the assault weapons ban was passed, the republicans won both houses of congress, and the national rifle associationot a lot of the credit. but now, the democrats are back in control. don't you think that there's been a big political shift in the country? >> van cleave: towards guns? yes. >> stahl: towards democrats. >> van cleave: democrats aren't all anti-gun. we saw some republicans get kicked out of the senate and replaced with some much better democrats. >> stahl: "much better," meaning? >> van cleave: for guns! >> stahl: he's right. and 65 democrats in the house who are "for guns" signed this letter opposing bringing back the ban. you have lots and lots of democrats who got support from the n.r.a. this time, and so they're... they agree with the n.r.a. they'll vote with the n.r.a. >> feinstein: i'm not going to disagree with that at all. >> stahl: she admits she's facing daunting opposition. >> feinstein: the national rifle association essentially has a stranglehold on the congress. >> stahl: has anybody, the democratic leadership in the senate or anybody from the administration, looked at you

. >>> up next we have the other side, the gun debate with executive vice president of the national rifle associationtely different view on concealed weapons laws in this country, we're joint by the vice president of the nation national rifle association. the argument from chuck schumer and others is that this would have, first of all, violated states' rights. he's long been an advocate of states' rights. and it also would have made it very difficult to produce into cash, gun traffickers who go across state lines. where are they wrong? >> you know, only senator schumer would try sto spin a 39-58 vote into a victory. i think what happened today was an important step forward. in nra's decade-long effort to make right to carry a national resiprocity the law of the land. you know, we started this effort back in the '80s. we only had three states. we're now 40 states that have rights to carry laws. we're up to 37 states with resiprocity. 11 states, including missouri and michigan and oklahoma and tennessee. they already have this type of national law recognizing all permits. so we're going to keep coming

. >>> the national rifle association says it will oppose supreme court nominee sonia sotomayor. the nra says it will consider how senators vote. they say she has a hostile view of the second amendment. >>> coming up, mayors and rabbis are just a few of the people busted in a corruption scheme. how local hospital fell victim to one of the suspects. >> despite the huge turnout for the inauguration, tourism is down at the nation's capital. >> a virginia tech doctor explains why he had the medical records cords >> you are watching abc 7 news at 6:00 with gordon peterson, maureen bunyan, doug hill, and tim brant. this is abc 7 news at 6:00, "on your side." >>> 3 new jersey mayors, a new jersey lawmakers and several rabbis were among a group of people seen in handcuffs today after a major corruption boston. >> the defects of their alleged crime stretches from ne jersey down to this area. >> it was early this morning where some 300 fbi agents and investigators began this massive raid. they were charged with everything from corruption to trafficking in human organs. one local hospital wa

. >> the national rifle association has argued in the past that these rights should prevail when it comes to gun laws and preserving the second amendment'. we go to our water will a question of the day. do you support the senate's decision on concealed weapon permits? email us your response to watercooler@wbaltv.com. >> the man serving a life sentence for killing the daughter of his girlfriend wants to be released from his sentence. he was originally sentenced to death. in to thousand seven, a jury overturned the sentence given him life without parole. >> coming up, concerns that the international space station has a dangerous problem that astronauts face. >> and shots are fired. what police believe may have happened near a college campus. >> no problems right here. we will have an update on the morning >> 74 degrees and a nice tropical feel to things outside. is very humid. dewpoint are up in the upper 50's. it is 74 degrees downtown. very warm. we have an active doppler. two batches of rainfall. one is to the west. the other is to the south. get the umbrella ready. we needed the rain. i

. >> the national rifle association has successfully argued in the past the state rights should prevail when it comes to gun laws. >> $280 million, that is how much the state board of public works voted to cut from the budget of maryland. health care and higher education grant the front. they also raised the possibility of increasing tuition. the governor has his eye on local benefits and pensions. >> our simple intention is to take the actions necessary in order to protect the citizens of maryland and our priorities. >> the governor has called a cabinet meeting to discuss the next round of budget cuts. the board of regents will hold a meeting to discuss the impact. >> the option of the theater began as it ended. -- the auction of the theater in maryland began as it ended. >> for whatever reason, they have decided to change the venue from inside of the theater outside. this is a court-ordered sale. >> please go inside the theater and sit down and let everyone chill out. >> this center set up a podium inside with a not so hidden message. the auction officials said that it should be outsi

