I think it’s time for a poll.
[poll id=”11″]
19 thoughts on “Snarlen Switches Parties – Will His Votes Switch, Too?”
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The right of the citizens to bear arms in defense of themselves and the State …
I think it’s time for a poll.
[poll id=”11″]
Comments are closed.
Does an NRA rating mean anything lately?
Kirsten Gilibrand, Chet Edwards, Tom Libous, and on, and on, and on.
Spectre will do ANYTHING to keep his cushy job.
Just what did Gillibrand do or say prior to her Senate nomination that was so radically anti-gun, Skullz? Or are you angry that NRA only updates their grades when elections are forthcoming – you know, when it’s relevant and important?
Either show your full evidence of Gillibrand pre-Senate nomination (the last time she was rated) being specifically anti-gun or explain your beef with the timing of grades.
Whoa, relax a little.. it’s only the internet.
I mentioned more than just Gilibrand, but ya got nothing, huh?
As far as the back stabber from NY goes, IMHO, this is when the NTA should be using someone as a prime example. “We’re changing the rating now. This is a warning to the rest of you.”
[…when it’s relevant and important…]
That’s a warped way to look at things. It’s relevant and important only at election time? It’s irrelevant during the course of a term when the congress (fed and state) are actually casting their votes?
Well, I think candidates should have to fill out questionnaires to get their A-rating. Perhaps without Gillibrand’s A-rating from the NRA she wouldn’t have gotten her seat in the House, and perhaps she wouldn’t have become Senator. Of course, it would just be another Democrat in the Senate so it’s not like it would matter. Better a C-rated Senator than an F-rated one.
Regardless, of what use is Arlen Specter to Republicans except as a pro-gun voter? Didn’t he vote for TARP and the stimulus? Isn’t he pro-abortion and flip-flopping on Card Check?
Is there any reason that Arlen Specter couldn’t stay pro-gun even if he switched parties?
Am a former constituent of Specter’s.
He didn’t vote ‘pro-gun’ often enough to suit me.
The NRA “A” rating is not enough to go on.
Maybe we’re not better off without him. He just hasn’t done much for me lately. The damage he can do as part of a Donk majority in non-gun areas is more significant than the lukewarm pro-gun votes he will continue to cast.
FWIW, he was a Democrat before.
“I am unwilling to have my twenty-nine year Senate record judged by the Pennsylvania Republican primary electorate,”
A somewhat arrogant statement for an elected official.
The sooner he’s gone the better.
Spector has always been a Liberal. He’s just now made if official and YES he will toe the party line.
His NRA A-rating will go out the window since it won’t buy him anything.
I wouldn’t be surprised if it made him *more* likely to try to keep his A rating. Assuming he gets through the dem primary, the A rating might well help him draw some votes from a republican challenger–and if not, he’d be very unlikely to *lose* democrat votes because of an A rating. Or, if he’s more worried about the dem primary than the general, bye-bye A rating. But I think he’s less worried about the Dem primary–hence the party switch.
This is NO loss and is NO surprise, now if John McCain would go ahead and join his Dem buddies… A RINO at best… Why be Dem-Lite when you can be a full blown, socialist supporting Dem??
I am hoping the American people send a message to DC in 2010 and again in 2012, but NOT with RINOs, we need real Conservatives, not Repubs, RINOs and Dem hacks…
Specter became a Democrat?!! That’s 59 votes. With Franken sure to soon join them from Minnesota……excuse me, I need to go out and buy another military assault rifle NOW!!!!! And a ton more ammo! Talk to you all later! That is, if they haven’t banned this website before I get back!
It’s actually a very difficult question. It’s still bad politics to be anti-gun in this state. Ed Rendell would disagree with that, but Ed Rendell’s demographics work in an unusual way. Specter’s demographic could work the same way though. It’s very hard to say which way he’ll swing on guns, but I suspect he’ll want to keep his NRA endorsement.
Well, I think candidates should have to fill out questionnaires to get their A-rating. Perhaps without Gillibrand’s A-rating from the NRA she wouldn’t have gotten her seat in the House, and perhaps she wouldn’t have become Senator.
They do have to fill out a questionnaire. But Gillibrand’s grade was also based on her votes, and her leadership on the issue with cosponsoring ATF reform and signing on to the Heller brief in favor of Mr. Heller. Up until her Senate elevation, she was as solid as you could have asked for.
I think Specter will want to keep his A rating. He needs all the help he can get. There are a lot of Democrats in this state who like their guns.
Yeah, I understand that they do have to fill out questionnaires, but how rigorous are they? Have any of Gillibrand’s anti-gun actions of late been contrary to her answers to an NRA questionnaire, or is the questionnaire lacking detailed questions?
Skullz, first of all, I just mentioned Gillibrand because she’s been the most common topic here. The second reason is because I know her record off the top of my head better than some of the others. Second, why is it so uptight to ask your specific beef when you start bitching? Is your beef with her previous record and the grade assigned or the timing? The timing around elections is the most relevant time to issue grades – it is when the voters are listening. You may want to imagine that Congress pays 100% attention to gun issues every minute of every day, but they don’t. They pay attention at election time because unlike other issues, we’re known for bringing out the voters.
Dan, NRA does base grades on questionnaires. If you know this, then why do you ask if they are “rigorous”? If you read your magazine (you are a member, aren’t you?) then you’ll see in the grading break down that they send out questionnaires until they establish a voting record. They send out questionnaires to every candidate – multiple times if they don’t respond. If they don’t answer, as it explains in the grading explanations, they get a ? instead of a grade. What needs to be more “rigorous” in this process? Hiring stalkers to chase the candidates and hold them at gun point until they fill it out?
Fred, I’m glad you want to hang every Republican you don’t like out to dry. The fact is that in a state like Pennsylvania, we have Democrats and even moderate Republicans who support us on guns. Are we to boot them and risk anti-gun candidates? Because that’s what you’d get. Like Sebastian has said, politics is not black and white.
Yeah, I understand that they do have to fill out questionnaires, but how rigorous are they? Have any of Gillibrand’s anti-gun actions of late been contrary to her answers to an NRA questionnaire, or is the questionnaire lacking detailed questions?
You can see an example of one here. They will generally be tailored to the specific issues being faced in the areas the candidates are running.
You left off “C, the NRA will work around Specter’s votes to let him keep his A-rating.”
I’d like to clear up the confusion over Tom Libous’ “flip-flopping” on gun control. As usual, the press got it wrong. Senator Schneiderman called Senator Libous to see if he would support his five-year relicensing bill after the Binghamton American Civic Association tragedy. He listened to him, his mother taught him to be polite. Then, he told him that his bill would not in any way have prevented the tragedy in Binghamton and that he couldn’t support the bill. He’s as strongly 2nd Amendment as ever.
Jim Thomas, Deputy Chief of Staff
Senator Thomas W. Libous