Dennis Henigan is predictably upset:
It’s now clear that the Democratic leadership in Congress has turned the reins of power over to the National Rifle Association. Is it time to make it official and elect the NRA’s Wayne LaPierre Speaker of the House?
The reality is this is the most Democratic Congress in many years. It’s also the most left-wing Congress we’ve had at least in my lifetime. Yet this Congress has bent over backwards to avoid picking a fight with NRA, and have honestly been willing to do more for us in two years than the Republican Congress did in 14 years. Reid’s been very good about attaching pro-gun amendments to bills that give the White House cover to sign, and sign they have.
The shame of it is I’m angry about nearly everything else this Congress has done. The even bigger shame of it is that after NRA fails to protect many of the incumbents, they could see a lot of political capital disappear overnight. The good thing is the house will probably flip back to GOP. But that might not be the best thing for our gun rights.
One reason I’m not all that sympathetic to conservative groups and Republican hacks complaining that NRA won’t do their fighting for them is that they’ve never really lifted a finger for us when we needed them. Guns have always been a barely welcome part of the Republican coalition. It’s worth noting it was a Republican Congress in 1996 that failed to undo the wrong of the Clinton gun ban. After November, it’ll be time for the GOP to show us things have changed, lest we too soon begin to consider that perhaps the Democrats learned something on other fronts from their 2010 beating.
There’s a new Sheriff in town boys. Best get used to it.
Right on! There’s a reason this is the first blog I check every morning. You under stand political realities and tactics and explain them so well.
Thank you.
Totally Agree! Republicans take us for granted, heck they take their entire base for granted.
Even at the state level, Republicans oppose gun rights. The biggest opponents to gun reform in Georgia have been Republicans. In the Judiciary-Non Civil committee hearing for SB308 on 4/22, REPUBLICAN sharon cooper voted with the most liberal house members in an attempt to kill SB308. 308 was the most vulnerable at that moment of not passing. sharon cooper is a leader in the Georgia House and is Committee chairman of the Health and Human Services committee (a very important committeee in the house).
Anti-gun Republicans are so prevalent, that the NRA had to wheel and deal to get their SB291 heard by a committee that wasn’t infested these anti-gun republicans. That was a good move the NRA by the way.
In South Carolina, reciprocity was scuttled by a Republican.
A long long time ago, Karl Rove was asked about Bush’s willingness to extend the Assualt Weapons Ban. He responded along the lines of …. where will gun owners go.
Bush wanted the AWB to be renewed.
Once again, the R in NRA does not stand for Republican.
This is probably the best explanation of the NRA’s decision I have seen yet (it says a lot that you explained it better than the NRA has to date). I have grown tired very quickly of other groups (including one local group in my home state) attacking NRA for “selling out”. There is even one state association that has jumped on the bash the NRA bandwagon.
At first I wasn’t happy that they worked out something that may actually help the bill gain the support it needs to pass but after seeing what happened with Obamacare, it is likely Pelosi would have twisted enough arms so that the bill would have passed anyway. It was in NRA’s (and gun owners) best interest to be protected from the harm the bill will cause. NRA did the right thing.
It’s not often you see the Brady Campaign and the Gun Owners of America take the same stance and stand shoulder-to-shoulder against the NRA.
“A long long time ago, Karl Rove was asked about Bush’s willingness to extend the Assualt Weapons Ban. He responded along the lines of …. where will gun owners go.”
And the GOP has painfully found out that others, besides the NRA, can go other places besides where Karl Rove wants them to go. I don’t blame the NRA for this “carveout;” their membership has top priority right now.
I wouldn’t say they are standing against NRA. NRA isn’t supporting DISCLOSE. They just aren’t opposing it if it doesn’t affect them.
Civil rights are like building a “teepee” out of sticks. Once you start subtracting a stick at a time it becomes less and less stable until eventually, it WILL fall over.
Consider this: every single Supreme Court judge appointed by a Democratic president voted that you have NO right to own a handgun and use it for self-defense in your own home under any circustances whatsoever.
Don’t be fooled into thinking the democrat elite are pro-gun ownership.
I’d also consider that one Republican appointed Justice voted with the three Dem justices. It likely would have been two if O’Conner hadn’t retired.