the national rifle association, the nra is a strong supporter of this eminent.i think them for that, i think them for their leadership and also specifically scoring this amendment in terms of member votes. gun owners of america, another leading gun rights second amendment group is a strong supporter of this amendment as specifically is pushing for passage and scoring members' votes. and the owner operator independent drivers association, the passenger cargo security group in any other groups around the country won strong supporters of this amendment because the second amendment is a fundamental right because concealed carry does work, because of iran's crimes and the tears crimes and is now seven and mcginley and in any meaningful way to the crime problem. and dennis b. what like with a lot of gun control and debates, this comes down to a pretty fundamental question. to think the big problem with regard to a violent crime is the law-abiding citizens, the ones who take the time, go to the trouble filling out forms involving all the rules for concealed carry? i do

the national rifle association says they have very serious concerns about her stance on gun locks. y asian has raided her "well qualified" to be a justice. -- the american bar society has rated her "well qualified." hillary clinton met with the ousted leader of honduras. the military forcibly remove him from office while he was wearing his pajamas. after the talk, clinton announced that the coaster rican president will mediate the political standoff -- the coastecosta rican president will mediate the political standoff. >> because we respect the universal principle that people should choose their own leaders, whether they are leaders we agree with or not. i told the president that we will do everything we can to avoid any further bloodshed. shepard: president zelaya attempted to go back into honduras but he was not able to. his plan could not land. the u.s. constitution guarantees certain protections for you and your families but should those apply to terror suspects who we catch overseas? tonight, there is a brand new debate and it is about this -- what to do with the detainees at

on capitol hill a rare defeat for the national rifle association. the senate shot down a law today that would have allowed gun owners to carry their concealed weapons across state lines. two virginia senators crossed lines to vote for it. >>> guns, drugs and daycare. not a good mix to say the least. but police say they found lots of weapons and pot at a private daycare down in eastville, virginia. officers were investigating a neighbor when they spotted 74 marijuana plants in the backyard of the daycare. more searching turned up a sawed off shotgun, rifles and handguns. police arrested the sun of the elderly woman who runs that daycare. >> i don't think she knew what was going on. i don't think she had anything to do with it. >> in fact, officers have not brought charges against the suspect's mother. her day-care center is once again open taking in children. >>> get ready for some more delays on metro's redline. passengers have had hefty waits already since the deadly accident june 22nd as crews are trying to get to the bottom of the cause. today met

this comes on the heels of the nation rifle association victory a couple of months ago which allow gun owners to carry concealed weapons in national parks. according to the brady campaign, in 2004, and gets murdered 73 people in the united kingdom and 11,344 people in the united states. we have a lot of people in the united states. >> and in britain, all of them die of bad teeth. [laughter] this will surprise you, but i would have voted against this. our gun culture is totally out of control. if you have a gun, don't travel. if you onto hang out in a bar in xas and use it, that is ok. but each state has its own conditions. urban states want less guns. you could be attacked by a moose, you never know, but it is not going to happen in manhattan. let's respect states' rights, federalism, and not impose on them a unified system. >> if you are in congress and you do not have a gun and no one in trouble, don't mess with the nra. >> this is a pretty graven abode. this was a setup. senate john thune was reduced to arguing for the rights of truckers. it was a set up to be used in campaigns so t

. >>> the national rifle association has suffered a rare defeat on capitol hill. the senate blocked a bill that would allow people with permits to carry concealed weapons across state lines. >> reporter: this is the first major deneat of the nra on a congressional vote in ten years. and it comes after an extraordinary winning streak in this democratic congress. already this year, the nra had prevailed on three, big gun votes. including a measure lifting a ban on guns in national parks. they had been expected to win on this, as well. one reason they didn't was that two longtime republican senators, lugar and voinovich, both voted no. and with that, the measure fell just 2 votes shy of the 60-vote supermajority i'd needed to pass. this is still very much a pro-gun congress. 20 of those in favor of this bill were democrats. and that included the majority leader, senator henry reed. they will be back on this issue and others, as well. >>> secretary of state, hillary clinton, is in thailand this morning, for security talks with ministers from more than 30 countries. out

