text: May 23, 2012 4:40 pm ET by Matt Gertz 
   
   Right-wing news site The Daily Caller has come up with an innovative new method of attracting people to sign up for their email updates: Each week through Election Day new registrants will be eligible to win a free handgun. And not just any handgun; the weapon in question is "engraved with the Bill of Rights." 
   
   The gun's manufacturer, Jim Pontillo, has attacked American progressives for supposedly seeking to promote communism in America and claimed that "people calling for secession" are not "fanatics who hate America" but are instead acting "in the Founding tradition." 
   
   This ad is currently running on the website's NRA-sponsored "Guns and Gear" page: 
   
   Clicking on the image diverts readers to the landing page for "The Daily Caller Gun Giveaway," which states: 
   
   The Daily Caller will be giving away one gun per week until Election Day -- November 6, 2012. The FMK9C1 is an American-made high capacity 9mm designed by Jim Pontillo and manufactured in California. Each gun is engraved with the Bill of Rights and comes in one of three colors. To enter this week's contest, simply sign up below to receive updates from The Daily Caller. Our DC Morning emails are an informative and amusing way to keep up with the latest news. 
   
   The FMK9C1 is produced by FMK Firearms. On the About FMK Firearms page on their website, founder Pontillo writes: 
   
   For many American citizens who embrace a political philosophy which swings left, collectivism, socialism, and ultimately communism is the idealist utopia they aspire to capture and promulgate across America. For these people, For My Kountry, means to ridicule excellence, to fear prosperity, and to blame others for individual failures. 
   
   
   
   It is an ideology which springs from mankind's weakest tenets...jealousy and envy. It is an ideology which attempts to tear all down to one low and "equal" or "fair" level. It is an ideology incapable of raising anyone or anything upward. Most of all, it is an ideology without any understanding of American culture or our American Founders' dream of creating a country free from government tyranny, open to individual initiative, and most important, insuring to all citizens those inalienable rights guaranteed to mankind by God. 
   
   In a page on the website labeled "Our Charter," Pontillo claims that "Liberalism is changing America for the worse," claiming that progressive policies "have burdened Americans to depend on government instead of Church, God and community" and stating that "Separation of Church and State is a perversion of the 1st Amendment to take religious influence out of all government business when it was designed only to keep government influence out of religion." 
   
   Pontillo continues: 
   
   Firearm ownership magnifies and encourages all these admirable qualities of man. Firearm ownership also threatens the liberal philosophies which demand a dependent, despondent and surrendered people; explanation for the creative and far-fetched calisthenics endorsed by opponents of the 2nd Amendment. 
   
   Pontillo's extreme right-wing rhetoric is not limited to his company's website. In columns posted at Human Events, Pontillo has written: 
   
   "The simple fact of the matter is, the people calling for secession are not fanatics who hate America, they are middle classed working people who don't get benefits like food stamps and free health care, but are the ones paying for someone else's food stamps and someone else's health care. They say 'secede' because they are Americans in the Founding tradition." [Link] 
   
   "For the Left, Founding principles aren't about Freedom or Liberty, Founding principles are about keeping slaves and maintaining an environment where minorities cannot rise in society; in the Left's convoluted thinking, patriotism is racism, and private gun ownership somehow threatens the minority's upward mobility." [Link] 
   
   "I can't imagine how much more insult the American people are willing to endure under the 'enterprises of ambition' by our politicians, but I do know, gun ownership and an understanding of our American Founders' vision will have positive and deliberate effect on the psyche of our populace and can subdue the overzealous and prejudicial effect of this ambition. When law is abused to achieve political ends where do the gallant citizens turn? Quite possibly to their guns." [Link] 
   
   The Caller launched their "Guns and Gear" section in December, stating that gun owners "are currently without the sort of daily news coverage that is allotted to most other American interests." The site largely reprints and repackages news releases, articles, and op-eds from National Rifle Association sources. The Caller has also followed the NRA in their relentless promotion of attacks on Attorney General Eric Holder regarding the failed ATF Operation Fast and Furious. ||||| Eligibility: 
   
   This contest is open only to legal residents of the 50 United States where firearms are legally transferable. The winner must currently reside in the US and be 21 years of age or older at the time of entry. There is no purchase necessary to enter. 
   
   The winner will be required to have proper identification suitable to receive a firearm in their jurisdiction and will be required to complete an ATF Form #4473 and pass a NICS background check at their local firearms retailer that holds a valid Federal Firearms License. Failure to comply with each of these requirements will result in a forfeiture of the prize. The winner will be responsible for any fees collected by the retailer to perform any background investigation or transfer fees. This offer is void where prohibited by law, and subject to all applicable federal, state and local laws and regulations. 
   
