The Hill exhibits a suspiciously triumphant tone this morning in a report on the new strength of the NRA which has gained “an upper hand on Obama.” Please don’t send the rescue squad extra-fast if someone some day carries a weaponized musket into their newsroom, okay?

The NRA has regained its footing, rallying gun owners and lawmakers against new gun controls in a fierce lobbying effort that appears to be paying dividends on Capitol Hill.

Indeed, over the last 100 days, Democrats have grown more divided over Obama’s proposed reforms.

An assault weapons ban is on life support and Senate Democrats have failed to entice a single Republican to back universal background checks. Congress also this week solidified four gun-friendly laws as part of legislation to fund the government through September.

To some observers, the shift in momentum comes as no surprise at all. …The Hill

I wonder if regular folk really feel their freedoms expanding when politicians drop away from meaningful regulations of guns. Or whether it’s the kind of freedom a kid feels when he manages to get dad’s car out of the driveway and then finds himself in an uncontrollable vehicle that’s moving fast downhill.