Constitutional Law

Joyce, Obama, and the Heller case

I've mentioned below the Politico article on how, during Obama's time as a Director of the Joyce Foundation, it pumped millions into anti-individual rights scholarship. It also goes into Joyce's essentially "buying up" law reviews to run exclusively anti-individual rights article, and the effect on the Heller case (i.e., groups filing amici in support of DC had been recipients of millions from the Foundation).

Now, Obama's campaign has had to respond. It's really a nonresponse, more like "well, the Joyce Foundation also gave money to other things, and Obama says he's really not against the Second Amendment, believe him." That and Joyce Foundation has some (minor) ties to Bill Clinton. The last point is downright pitiful.

Over at Democratic Underground, things are getting out of hand. Hundreds of posts. Hillary supporters, I'd guess, are posting it, and Obama supporters are outraged -- except for the ones who think banning guns is a great idea. One commenter makes a good point: "THIS IS WHAT IS COSTING US ELECTIONS! Saying that "well, most pro-gun people are Rethug anyway" is EXACTLY why we lose elections! Giving the issue to them means that the Thug leadership has a stick to beat their base with. And as HALF of the DU membership owns guns and as 39% of the gun owners in this country are Dems (source: Gallup), we CANNOT afford to give in to the toxic thinking that "well, guns are a Thug issue." Anyone who promotes this view is at best incompetent and at worst a deliberate plant."

Here's some of my past posts on Joyce Foundation:

Its financing of the "GunGuys" antigun web page.

Its financing, and indeed writing, an antigun report of IACP.

Its creation of the Wisconsin Anti Violence Effort as an antigun astroturf group. WAVE as I recalled signed an amicus in the Heller case, on DC's side.

Its underwriting of Bloomberg's mayors' group, the Legal Community Against Gun Violence (a Heller amicus, for DC), and other specimens of astroturf.

Its buying up an issue of the Stanford Law and Policy Review, and doing the same at Fordham Urban Law Journal and Chicago-Kent Law Review (frequently cited in briefs by DC and its amici).

Full post as published by Of Arms and the Law on April 22, 2008 (boomark / email).