I guess there’s good news and bad news to being a Pennsylvania gun owner. The good news is that there’s little interest in pushing gun control at the state level by current leadership. The bad news is that our federal lawmakers didn’t get this message.
I never really know what to tell people about these kinds of stories. On one hand, many of the points in favor of Sen. Pat Toomey working with Joe Manchin for some kind of background check bill are valid. He’s a Senator who has to run in a blue state during the next presidential election when turnout among Democrats will be much, much higher. On the other hand, it’s not well sourced and may have easily been dropped by anti-gun forces just because Toomey’s office didn’t hang up on them. Or, it could be something in the middle where he’s talking to them, but pointing out some absolutely fundamental objections that doesn’t mean he’ll actually try to push whatever language they want to push.
Add in the fact that Bloomberg is targeting Toomey in his attack ads and OFA has been targeting GOP lawmakers in the Philadelphia suburbs who have perpetually tight races, and it’s a constant reminder for people to call their lawmakers.
Then, today I was getting pushback from someone who was advocating that gun owners not call their Senators just because he’s confident that the eventual bill won’t have any of the concerns raised by gun owners so far. I argued that those concerns were based on actual language of the bill, not talking points. Yet, he continued to tell people to sit back and just trust our lawmakers. I am still pondering if it’s an American Hunters & Shooters-style infiltrator trying to convince gun owners to lay off the pressure since we’ve managed to hold the feet of our lawmakers to the proverbial fire for this long.
I’m curious if others who live in states that aren’t under immediate local threat are feeling this same kind of frustration in mobilizing federal action.
We are getting the same “trust them” comments from people who were for rigid gun controls in the late 1990’s. Others report hearing the same thing in adjacent states.
I suspect there is one source – with enough money to make it worth a certain class of people’s while.
Stranger
In my opinion ,now is not the time to let up on our lawmakers. We need to keep the pressure on. This fight is far from over.
Every bill they try to portray as reasonable,on its cover is a nightmare in reality (just like Obamacare).
We have to do all we can to make sure the bills don’t get passed.
I called Toomey’s office at 12:36 this afternoon. I was told there is no truth to the story that Toomey is working with Trader Joe on any deal or bill and that is a rumor not based in any fact.
Time will tell on this one. Oddly she never asked where I was calling from or my name.
I’m already thinking we need an underground railroad for magazine delivery to those patriots now trapped behind enemy lines in communist states of Maryland, New York, and Connecticut.
LOL
I e-mailed his office yesterday. The only gun control I’ve ever heard Toomey support on the campaign trail is a “firm grip.” Let’s hope that’s where it begins and ends. I and most Republicans I know didn’t vote for a gun grabber in 2010.
He’ll pay for it in 2016 if he gives them an inch and risks running counter to a filibuster attempt by both senate conservatives AND now apparently the senate minority leader. He certainly can’t win over enough Democrats even if he went full throttle anti-gun tomorrow.
Oh boy oh boy oh boy…
I’ve been waiting for the right time to post this one:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U6JgcRE2fS4
Texas: It is frustrating and doubly so when the media does not point out the audacity of some of the comments.
But there is a lot of dissatisfaction of this administration to go around.
I ask my senators and congressman weekly why they’re not out in front fighting for me instead of hanging back. Reps from pro-gun districts have no excuse for not leading the fight, and I tell them that I expect it.