Chicago Mayor, With Windy City As Next Legal Target, Calls Heller Decision 'Frightening'

"An angry Mayor Richard Daley on Thursday called the Supreme Court's overturning of the Washington D.C. handgun ban "a very frightening decision" and vowed to fight vigorously any challenges to Chicago's ban."

I'll bet he did. This is the first real challenge to his power ever, and perhaps is the beginning of the end of "The Chicago Way." Okay, that last part is not likely, but Daley is frightened not because he thinks crime will get worse on the streets where his policies make life safe for criminals. It is frightening because he knows his failed policies are about to be shoved into his face by the legal system, and assisted by the watershed Heller decision handed down this morning by the U.S. Supreme Court. As challenges to his power go, the Daley machine has ruled Chicago for decades. But his keeping women from legally possessing the best possible tool to protect their children has resulted in adults and kids getting killed in gang crossfire. It has resulted in people being murdered at malls, where the law renders them defenseless.

"Does this lead to everyone having a gun in our society?" Daley asked while speaking at a Navy Pier event. "If they [the Supreme Court] think that's the answer, then they're greatly mistaken. Then why don't we do away with the court system and go back to the Old West, you have a gun and I have a gun, and we'll settle it in the streets if that's they're thinking."

A nice piece of fiction Mr. Mayor. Clearly, he is a better politician than a historian. Snappy, fearful sound bytes have worked for the gun control cabal for decades -- that is, until recently. Common sense and debate unfettered by emotional outbursts are not good for Daley, Bloomberg, Helmke, Brady and Sugarmann.

Now the city will have to defend its antiquated ban on handguns with taxpayer dollars. How is that going to go over?

Another Chicago city official had the following to say:

"We are confident that this does not invalidate Chicago's ordinance at this point," said Jennifer Hoyle, spokeswoman for the city Law Department."

Well of course not! The Heller opinion only applies to the Washington DC ordinance, and the Chicago administration knows it. But they are trying to obfuscate what is coming -- the lawsuit filed today by the Illinois State Rifle Association (ISRA) and Second Amendment Foundation (SAF) -- McDonald v. City of Chicago -- will use the Heller opinion as its basis. An opinion with which thinking people will readily agree as they process this information.

And THAT is what frightens Mr. Daley, et al, to no end.