firearms, and he was on the Maryland Governor's Commission on Gun Violence in 1996. Joseph J. Vince Jr., a member of the Board of Directors is the former chief of the BATF's crime guns analysis branch. Currently, he is a principal of Crime Gun Solutions. Crime Gun Solutions has worked for the Brady Center, providing data analysis supportive of the Federal Assault Weapons Act, and has provided ballistics evidence and analysis in lawsuits against firearm dealers. He was a signer on a letter submitted to Congress opposing the Protection of Lawful Commerce in Arms Act Jody Powell, co-chairman of the AHSA Advisory Board A. Austin Dorr, co-chairman of the AHSA Advisory Board John E. Rosenthal, a founding member of AHSA who left in 2007, is one of the founders of Stop Handgun Violence, a group which has been influential in instituting strong restrictions on the ownership of firearms in the state of Massachusetts. Endorsements The AHSA endorsed U.S. Senator Barack Obama for president in the 2008 general election: AHSA endorsed Obama based mainly on Obama's vote for the Disaster Recovery Personal Protection Act. In 2008, the Obama campaign paid for Shoenke to travel to 40 events in Ohio, Pennsylvania, Florida and Colorado to address pro-gun voters. The AHSA endorsed the following congressional candidates: Jim Esch [D] (Nebraska - District 2) Eric Massa [D] (New York - District 29) Walt Minnick [D] (Idaho - District 1) Harry Teague [D] (New Mexico - District 2) - Harry Teague's campaign declined the endorsement. ASHA officials testified in favor of gun control legislation, such as Washington State Bill SB-5197, which aims to restrict private transactions at gun shows and create a database of gun owners. ASHA supported the call by the coalition of Mayors Against Illegal Guns to repeal the Tiahrt Amendment, which restricts gun trace data. Repeal of the amendment is supported by more than 20 national and state police organizations but opposed by the BATFE and Fraternal Order of Police, on the grounds that repeal would jeopardize lives and law enforcement operations. Position in D.C. v Heller (2008) AHSA joined in the amicus curiae brief of Maj. Gen. John D. Altenburg Jr., et al., in the Supreme Court case of D.C. v Heller, arguing that the individual right of the people to keep and bear arms enhances the collective goal of supporting national defense, and that the dichotomy between individual right argued