Four in the morning

The Columbus Dispatch to cut 45 staffers ... The Los Angeles Times ends California section today ... Is the pen mightier than the (concealed) pistol? ... What sells is what's being cut

Dan the Gunmaker

Dan Cooper, founder and (former) CEO of Montana-based Cooper Firearms, a maker of fine rifles, has been forced to resign his post for his announced support of Barack Obama, USA Today reports.

Cooper, a lifelong Republican, said he felt the GOP had ventured too far right in recent years and supports the Democratic candidate's position on the war. In response, incensed gun owners and conservative bloggers formed an online firing squad and blasted the 38-person company with boycott threats.

The company responded:

"The employees, shareholders and board of directors of Cooper Firearms of Montana do not share the personal political views of Dan Cooper. Although we all believe everyone has a right to vote and donate as they see fit, it has become apparent that the fallout may affect more than just Mr. Cooper. It may also affect the employees and the shareholders of Cooper Firearms. The board of directors has asked Mr. Cooper to resign as President."

Cooper acquiesced and left the company. However, he indicated that, once the smoke clears, he might take legal action, telling the paper, "stronger measures may be forthcoming."

A gun in every holster

In what is probably the most important Second Amendment decision in U.S. history, the Supreme Court ruled 5 to 4 that the right to bear arms is a right of the individual, not a collective right regulated by the state.

The decision does not automatically undo any gun laws, except for the near total ban on handguns in Washington, DC that was at the heart of the case. However, expect lawsuits.

From a cultural standpoint, this could change the nature of politics in rural American where, as Barack Obama delicately put it, people are known to cling to guns and religion as markers of who they are and what they believe.