Ron Paul Denounces NRA Gun Plan, the Top 10 Media Stories of 2012, and More
A look at the day's political happenings, including the late Sen. Daniel Inouye's last political wish and the worst pundit predictions of this year.
Sticking to His Guns:
Retiring Rep. Ron Paul is not a fan of the National Rifle Association’s plan to pass legislation that would put an armed guard in every American school. The reason: The libertarian-leaning Republican says he’s against the government getting involved in such matters. “While I certainly agree that more guns equals less crime and that private gun ownership prevents many shootings, I don’t agree that conservatives and libertarians should view government legislation, especially at the federal level, as the solution to violence,” Paul wrote on his website in a post titled “Government Security is Just Another Kind of Violence.” He added, “We cannot reverse decades of moral and intellectual decline by snapping our fingers and passing laws.” (Read more)
Taking a Pass: Edward M. Kennedy Jr., son of the late Sen. Ted Kennedy, has announced he will not run for the Massachusetts Senate seat that will be vacated if Secretary of State nominee John Kerry is confirmed. Kennedy, who lives in Connecticut but owns a home in Massachusetts, cited his current living situation as a reason. “Although I have a strong desire to serve in public office, I consider Connecticut to be my home, and I hope to have the honor to serve at another point in my future,” he said in a statement. (Read more)
Final Request: Before he died last week, longtime Sen. Daniel Inouye sent Hawaii Gov. Neil Abercrombie a letter asking him to appoint Rep. Colleen Hanabusa, a fellow Democrat, to his seat. “I hope you will grant me my last wish,” Inouye wrote. Abercrombie has not chosen anyone to fill the post yet, but Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid has urged him to select someone quickly so Democrats can have the needed votes for “fiscal cliff” legislation. (Read more)
Top Media Stories: There was no shortage of big media stories in 2012, but Politico managed to winnow it down to a list of the top 10 stories of the year. Among those the political website chose: the rise of Nate Silver (No. 7), Fox News and CNN bungling the Supreme Court’s Obamacare ruling (No. 5), Candy Crowley fact-checking Mitt Romney during the second presidential debate (No. 4), Karl Rove’s election night meltdown on Fox News (No. 2) and the feud between Rush Limbaugh and Sandra Fluke (No. 1). (Read more)
Video of the Day: Speaking of year-end lists, The Huffington Post has compiled a video of some of the worst pundit predictions of 2012. It’s probably the only list Fox News contributor and failed election results predictor Dick Morris will be on this year.
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