Ted Nugent To Attend State Of The Union Speech

Ted Nugent, the rock guitarist and strong Second Amendment advocate, will be in the audience in Washington when President Obama delivers his annual State of the Union address on Tuesday night.

Nugent has been invited to sit in the House gallery by Texas Congressman Steve Stockman.

Rep. Stockman had this to say about the Ted Nugent invitation according to The Daily Caller:

“I am excited to have a patriot like Ted Nugent joining me in the House Chamber to hear from President Obama. After the address I’m sure Ted will have plenty to say.”

A statement from Stockman’s office added that the musician and gun enthusiast “speaks for millions of Americans who understand how the Second Amendment protects freedom and stops crime.”

In accepting Stockman’s invitation, Ted Nugent told the New York Times that…

“I will be there with a deep, abiding respect for the office of the presidency. I’m not here to represent any specific cause other than freedom and independence and ‘we the people.’ “

As has been widely reported, Ted Nugent is an outspoken and controversial foe of President Obama especially as it relates to gun regulations, as highlighted by the Dallas Morning-News:

“The president is expected to promote his call for universal background checks for gun purchases and other, more controversial gun control measures, including a ban on semi-automatic assault weapons and high-capacity ammunition magazines — steps that rile Nugent, a board member of the National Rifle Association.”

Stockman, a freshman GOP lawmaker, represents Texas’ 35th Congressional district in the US House of Representatives. He served one term in Congress in the mid 1990s. In November 2012, he defeated his Democrat opponent by 44 points to return to Washington.

Stockman has previously threatened to file articles of impeachment against Obama if any executive orders issued by the White House infringe on the constitutionally-protected right to keep and bear arms under the Second Amendment.

Federal lawmakers typically invite all sorts of guests to the State of the Union, and this year’s event will  include a number of gun-control supporters and victims of gun crime including Newtown family members.

Do you think inviting Ted Nugent to the president’s speech is a good idea? Will you be watching the State of the Union address or will you be busy doing other things such as rearranging your sock drawer?