. >>> on capitol hill today, there was a major defeat for the national rifle association. the senate rejected a bill that would have allowed anyone with a concealed gun permit to carry their firearms across state lines. the vote was 58-39 in favor of the measure, but it needed 60 votes to pass and fell too short. jon karl is joining us from the capitol. jon, is this a surprise, or was it expected? >> reporter: well, charlie, this is the first major defeat for the nra on a congressional vote in ten years, and it comes after an extraordinary winning streak in this democratic congress. already this year, the nra had prevailed three times, including on a bill that lifted the ban on guns in national parks. they had been expected to win on this, as well. >> so why did it go down? >> reporter: well, for one, two republican senators, long-time republican senators, voinovich and lugar in something of a surprise, voted against it, and with that, the vote was just two votes shy of the 60 needed. >> and is this a sign that perhaps the nra's strength, which has been very strong, on capi

this comes on the heel of the national rifle association a couple of months ago in congress allowing guns with permits in national parks. according to the brady campaign to combat gun violence, in the year 2004, handguns murdered 26 people in australia and 11,324 people in the united states. of course, we have a lot more people in the united states. >> in britain, they buy of that -- they died of bad teeth. [laughter] this will surprise you, but i would have voted against this. our gun culture is out of control. have done, don't travel. if you want to hang out in a bar in texas and carry a gun, that is ok. but each state has its own rules. you get attacked by a moose, you never know, but it is not going to happen. states' rights, federalism, and don't impose on them a unified system. >> if you are in congress and you don't have a gun and don't want trouble, don't mess with the nra. >> this is a pretty craven vote. this was a set up. senator john thune was reduced to arguing for the rights of truckers. it was a set up to be used in campaigns so that democrats are forced to walk the pla

but the national rifle association argues the right of self-defense should not stop at the state line, a point that resonates with conservatives and democrats from pro-gun states. opponents are still trying to find a way to kill the gun measure without putting defense funding in jeopardy. but harry reid, the senate's top democrats, says he'll vote to approve it when the roll is called tomorrow. bob orr, cbs news, washington. >> couric: coming up next, she makes a decision to forgo brain surgery, risking her life to save her art. but i'm an on-t-go woman. i've been active all my life. that's why i'm excited about reclast, the osteoporosis treatment my doctor gives me once a year. my doctor says one iv of reclast can help protect me while i'm on-the-go for twelve months. how? well, reclast helps to restrengthen my bones to help make them resistant to fracture. and with reclast... well... no other osteoporosis treatment is approved to help protect in more places: hip, spine, even other bones. (announcer) you should not take reclast if you're on zometa, have low blood calcium, kidney prob

the national rifle association says the vote will include that on her annual candidate ratings and putting pressure on lawmakers. paddle boat was set for last tuesday but was delayed until today. it is expected it will go for they take a recess at this august. courtney robinson, abc 7 news. >> thank you. >>> ntgomery county officials are looking to see whether foul play was involved in the burning of the debt. police found the ban on bradley boulevard yesterday morning and discovered a body after putting out the flames. >>> this is some good news for potential home buyers. there is signs the economy may be bouncing back. >> we're expecting more news about that today. brianne carter has more on the story. good morning. >> good morning. it is new construction might this be on me that the economists say we could be in an upswing. we're expecting new numbers on home prices which could be a 18% drop. it could be good news for home buyers. jeremy anderson is looking to buy his first home. >> i like a house with a garage. >> prospective buyers are a fresh sign the housing market is emerging from

. >> the national rifle association has argued in the past that state rights should prevail when it comes to gun laws and preserving the second commandment -- amendment. that brings us to our watercooler question of the day. do you support the senate's decision on concealed weapon permits? email us your response to watercooler@wbaltv.com. >> maryland leaders plan to hold a meeting in the fall to discuss the juvenile justice system. apparently the facilities are ineffective at rehabilitating the juveniles. some escaped a facility after attacking the guards. the state is unable to monitor the juveniles. >> a sex offender is behind bars after he is spotted with a young child. they arrested charles purdum after a trooper caught him walking to a store with a 10 year-old boy. he was alone with the boy at the shop. he is barred from contact with underage boys. he is being held without bond. >> $280 million, that is how much they will slash from the budget of maryland. it is only the beginning. the board also raised the possibility of increasing college tuition. the governor still least to find -

made possible by fox news channel] captioned by the national captioning institute --www.ncicap.org-- megyn: fox news alert, the national rifle association to bear arms. they have serious concerns about judge sonia sotomayor. president obama picture to be the next supreme court justice -- picked her to be the next supreme court justice. the writing might be on the wall. gun rights, topping the hour. good morning, everyone. bill: nra big leagues saying that out of respect for the process, they have not announced their official position on the confirmation of judge sonia sotomayor. however, should her answers regarding the second amendment be optional or evasive, we will have no choice but to oppose her nomination. megyn: where is this coming from? shannon, they have grave concerns about sonia sotomayor. tell us why. >> instead of outright opposing her, they do expect very thorough and serious questions by the members of the judiciary committee. they say that she is a threat to the 80 million gun owners in america. they do not think that she has the proper respect and interpretation when it comes to the second amendment. they said that if

