Spending by Beretta Corporation's PAC confirmed it is chiefly concerned with business, not our rights. It donated $27,645 to candidates, less than 10 percent of it this calendar year, much of it in opposition to the state's pro-gun efforts. It's hard to say Beretta PAC is about guns after its donations to anti-gunners like Sen. Clarence Mitchell or Del. Jim Hubbard. Next time you buy a Beretta product, remember how much more we had to spend to protect our friend Senator Nancy Jacobs to overcome the Beretta donations to her Democratic challenger, Art Helton.

[One has to wonder who has the reins at Maryland Sportsmen's Association. It incorporated in the mid 90's, but soon forfeited its status for failing to pay personal property taxes. Ever since it has apparently operated in arrears of both its non-profit charter and state law, yet in spite of its snowballing tax situation, the state's Dept of Natural Resources has continued to do business with it. Oh wait, those would be the same DNR people Kathleen worked with on those non-lethal deer control programs. Maybe who has the reins at MSA isn't a mystery after all … ?]

The Kennedy team looked far and wide for endorsements from organizations whose sportsmen-like name could be spun in our community to take the hard edge off of the truth of her history as a gun prohibitionist. The Maryland Sportsmen's Association (as above) was most used by KKT, but at the press conference where she unveiled her shills, the Kennedy team also featured Rich Novotny from Maryland Saltwater Sportfishermen's Association ("We're much better off with Kathleen in there. She's committed to what we stand for and what we believe.") and Recreational Fishing Alliance's Michael Doebley ("There's a difference between illegal handguns used to commit crime and the shotgun I use for duck hunting.") Quail Unlimited endorsed her (in spite of its tax status, which may prove to be problematic for it.) Cas Taylor used supporting material from the same gaggle of groups, rounding out his advertising with cheers from the Maryland Legislative Sportsmen Caucus.

A few gun clubs donated to hometown favorites, but only a handful of non-PAC gun groups contributed funds at levels above the state average for individual giving. The National Rifle Association maxed out its spending at the state cap (for non-PACs) of $10,000, though almost none was spent in the current calendar year. The Associated Gun Clubs of Baltimore donated $9,380 to 26 legislative candidates. AGC's tax status precludes it from making endorsements, but it made a voter guide available for member clubs to distribute if desired, and in each of the last two days of the campaign bought an issue-based newspaper ad bashing Cas Taylor in the paper. Maryland Arms Collectors Association gave $4,000 each to the Ehrlich committee and Steele committee; MACA was uninvolved in General Assembly races. Gun Owners of America gave $250 to a single candidate and made no endorsements. The Maryland State Rifle and Pistol Association spread $4,105 across 22 legislative candidates; almost none of its cash given in the current calendar year was given earlier than the last two weeks of the campaigns. MSRPA did send its members a copy of the AGC voter guide, though they are not known to have selected their own endorsees. Some of these groups' recent donations were to candidates running unopposed.

The Brady Campaign to Prevent Gun Violence gave $2,000 to Kennedy, and $250 to Neil Quinter, who is now a delegate-elect in Howard County. We find no record of donations by Marylanders Against Handgun Abuse or the local Million Mom Marchers. Neither for that matter do we find any record of personal donations by most of the prominent leaders in the state's anti-gun movement, and only a few bucks tossed in by a few. Apparently most of this crew is used to throwing around our money. Steve Teret, who runs the JHU anti-gun think tank, gave $20 to Kathleen's campaign three years ago. MAHA's Vinnie DeMarco was their big spender, spreading $735 around among half a dozen legislative buds plus his boss, Joe Curran. Too bad, Vinnie, looks like your highest profile bill sponsors are gone this term. [Note to legislators: Many anti-gun leaders aren't even registered to vote in Maryland. They're not funding your campaigns nor giving you a vote. What was it again they're doing for you?]