November 29th, 2010

Obama Selects “Anti-Gun Zealot” to Head BATFE

President Obama has picked Andrew Traver, the BATFE’s Chicago Field Office Director, to be the new director of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (BATFE). Traver is considered a political chrony of Obama who holds extreme views on gun control. Michael Bane of Downrange.TV describes Andrew Traver as a “relentless anti-gun zealot”. The NRA has stated its opposition to Traver’s nomination in no uncertain terms, calling on President Obama to withdraw the nomination:

Andrew Traver BATFOfficial NRA Response To Traver’s Nomination
The NRA strongly opposes President Obama’s nomination of Andrew Traver as director of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (BATFE). Traver has been deeply aligned with gun control advocates and anti-gun activities. This makes him the wrong choice to lead an enforcement agency that has almost exclusive oversight and control over the firearms industry, its retailers and consumers. Further, an important nomination such as BATFE director should not be made as a “recess appointment,” in order to circumvent consent by the American people through their duly elected U.S. Senators.

Traver served as an advisor to the International Association for Chiefs of Police’s (IACP) “Gun Violence Reduction Project,” a “partnership” with the Joyce Foundation. The IACP report, generated with Traver’s help, called on Congress to ban thousands of commonly owned firearms by misrepresenting them as “assault weapons,” as well as calling for bans on .50 caliber rifles and widely used types of ammunition. The report also suggests that Congress should regulate gun shows out of existence and should repeal the privacy protections of the Tiahrt Amendment—all efforts strongly opposed by the NRA and its members.

An agency involved in the regulation of a fundamental, individual right guaranteed under the U.S. Constitution should not be led by an individual with a demonstrated hostility to that freedom. For that reason, the NRA strongly opposes Andrew Traver to head the BATFE and urges President Obama to withdraw this ill-advised nomination.

Michael Bane Reveals Traver’s Anti-Gun Agenda
You can learn more about the Traver nomination controversy via Michale Bane’s Weekly Video Podcast. You should really watch this video — it uncovers the ugly truths about Andrew Traver. Just click the arrow in the middle of the video frame to play. NOTE: A short advertisement from the Outdoor Channel may precede the video playback.