. >> the national rifle association has argued state rights should prevail when it comes to gun laws and preserving the second amendment. during this battle, the nra river hist its argument, calling for a national law for concealed weapons. >> the american people agree with that. >> until then, the gun control groups will savor this rare victory. >> now, your 11 insta-weather plus forecast with john collins. >> taking a quick look at our hd doppler radar, there have been showers around the area. what has been in the baltimore area is now dissipating into pennsylvania. further west, they have some thunderstorm activity. that was in western maryland. the bulk of the rain is west of us. there was a shower over the city today. i guess around baltimore and the metro area, we can say so far the rain has been fairly isolated. let's take a look at the temperatures right now. it is up to 90 at easton. annapolis is at 85. there has been a little more rain in the mountains to the west, the readings are at 70. the key is the committee, the amount of moisture in the air. -- the key is the humidity

trace: the national rifle association is coming out and saying, "judge sonia sotomayor has said that second amendment does not apply to states." gun rights groups are irate about this. what do you tell them, if you vote in favor of judge sonia sotomayor? >> this is a big issue. the supreme court has left open the case of whether or not the second amendment applies to estates. that means that if it does not apply to states, that any city, county, or state government can prevenprohibit all firearms. it would be a very bad thing. she has ruled that it does not apply to the states, based on prior precedent. i'm not sure that is correct. it raises questions. when this issue will come before the supreme court -- it will definitely be something she will need to talk about because she has ruled on this already. martha: i respect that you are looking at this very much through the prism of your chairmanship and your duty to make a judgment on this judge. as a republican, i'm curious of your thoughts of what some in your party, and jeb bush is one that comes to mind, who feels that the republica

they have found sonia sotomayor well qualified to be a justice, but the national rifle association hasgs on weapons rights. the senate judiciary committee will have hearings on monday on sotomayor's nomination. >>> we'll have word for you on a violent attack at a hotel. the couple had just come back from a movie when they were assaulted. you can see one of the men taking the husband's wallet here. the victims are okay. police say it looked like the suspects jammed the key slot to the room so they could attack the couple at the door. freaky. >>> here's some stories we're watching out for today in your morning express calendar. patrick murphy will announce an appeal of the company's don't ask, don't tell policy. also at 10:00 a.m. eastern, there will be a tribute for steve mcnair. fans will be able to sign a book to be gichb to tven to the late family. and at 10:30, vice president biden is scheduled to give what's called a health care announcement. >>> it's bob time! >> i tell you. you're looking at showers developing right now, thunderstorms, too. we have a belt of energy coming down as

. >>> the national rifle association is warning senators that it will consider their votes on supreme court nominee sonia sotomayor as part of its influential annual ratings of senators. they say the high court nominee has a hostile view of the second amendment, the right to bear and keep arms. it is opposing her nomination, although her confirmation in early august is almost guaranteed. >> the nra's threat comes one day after the gun lobby suffered a big loss in the september, with a concealed weapon bill. >>> a public apology is issued to a musician, falsely accused of e-mailing a bomb threat. george picka -- picka also sued over the settlement. he was arrested at his gwen oak home after transportation authority police said they linked an e-mail threat to his computer. the e-mail was later found to be sent from a computer in italy. >>> let's check on the roads from sharon gibala. >>> it's definitely gotten busier in the last 20 minutes or so. a bunch of accidents coming in. one of them has been in catonsville on newberg at south rolling road. another crash in the city. and towson, t

a major lobby group in washington, d.c., the national rifle association, has for the first time notified their members and colleagues that this is going to be on the scorecard. the gun lobby, the national rifle association, has come out in opposition to judge sotomayor. i believe it's the first time that they have ever taken a position on a supreme court justice. i listened to her testimony on the maloney case. most of the criticism of her on this issue has focused on that case, but in that case she came to the exact same conclusion as a three-judge panel of the seventh circuit based in my home state of illinois which featured two of our most conservative icons on the federal bench, frank easterbrook and richard posner. they concluded that only the supreme court, not appellate courts, can overrule century-old supreme court precedents on whether the second amendment right to bear arms applies to the cities. i realize the national rifle association and senate allies don't like that ruling. they apparently wanted judge sotomayor to do what the ninth circuit did and overrule supreme court pr

