In light of the recent events in Tucson, Arizona on Saturday, North Carolina Congressman Heath Shuler has made an interesting public statement. Shuler played quarterback at Tennessee, and then for the Washington Redskins, before being elected to represent North Carolina’s 11th district in 2006.

Shuler says he’ll now make it a practice to carry the permitted handgun when he is away from Capitol Hill, where lawmakers rely on Capitol Police for security.

Shuler says his staff members have also gone through the training and background checks needed for the legal permit to carry concealed handguns.

–WTKR.

I’m not espousing my personal beliefs here, but it’s interesting that as some people are calling for tighter gun control legislation, one Congressman is making a point to show that he actually feels safer carrying one. But when one considers Shuler’s 49 percent career completion percentage, he certainly wouldn’t be in as much danger as those standing near his targets. That’s a joke, people. Don’t email me.

Normally I wear protection, but then I thought, "When am I gonna make it back to Haiti?"

Heath Shuler — he of terrible NFL quarterbacking for the Redskins and Saints — is trying to inject some additional life into his campaign for the U.S. House of Representatives by paying $10,000 for advertising space on Brad Keselowski's No. 23 Chevy in Friday night's NASCAR Busch Series race at Lowe's Motor Speedway. There are so many things wrong about that sentence that I'm getting a little dizzy thinking about it.

Heath doesn't understand that you need to actually have a SUCCESSFUL sporting career if you want to get elected to public office. Those Steve Largent and Jack Kemp and Lynn Swann types are memorably good; Heath Shuler is memorably bad. You don't see Akili Smith or Tony Mandarich running for office.

Also, I recommend Keselowski drive carefully. Anything with Shuler's name on it generally goes down in flames.