Date: Mon, 26 Feb 1996 02:23:34 -0500 From: "Christopher W. Knox" To: Multiple recipients of list Subject: Phone Log 2-25-96 -----BEGIN PGP SIGNED MESSAGE----- Pop is out here in Phoenix this week shaking the snow off and visiting with the trap shooters at the Spring Grand American. While we were going through this morning's paper we saw that Pat Buchannan was slated to appear at the Crossroads of the West Gun Show. Being close to me, we were able to put stuff out on the Net a little easier than we ordinarily do. Here's the latest from the Legislative Update line. Chris Feb. 25 report -- Pat Buchanan visited the 1200 - table Crossroads of the West gun show in Phoenix this afternoon, accompanied by two busloads of reporters and cameramen and a swarm of Secret Service and other security personnel. The cameramen were looking for something to make the gunowners and /or Buchanan look bad, but I don't think there was anything embarrassing. The press was clearly taken aback by all those guns, but what was hilarious was the Secret Service. Although there were a few hundred gun owners crowded around Pat -- as close as they could get to his phalanx of cameramen -- about every third or fourth person in the crowd had a rifle or shotgun in his hands, usually with a price tag on a flag in the muzzle. And as many more had pistols on their hips, usually a semi-auto with the magazine removed and the outline of a probably loaded magazine in their pants pocket. The funny part came when the Secret Service advance team went through the crowd systematically removing the sticks that supported Buchanan's signs. That's standard procedure. What isn't standard procedure is to let the guy next to the sign-carrier carry a gun. There was so much laughter over the ludicrous situtation that the Secret Service agents were sheepish -- and clearly saw the humor. But the stern, tall woman agent who led the contingent was determined to go by the bureaucratic book -- except for ignoring guns that would in other circumstances have instantly sent the owner to jail. Although there were some fervent supporters, most of the crowd was merely attentive and appreciative of his statements of support for the Second Amendment. The vast majority of the thousands at the show didn't let the political sideshow interfere with their gun trading. Most of those I talked with at the show said they had planned to vote for Gramm , but with him out of the race they were supporting Buchanan. Gramm's Arizona chairman, Sen. John McCain, has endorsed Dole, but Sen. Dole turned off a lot of people by missing a big debate Thursday night. He didn't come into the state until last night, and his only public appearance today was at the Desert Winds Nursery . That should sew up the critical garden club vote. Forbes had a considerable margin in earlier polls, but he seems to have lost a lot of his support. I'm neutral, but the latest private and public polls I've seen show it to be dead even between those three. On the basis of yard signs, bumper stickers, and conversations with a lot of political players and average folks, I think it'll wind up Buchanan, Forbes and Dole, in that order. -----BEGIN PGP SIGNATURE----- Version: 2.6.2 iQCVAwUBMTE3WSGz4I2lBJDFAQF0cAP/cL9S9tTrj6Sg3TZCw8SG7NvBiqtk2ocn gnJG89P61A8N/YlgczhfE5D9U0a5NbNWy4/fUZRoklXC21LC6+WakO9Z0pyu+D6d R/QDMWtZQpKL8iwSLpDYJWGWYNaPEf6O865Av8YoVZei6LVVWVnLi7RWpygYzHaQ S+uOhVOAdJU= =qMh4 -----END PGP SIGNATURE----- -- To receive the Online Firearms Coalition Bulletin send mail to listproc@mainstream.com containing in the message body: subscribe fco New! http://www.crl.com/~cknox/fco.html