that judgment handed down six months after heller infuriated gun rights groups like the national rifle association. >> i think justice soto mayor in the maloney case treated it like some crazy old uncle that you can either listen to or simply disregard and she disregarded it. >> reporter: judge sotomayor has legal allies on this point and conservative ones at that. sotomayor's comments predate that. she noted that, quote, the right to possess a gun is clearly not a fundamental right. ironically a conservative judicial panel in the seventh circuit court of appeals in denying a challenge to chicago's gun laws that past june also found that the second amendment is not a guaranteed right at the state or local level. that puts the seventh and the second circuit courts at odds with the ninth circuit twh which has ruled the gun ownership is a fundamental right. it appears to be sent down to the supreme court. >> a lot of questions about whether or not she would rekus herself in such a case. we're leaning to a place where she's simply avoided the question. bill tucker, thank you very much. >>> still ahead

. >> reporter: the national rifle association says carrying a gun is a constitutional right and a matterof personal safety. >> at the scene of the crime there's only two people there, the criminal and the victim and the victim always ought to have a right to own a firearm and have a firearm to protect themselves if they choose. >> reporter: last year a bank customer legally carrying a concealed weapon near detroit thwarted a bank robber who claimed to have a bomb. >> i told him i don't care but you're not robbing the bank today. >> reporter: critics say for every hero there are many more villains like richard pa play ski who legally owned guns and used them to kill three pittsburgh police officers and sung wi cho who killed 33 at virginia tech. . >> the proposed amendment is expected to go to a vote later today and democrats are scrambling to get the votes they need to defeat this measure but remember, republicans have twice this year forced significant pro gun victories with substantial moderate democratic support. so it should be interesting to watch later today, john. >> yes. a lot of

south dakota, the first president of the american football league, and a president of the national rifle association joe foss was laid to rest in arlington national cemetery in 2003. this fourth of july we salute this true american hero. >> julie: we had a little trouble with the auto earlier, so we will try again. we're going back to bar angle light on ellis island. we all want to hear what you have to say. happy fourth. >> hi, julie, happy fourth of july to you and of course we're broadcasting live on ellis island where there has been a tremendous celebration here today and right behind me at liberty island where of course we have talked about the statue of liberty and the reopening of the crown. it has been shut down for years, shortly after the september 11 attacks. today it was unveiled and those lucky enough to get to the top, only 250 who have bought tickets ahead of time, really had to be member because that's 354 steps to the top and did you hear about the marriage proposal? it happened today up at the top inside at the crown it took a lot of planning according to the future groom. the newl

a major lobby group in washington, d.c., the national rifle association, has for the first time notified their members and colleagues that this is going to be on the scorecard. the gun lobby, the national rifle association, has come out in opposition to judge sotomayor. i believe it's the first time that they have ever taken a position on a supreme court justice. i listened to her testimony on the maloney case. most of the criticism of her on this issue has focused on that case, but in that case she came to the exact same conclusion as a three-judge panel of the seventh circuit based in my home state of illinois which featured two of our most conservative icons on the federal bench, frank easterbrook and richard posner. they concluded that only the supreme court, not appellate courts, can overrule century-old supreme court precedents on whether the second amendment right to bear arms applies to the cities. i realize the national rifle association and senate allies don't like that ruling. they apparently wanted judge sotomayor to do what the ninth circuit did and overrule supreme court pr

as a result the national rifle association said they oppose confirmation as supreme court justice. >> reporter: after 22 years the right to keep and bear arms may be an acquired right not fundamental right even though it's explicitly stated in the second amendment. it's a school of thought bothered one senator in particular. >> what does the law say today about the statement. where do we stand about my statement that i have -- i claim to have a fundamental, guaranteed, spelled out right, under the constitution that is individual, and applies to me, the right to own and bear arms. am i right or am i wrong? >> the precedent says, as the second circuit interpreted the supreme court precedent, that it's not incorporated. >> reporter: sotomayor was one of three judges on the second court panel. in layman's terms she's saying that the supreme court never ruled that the second amendment is a fundamental right. meaning the constitutional guarantee does not apply to the states. >> a small distinction with profound implications. >> what if we had a right to free speech but it only bound the fed

