I may have had my own disputes with Wisconsin Governor Scott Walker on issues regarding subsidies and energy policy, but I have to offer a tip of my hat to the man on this one. If there was ever a moment in time when every Republican in the country was in danger of running to the shadows on the rights of gun owners, it’s now. But not Walker. He’s signing two new bills into law today which further buttress his constituents Second Amendment rights just as the rest of the nation is focused on South Carolina. (WaPo)

Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker (R) plans to sign two new laws on Wednesday that expand the rights of gun owners by removing a 48-hour waiting period for those looking to purchase a firearm and allowing off-duty or retired police officers to carry concealed weapons at public schools. This action will come one week after a suspected gunman shot and killed nine people in an African American church in South Carolina, yet again prompting a national discussion about gun laws in the U.S.

Walker plans to sign the two pieces of legislation — Senate bills 35 and 70 — at a ceremony at the Milwaukee County Sheriff’s Office on Wednesday afternoon, according to a Tuesday evening press release from the governor’s office. Laurel Patrick, a spokeswoman for the governor, said this bill-signing was scheduled and announced about two weeks ago, several days before the shooting occurred in South Carolina.

We’ve seen far too many cases where somebody in the Governor’s position would find an excuse to postpone the signing ceremony, and how shocked would anyone be if he’d done that? But it’s full steam ahead in Wisconsin’s capital with a move that’s going to polish up his brand with the conservative base. Walker already has an A+ rating with the NRA, but they may have to start inventing new letters for the classification system tonight.

Leon Wolf at Redstate, on how to extend a giant middle finger to the enemies of America.

Scott Walker for all his flaws knows how to extend a giant middle finger to the anti-American left and he isn’t the slightest bit shy about doing it. That counts for a lot, not just with me but with a huge portion of the GOP primary electorate who has been begging for someone who could prove that you can win elections and govern effectively while taking on liberal sacred cows at the same time. Scott Walker seems determined to be that guy and so far it is working.

Not much more to be said on this one. Scott Walker is walking the walk. If the voters in his home state are upset by this I’m sure he’ll hear about it soon enough. But if the unions couldn’t bring him down, I rather doubt that anti-gun rights groups will be that interested in yet another turn in the ring with him. As of this afternoon I’m taking a fresh look at Walker. His early campaign was marred with a few unforced errors, but he’s clearly not one to throw in the towel at the first sign of adversity.