The right-wing website Daily Caller yesterday published an article by Jim Pontillo, the firearms manufacturer they have partnered with for their controversial gun giveaway promotion. The publication drew criticism last week following the revelation of Pontillo's past racially offensive and insurrectionist writings.
Pontillo's article for the “Guns and Gear” section is a list of the “Top 10 Guns You'll Find at the Neighborhood Liberal Gun Store” and disparages a wide range of Democratic politicians. Pontillo's list includes the “Pelosi Clinton Mini Derringer” (“Pull the trigger and this pocket pistol shrieks and cackles. No man can stand to be in the vicinity when this thing goes off.”).
The Daily Caller's decision to publish Pontillo's political musings comes only a week after the website said his views were irrelevant, telling the Washington Post, “All that's germane to the contest is that he's a fully licensed firearms manufacturer. If we were giving away iPads, the political views of Apple would also be irrelevant.” The Caller's decision to feature Pontillo's work follows their “Guns and Gear” section editor's disclosure that he and Pontillo came up with the idea for the Caller gun promotion together.
This is not the first time Pontillo has written for the Caller. In December he authored a rambling piece for the site criticizing “those who lament America's cultural evolution toward secular society” for “devoid[ing] the moral absolutes that served our Founding Fathers” and attacking “the political class and by the main stream media” for supposedly disparaging his customers.
Last week, the Daily Caller announced that for the 25 weeks leading up to Election Day, the website would be giving away one Pontillo-made handgun a week to someone who signed up for their email updates.
Media Matters subsequently revealed that Pontillo's writings at Human Events and on his company's blog contained insurrectionist and racially offensive commentary, including:
- “The simple fact of the matter is, the people calling for secession are not fanatics who hate America, they are middle classed working people who don't get benefits like food stamps and free health care, but are the ones paying for someone else's food stamps and someone else's health care. They say 'secede' because they are Americans in the Founding tradition.” [Link]
- “I am looking forward to [President Obama's] inaugural address where the 'coolest' 'rock-star' Commander-In-Chief we've ever had wows us all by doing a fly-by around the newly repainted 'Black House' and lands softly at the podium using nothing but those big ears for the flight.” [Link]
- “Arizona's SB1070 is a preemptive strike; a warning to a despotic administration that the American people are only going to tolerate a limited amount of assault on their sovereignty, it is a precursor revealing dissatisfaction turning to action.” [Link]
- “I can't imagine how much more insult the American people are willing to endure under the 'enterprises of ambition' by our politicians, but I do know, gun ownership and an understanding of our American Founders' vision will have positive and deliberate effect on the psyche of our populace and can subdue the overzealous and prejudicial effect of this ambition. When law is abused to achieve political ends where do the gallant citizens turn? Quite possibly to their guns.” [Link]