. >> reporter: the national rifle association has successfully argued in the past state rights shouldrevail when it comes to gun laws and preserving the second amendment. the right to keep and bear arms. during this gun bill battle, the nra reversed its argument calling for a national law for concealed weapons. >> tell you the american people agree with it and we are going to be back and we will win this. >> reporter: until then, gun control groups will savor this rare victory. michelle franzen, news4. >>> 48 states have concealed weapons permit laws. illinois, wisconsin are the only two states that do not allow them. >>> evidence of crime fighting success was on display at iverson mall in maryland today. prince george's county police showed off about $75,000 worth of merchandi recovered from pawn shops. it is the result of three summer crime fighting initiatives. one involves putting officers with desk jobs on the street a day a week. >> our main goal in prince george's county, we have a very professional police department. again, accountability and integrity. that's something i'm go

she's a former beauty queen, who is also a life long member of the national rifle association, alaskanhrough and through. her father was a trapper, her husband a championship snow mobiler. >> the main thing about sarah palin is that she's down to earth, sold the state jet on ebay, she drives herself, she got rid of the household staff in the governor's mansion and told the children that they were not going to get anything other than their usual macaroni and cheese. >> reporter: palin is a mother of five, track, piper, bristol, willow and trig. the oldest is about to be deployed to iraq and the youngest, trig, born in april, has down syndrome. her refusal to consider abortion has made her a darling of the christian right. >> i don't think john mccain will have to worry about motivating those people to vote on election day. >> i think mccain has made a brilliant move, folks. >> reporter: today rush limbaugh, for one, sounded mighty impressed. >> she is a maverick pick. she is a total maverick. we're the ones that have the babe on the ticket. >> reporter: barack obama was gracious. today

. >> the national rifle association has suffered a rare defeat on capitol hill. rejected a bill which would have allowed people with a concealed gun permit to carry their weapons across state lines. the measure fell just two votes short of passage. here's jonathan karl. >> reporter: this is the first major defeat of the nra on a congressional vote in ten years and it comes after an extraordinary winning reak in this democratic congress. already this year the nra had prevailed on three big gun votes, including a measure lifting a ban on guns in national parks. they have been expected to win on this as well. one reason they didn't was the two long-time republic senators, lugar and voinovich both voted no. with that the measure fell just two votes shy of the 60-vote supermajority it needed to pass. but despite this defeat, this is still very much a pro-gun congress. 20 of those voting in favor of this bill were democrats and that included the majority leader, senator harry reid. the nra says they'll be back on this issue and others as well. >> a federal judge has ru

gun rights' advocates and the powerful national rifle association wanted to see a change if a gun owner had the proper permit to carry a concealed weapon in his home state he could go to another state and the original license would be recognized. now the majority of the senate did back this idea including 20 democrats, but it failed because it fell short of the necessary 60 votes. it was interesting to watch how this gun issue really split democrats. now those who have home states with big cities, came out against this, with a lot of force. they argued there is too much gun violence already and any change would simply be dangerous. democrats who live in places out west or in rural areas, sided with republicans and supported expanding conceal and carry laws. now 48 states already allow this, only wisconsin, illinois, and here in the district of columbia is there no license to carry a concealed weapon. brian. >>> kelly o'donnell with the story from the hill for us tonight. kelly, thanks. >>> tonight a dramatic change to report along the u.s. border with mexico. in recent years it has been

concluded the hearings which is unusual in a major lobbying group in washington d.c., the national rifle association, has for the first time notified that their members and colleagues that this is going to be on the scorecard. the gun lobby the national rifle association has come out in opposition to judge sotomayor, i believe it's the first time they've ever taken a position on a supreme court justice. i listened to her testimony on the milan case. most of the criticism of her is focused on the case. but in that case she came to the exact same conclusion as prejudge panel of the seventh circuit base and the homestead and illinois which featured two of our most conservative icons on the federal bench. frank easterbrook and richard posner, they concluded that only the supreme court not appellate courts can overrule century old a supreme court precedents on whether the second amendment right to bear arms supplies to the states. i realize in the national rifle association of arson and allies alike that ruling, they have wanted judge sotomayor to do the ninth circuit did an overrule supreme court preced

wanted to see how the hearings went and what the nominee said, after that, what has -- has the national rifle association now made an announcement today and what is it? >> well, i of course am here today, and i'm not here to speak on behalf of the nra. i'm here to speak on my own behalf and of course on behalf of other american gun owners. the nra is the oldest and largest civil rights organization in the history of this country. they are dedicated to preserving and protecting the second amendmentment and i think they have been out every day talking about the concerns that the nra has over judge sotomayor's record. >> are you aware, i was just given a document here that said therefore the national rifle association opposes the confirmation of judge sotomayor. were you aware that that had happened? >> i was told about that while i was here, senator, yes, and so i'm sure that they have given a full explanation of that position and i'm glad to see that. >> mrs. sullivan, thank you for your testimony. thank you, mr. koppel for yours, and i frankly, i feel now obligated to look more closely at the didden case

