institute opposes the administration interpretation as well. Their criticism is far more eloquent than mine:

"This brief addresses the government’s failure of principle and logic in this case. The United States’ brief (hereinafter “Gov’t Br.”) argues correctly that the Second Amendment protects a fundamental personal right to keep and bear arms, but then fails to acknowledge and advocate the simple and necessary conclusions that follow from that premise."

However, Bush, either through disorganization or apathy has allowed his Solicitor General to file a brief that argues for a more restrictive interpretation of the 2nd amendment. Amazingly, Vice President Cheney has signed on to an amicus curiae brief that argues against the position of the administration's own official. Unbelievable.

Like his signing of McCain-Feingold, or NoChildLeftBehind or caving on steel tariffs, or generally just letting pork run amok, this administration has not been all that conservative. No wonder people are abandoning the Republican label.