   Winner Selection: 
   
   The Daily Caller will choose one winner for each gun. If for any reason the winner is unable to accept the gun, the gun will be forfeited and an alternative winner will be determined. No prize transfers, assignments, cash equivalents or substitutions will be allowed. 
   
   Notification and Awarding of Gun: 
   
   The winner will be notified within 14 business days after the close of the drawing by email, mail or telephone and must respond to The Daily Caller within 14 days. If the winner cannot be contacted, is ineligible, fails to respond or fails to claim the prize the prize will be forfeited and an alternate winner will be selected. 
   
   The winner, except where prohibited by law, grants The Daily Caller the right to use the winner’s name, image, voice or video for advertising and promotional purposes without additional compensation or permission. 
   
   Transfer of Firearm: 
   
   The Daily Caller is not responsible for the transfer of the firearm. The firearm will be sent from FMK Firearms to the winner’s designated FFL holder. It is the responsibility of the winner to have the FFL holder fax, email, or otherwise transfer a copy of the FFL to FMK Firearms. FMK firearms will then ship the gun to the FFL holder. The winner is then responsible to complete the transaction with the FFL holder. Instructions will be provided to the winner upon acknowledgement of notification from The Daily Caller. 
   
   Disqualification: 
   
   The Daily Caller reserves the right, at its sole discretion, to disqualify any individual it finds to be tampering with the raffle or web site; to be acting in violation of the Official Rules; to be acting in violation of the terms of use of the web site by cheating, hacking, deception or other unfair playing practices (including the use of automated entry programs), or to be acting in a non-sportsmanlike or disruptive manner, or with intent to annoy, abuse, threaten or harass The Daily Caller, FMK or any other person. 
   
   Liability: 
   
   By entering this sweepstakes or accepting the prize, all participants release, indemnify and hold harmless, including costs and attorneys’ fees, The Daily Caller, Inc., its affiliates, successors and their respective shareholders, directors, officers and employees, one and all, from all actions and liability (including attorney’s fees and costs) due to injury, loss or damage to person or property, including death, caused in whole or in part, directly or indirectly from the use, misuse, acceptance or possession of the prize, or participation in this giveaway. Prize winner waives the right 1) to assert as a cost of winning the prize any and all costs of verification and redemption or travel to redeem said prize, and 2) to any liability claim which might arise from redeeming or seeking to redeem said prize. Sponsor (i) makes no warranty, guarantee or representation of any kind concerning any prize; and (ii) disclaims any implied warranty. If any provision of this Sweepstakes shall be deemed to violate any federal, state or municipal law, it shall be amended to conform to such law and all other provisions shall remain in full force and effect. 
   
   CAUTION: ANY ATTEMPT BY AN ENTRANT OR ANY OTHER PERSON TO DELIBERATELY DAMAGE THE WEB SITE OR UNDERMINE THE LEGITIMATE OPERATION OF THE CONTEST MAY BE IN VIOLATION OF CRIMINAL AND CIVIL LAWS AND SHOULD SUCH AN ATTEMPT BE MADE, SPONSOR RESERVES THE RIGHT TO SEEK REMEDIES AND DAMAGES (INCLUDING ATTORNEYS’ FEES) FROM ANY SUCH ENTRANT OR PERSON TO THE FULLEST EXTENT OF THE LAW, INCLUDING SEEKING CRIMINAL PROSECUTION. 
   
   Neither The Daily Caller nor prize suppliers, shall be responsible for technical, pictorial, typographical or editorial errors or omissions in any marketing materials or these Official Rules. 
   
   Entrant agrees that any and all disputes, claims, and causes of action arising out of or connected with this contest or any prizes awarded and all issues and questions concerning the validity, interpretation and enforceability of these Official Rules shall be subject to the laws of the State of Delaware and shall be resolved individually, without resort to any form of class action, and exclusively in a court of competent jurisdiction in Delaware. Any and all claims, judgments and awards shall be limited to actual out-of-pocket costs incurred, including costs associated with entering this contest and never shall include consequential, incidental or punitive damages, and in no event attorneys’ fees. Some jurisdictions do not allow the limitation or exclusion of liability for incidental or consequential damages, so the above may not apply to you 
   
   This contest is sponsored solely by The Daily Caller, Inc., (“Sponsor”). Sponsor reserves the right, at its sole discretion, to discontinue this contest or modify these Official Rules without prior notification. Any such changes will be available at www.dailycaller.com.
target: – You can't make this stuff up: The Daily Caller is giving away handguns engraved with the Bill of Rights. To enter to win a gun, just sign up for one of the right-wing news site's four email newsletters; it's giving away one gun per week until Election Day. (Note: Winners will have to pass a background check.) Media Matters spotted the contest, and notes that the Caller first launched a Guns and Gear news section in December, concerned that gun owners "are currently without the sort of daily news coverage that is allotted to most other American interests."