and i want to just touch on that briefly, because essentially what happens is that the national rifle association's went looking for the history of the second amendment. they wanted to make an argument against gun control. they began looking in the history of the second amendment. they began reading all sorts of 18th century text, and lo and behold, they found wig ideology. which nobody had talked about at least outside of academia for quite a long time. the technological revolution that was happening in the late 1980's and early 1990's created new opportunities for discussing and networking among folks who were part of this discussion and then horrific acts of state violence at ruby ridge and waco created a sense of imminent threat to many folks, particularly on the far right. and the result was the militia movement. which after 1995, was a political response to state violence using 18th century institutions, the militia, and 18th century ideas. and the last thing i want to say to you is that regardless of how fearful militia men and women were of their government, and they were plenty fearful o

tradition of gun ownership and consequences for bucking the will of gun right supporters in the national rifle association. and we are told by republican top aides, as well as democratic top aides they expect this expansion of gun rights will pass the senate. brianna keilar, cnn, capitol hill. >>> okay. so, gun control providing lots of ammunition on our blog this morning. that question, once again. should people be allowed to carry their concealed weapons across the state lines. just go to cnn.com/heidi, click on that page and you can put your comments there. also, want to remind you that we have this new thing, check it out. hotline to heidi. call in and tell us what you think. leave your message, 1-877-742-5760. we will read or hear some of your responses a little bit later in the show. >>> no job, no health care and diagnosed with cancer. we're taking a look at the uninsured in america. >>> the fight for health care reform rages on in washington with the president gearing up for major push tonight. watching closely, the millions who are sick right now with no insurance. senior medical correspondent el

are some endorsements that are really powerful and one of the key ones to watch for is the national rifle associations had been endorsed by the nra when the two met four years ago in the race. mcdonnell won that by a number of votes. >> 300, right. >> but when people elect a candidate, particularly for an executive office, they are making up their own minds. they look at the candidates saying do we trust this person and like the policy issues. this is something where party labels matter less than some of thlesser races where the candidates might not be as well known or get media attention. >> and the nra has not endorsed either candidate in this race so far. >> not yet. >> not yet. and both men say that they have backed legislation that would close the loophole at gun shows or purchases of weapons. thank you very much. we'll watch what happens in the next 100 days or so. >> thank you. >> i appreciate you being here. steve. >>> one world leader collapses while jogging and another caught on camera ordering a burger, fries and a shake when we come back. >>> and holly will join us and tell us why norther

chairman, i would offer on the latter for the record from the national rifle association want to express serious concern about the nomination of judge sonia sotomayor and i also noticed the head of that organization wrote an article this morning raising increased concern after yesterday's testimony and i would also offer for the record a letter from mr. richard land, the ethics and liberty commission of the southern baptist commission also raising concern. >> without objection, those will be made prior to the record and we'll give everything up. senator carden. >> thank you. >> there you get a little politics in between the questioning in this, the second day of questioning for sonia sotomayor. candy crowley, i guess politics part of this process as much as everyone who wants to take the high road. we just heard the chairman patrick leahy make mention of several hispanic groups, including in texas, the home state of john cornen who just spent 30 minutes trying to grill sonia sotomayor that was followed by jeff sessions pointing out the nra isn't too thrilled with her from that perspectiv

you did hear senator sessions earlier in the day, cite a release put out by the national rifle association, saying they've got some serious problems with this nominee, wayne laperriere, the leader of the nra, saying, you know what, we're not convinced she would be a good supreme court justice. >> that, wolf, as we look at the case file, that is based on the thought the nra believes that she is in favor, that this case puts her on the record in favor of state regulations of gun use. now, this is the second amendment case, maloney versus cuomo, the attorney general of the state of, just decided in 2009, an issue was a new york man challenged the state law prohibiting possession not of a gun, a martial arts tool, a nunchaku, that violated his second amendment right to bear arms. the ruling of the second circuit was that new york's law did not violate the second amendment, which, again, according to this circuit court, only restricts the federal government, not the state. the outcome there is that judge sotomayor was part of a panel that dismissed the gentleman's challenge. now, she is saying

