By ANGELA K. BROWN
Associated Press, 2008.11.07
FORT WORTH -- While watching Republican presidential candidate John McCain's concession speech, gun owner AJ Sullivan had a sinking feeling.
"Liberals like to ban guns. That's what it comes down to," said Sullivan, 25, a Texas Christian [irony, anyone?] University student.
Sullivan was among hundreds scrambling to buy a weapon Thursday at the gun store Cheaper Than Dirt! -- which sold $101,000 in merchandise the day after the election, shattering its single-day sales record, said store owner DeWayne Irwin.
Stories were similar across Texas, where residents are fiercely protective of their Second Amendment rights and now fear stricter gun-control laws under Democratic President-elect Barack Obama.
"There's a mindset here of freedom, and you've bitten off more than you can chew if you think you can come after Texans' guns," said Charlissa Stokes, co-owner of Panhandle Gunslingers, an Amarillo shooting range and gun store where sales have doubled the last few days.
At Houston's Memorial [again, irony!] Shooting Center, gun sales are up 70 percent and "the whole wall of assault rifles is gone," said manager Richard Poulis.
Fort Worth's Cheaper Than Dirt! reported about $480,000 in sales in October 2007 but $890,000 last month, jumping to $1 million including the first four days of November, Irwin said. About half of the sales are guns, mostly assault rifles and other weapons that would be subject to the assault-weapons ban if it is reinstated, he said....
Two months before he takes the oath, President-Elect Obama is already stimulating the economy. Now that's effective leadership!
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Update 08:48: More seriously, President-Elect Obama also appears to be exerting a positive influence on our Iraqi allies, who appear more willing in light of Obama's victory to ratify a new security agreement with its American occupiers.
Not much influence over Russia though!
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