This is bad news. Very bad news. I keep saying the big problem we face this election is that no one gives a flying rats ass about gun rights because they haven’t been attacked along with everything else. This means we’re going to lose a lot of friends on the issue due to the anti-incumbent sentiment. Tiahrt was one of the good guys. Could the Tiahrt Amendment era be over? The Bradys and MAIG certainly will be hoping so.
See more discussion at PAFOA here.
UPDATE: Didn’t notice this was a Senate primary. He announced he was giving up his House seat a year ago. I can’t recall if I reported on that or not. Still bad news, either way.
When I met Michael Bane at the 2nd Amendment March, he said the Tiahrt Amendment was passed as a stand alone law and doesn’t need to be attached to spending bills like it had been in the past. I don’t think this is nearly as bad at it sounds on the surface.
Tiahrt hasn’t been passed into law… it’s still an appropriations measure. Parts of it were, but not all of it. The really important restrictions on trace data continue to be appropriations riders.
This is why gunnies need to get involved with primaries. Turnout is always very low and it does not take a lot to push a candidate over the top or over the edge.
Is there nobody among the 435 Representatives who has the principles and presumed enthusiasm for the topic Todd Tiahrt did? Given that some old and tired Republicans will be replaced with new and passionate Republicans isn’t there one who may accomplish as much as Rep Tiahrt?
It’s more than just support. They also have to be positioned such in the Congress to get the job done. As to whether there’s someone else to pick up the torch, I don’t know. That’s a question NRA’s lobbyists would have to answer.
Tiahrt was beaten by Moran. Moran served a couple terms in the house and has an A rating from the NRA.