chairman, i have a letter for the record from the national rifle association in which they expressed sonia sotomayor. the head of that organization wrote an article this morning, raising increase concern after yesterday's testimony. i would also offer for the record a letter from the ethics and religious liberty commission, who also raises concerns. >> without objection, those will be made prior to the record. we yield to the senator. >> thank you both. welcome back to our committee. i want you to know that the baseball fans of baltimore knew that there was a judge some more of that changed in a favorable way the reputation of baltimore forever. you are a hero to the baltimore baseball fans. let me explain. you allowed this season to continue so that cal ripken and could become the iron man of baseball in 1995. we just want to invite you, as a baseball fan, to an oriole game. we promised that it will not be when the yankees are playing. >> a great invitation. good morning, senator. you can assure your fans that i have been to camden yards. >> the beginning of a new trend in baseball

of these outside groups that have a real stake in what comes out of the supreme court, the national rifle associationfe, they issue edicts, if you will. you can see this one send from leaders of the senate saying, we oppose this nomination. we think if you vote for sonia sotomayor, you are voting against our perspective, against our view. that's what the nra did in that letter there. so these groups here, they actually do score cards of these members of congress. at the end of the year, they take a look and see where they all fell in line on certain issues, the nra will consider a vote for sontomayor, a vote against gun rights. >> thanks. >>> the push is on this week to reactivate cold cases from america's civil rights era. right now, two of the men leading that push say there is no time to lose. that's why you should consider... an aarp medicare supplement insurance plan... insured by united healthcare insurance company. it can help cover some of what medicare doesn't... so you could save up to thousands of dollars... in out-of-pocket expenses. call now for this free information kit... and medicare

but then you have the other aspect of gun control with the national rifle association has come out against her nomination but not as forcefully as some conservatives wanted and the question is if you vote for sotomayor will you risk your a-plus rating from the n.r.a.? so a lot of factors and they have always given the democrats an upper hand in it nomination. host: bob cusack. if you go to our c-span website and read their work every day. roll call is represented by emily heil. rollcall.com. we thank both guests for being on. earlier this week the president spoke in warren, michigan talking about strategies to improve community colleges and helping students who attend them. here is what he had to say. >> all too often we don't know what happens when somebody walks out of the classroom and on the factory floor or into the laboratory or office. that means that businesses often can't be sure what a degree is really worth and schools don't have the facts to make informed choices about which programs receive -- achieve results and which don't. this is important not just for businesses and colle

the national rifle association, the nra is a strong supporter of this eminent. think them for that, i think them for their leadership and also specifically scoring this amendment in terms of member votes. gun owners of america, another leading gun rights second amendment group is a strong supporter of this amendment as specifically is pushing for passage and scoring members' votes. and the owner operator independent drivers association, the passenger cargo security group in any other groups around the country won strong supporters of this amendment because the second amendment is a fundamental right because concealed carry does work, because of iran's crimes and the tears crimes and is now seven and mcginley and in any meaningful way to the crime problem. and dennis b. what like with a lot of gun control and debates, this comes down to a pretty fundamental question. to think the big problem with regard to a violent crime is the law-abiding citizens, the ones who take the time, go to the trouble filling out forms involving all the rules for concealed carry? i don

pretty serious political consequences for bucking the will of gun right supporters and the national rifle association. and wolf, top republican and democratic aides tell me they do expect this will pass the senate. >> when do they expect the vote to actually happen? >> reporter: we are expecting this to be tomorrow, wolf. >> we will watch closely with you, brianna. thank you. >>> go to jack cafferty now, you have "the cafferty file." >> standing by with yet another example of government transparency. not. using a cell phone while driving is dangerous. duh. but for some reason, the government didn't want the american people to know about this. the "new york times" reported this morning that in 2003, the national highway traffic safety administration withheld hundreds of pages of research on the hazards of cell phone use while driving. the former head of the agency says he was urged not to release this information so as not to upset members of congress who wanted the agency to just stick to gathering safety data. he says he was told the agency might lose billions of dollars if congress thought they wer

and the national rifle association says it's not conceding defeat, pointing out it was only two votesy of passing. >> i considered this 58-vote majority in the senate a positive step and we'll be back to take it to 60. i promise you that. >> reporter: that vow comes on the heels of a win by the nra just two months ago after congress passed a measure to allow licensed gun owners with permits to carry concealed weapons in national parks. as a sign of concern about the nra's power, major cities led by michael bloomberg turned out to strongly oppose this amendment. but the nra says it has the power of the american people on its side. >> they want the freedom to to protect themselves and the right to bear arms and they don't want this imposed on them. >> new york city's mayor says he doesn't want other state's laws imposed on his city. senator thune says he does hope the senate will reconsider the issue down the road. wolf? >> mary, thank you. cnn exclusive. we're with united states marines battling the taliban and 130-degree heat. what it's really like for the maa recents to be in afghani