Conservatives Celebrate High Court Gun Ruling

Conservatives are celebrating one of their few major victories of this Supreme Court session with joyful press releases praising the high court's decision to throw out the ban on handguns in the District of Columbia.

Not surprisingly, the 100-strong Republican Study Committee, which represents the conservative base of the House GOP conference, was first out with a reaction.

"For over 30 years, the D.C. handgun ban has prevented law abiding citizens from purchasing legal guns to be used for legitimate reasons – such as self-defense, hunting, and sport shooting – while doing little to keep guns out of the hands of criminals," said Rep. Jeb Hensarling (R-Texas), the chairman of the committee. "D.C. residents will finally have the same rights as their countrymen to bear arms and defend themselves from violent crime."

This may be the high point for conservatives during this Supreme Court session, given the disappointment at other rulings in the past month that have given more legal rights to Guantanamo Bay detainees and a 5-4 ruling Wednesday that ruled unconstitutional the death penalty for child rapists.

While the National Rifle Association is probably throwing parties this morning at its Fairfax, Va., headquarters, there's a more interesting question for Capitol Hill denizens: which members of Congress are going to be packing heat now as they travel the city?