This AP article talks about the influence NRA wields in Washington:
The result showed the strong sway the NRA has even over a Congress dominated by liberal Democrats who mostly disagree with the organization’s positions. The Senate voted overwhelmingly to add the gun-rights proposal. House Democratic leaders, fearing a tough vote on the issue, swiftly scrapped plans to consider the D.C. voting legislation.
The bill hasn’t resurfaced because Democrats cannot figure out how to keep it from splitting their ranks. Moderates and conservatives don’t want to buck the NRA. Liberals are reluctant to be blackmailed into loosening gun laws.
This statement from Paul Helmke is the icing on the cake though. When he uttered this, it no doubt subtly altered the earth’s rotational axis from the amount of spin:
Gun control activists say they are baffled by the sway the gun lobby has over Congress. They argue the NRA no longer dictates election outcomes and that the group inflates its own importance.
“They operate on the principle of fear. They’re trying to hold some mythical power from the early ’90s over the heads of leadership that I think is totally irrelevant to what’s going on today, but still has some long legs,” said Paul Helmke of the Brady Campaign to Prevent Gun Violence.
Helmke said NRA’s recent efforts to demonstrate its clout are partly “a sign of desperation. They realize this is probably their last gasp in terms of trying to be the force that they used to be.”
Yes Paul, this is the same line you guys sold Congress on in 1994, and look what happened. Who do you think is buying all these guns and ammo? My biggest fear for NRA is that success will breed complacence. But I’d much rather be in NRA’s shoes than Bradys shoes. Without any real grass roots passion for gun control, it’s very difficult to have a voice in new media. When the old media can no longer control information, the old deceptions will be quickly exposed.
The Bradys wonder why anyone pays attention to NRA, but I would ask what Brady has to offer politicians for support? Where are all the pro-gun control blogs? Where are all the gun control forums? Tapping those resources we can flood the House and Senate switchboards with phone calls. What’s your GOTV strategy? Where’s your grassroots political machine? Brady has none of those things. All they have is the media, and it’s dying. The Brady Campaign is rapidly losing its ability to control information and frame the debate, and that’s the death of an issue that’s traditionally relied on ignorance, deception, and yes, fear, to get its way.
