Category: Gun Rights

Bitter talks about how far Blue Dogs should go in their support of Obama.  I agree with her that Schweitzer and Tester are actively trying to pull the wool over the eyes of Montana gun owners in covering up Obama’s awful record on gun rights:

The only really blatant examples of number four that I’ve seen have been in Montana. I don’t know why that is, unless Obama is really making a play for that state. I hope that the voters there will make sure to remember these false claims about Obama being fine with guns when his ATF starts closing down more of their gun dealers and he requests a gun ban on his desk after the first shooting with national attention. When the Blue Dogs start actively lying to their constituents over something as well documented as Obama’s anti-gun record of public statements and policy ideas, it’s time for them to go. They are no longer working to serve the voters who put them there.

That’s pretty much the skinny of it.  I hope NRA will think about this when it comes to endorsement time.

But I wouldn’t go so far as to classify him as anti-gun.  Here’s John McCain’s two major sins when it comes to gun rights:

• He supports regulating private sales.
• He was a lead sponsor of the Bipartisan Campaign Finance Reform Act which makes it more difficult for second amendment activists, or any other advocacy group, to defeat incumbent politicians.

That’s basically it.  He was voting against assault weapons bans when it wasn’t popular to do so.  He’s bringing young, pro-gun reformers like Jindal, Palin and Pawlenty onto the national stage, which will enable them to be future leaders in Republican politics.  Would you listen to guy that says something like this:

And I believe Gun Owners of America. I believe Larry Pratt. He has never lied to me. He has never told me one thing, done another and then changed his mind. John McCain has – often. And he does it on all the important issues of the day – from immigration to tax cuts to abortion.

Well, you just ruined any credibility you might have had.  GOA does exaggerate and mislead.  It’s been docuemnted here more than a few times.  Our choice this election is not a panacea, but McCain is no better or worse than other Presidents gun owners have gotten behind.  They were all imperfect, and we managed to make progress while each of them have been in office.  That progress could likely come to a screeching halt, even reverse itself, if Obama is allowed to occupy the White House with an overwhelmingly Democratic congress run by the likes of Nancy Pelosi.  That’s the reality we’re facing if gun owners follow Farah’s advice.  If gun owners want better representation at the national level, sitting this one out isn’t how to get it.  Let’s keep Obama out of the White House, and then hopefully we’ll get a chance to see some of this new blood run for national office.

The Republicans, if they are smart, will make an election issue out of the hunter arrested at Pelosi’s hotel at the Democratic National Convention.  Especially with these guys running around.  Hunters need to understand that gun control is absolutely a threat to them, as this incident pretty clearly demonstrates.  What are hunters more concerned about, do think, global warming, or ended up in jail and with charges because they drove through the wrong jurisdiction?

If I were NRA, I’d canvas Colorado and other hunting states pointing out this incident, and pointing out that Pelosi’s reaction showed no concerned for a hunter caught up in a legal technicality.

I’m worried we’re seeing a repeat of the Pennsylvania Supreme Court endorsements, where NRA’s endorsement differs from that of other pro-gun groups.  In 2007, NRA endorsed Michael Krancer, while other groups endorsed Maureen Lally-Green.  The end result was neither of them making it onto the Supreme Court, and the seat going to Debra Todd.  Gun owners lose.

In the race between Jason Altmire and Melissa Hart, gun owners win no matter which way this race goes.  That’s always a good position to be in.  But it is making me wonder exactly what FOAC endorsement policies are.  I know NRA has gotten a big of flack for their incumbent endorsement policy, where given two roughly equal pro-gun candidates, the endorsement goes to the incumbent by policy.  This is smart politics because ninety percent of all incumbents are re-elected.  The reason to make it a policy is so everyone expects it, and no one holds it against you.  Politicians also know that they are sure to benefit in keeping their seats if they keep their records good, even if they are up against a pro-gun challenger.  Overall, the policy raises the value of NRA’s endorsements.

Don’t get me wrong, I like Melissa Hart, and if I lived in her district, she could count on my vote.  However taking off my voting citizen hat, and putting on my second amendment activist hat, I have to see things pretty differently, because I don’t see much to be gained alienating Jason Altmire, especially when he’s leading in the polls.  The fact of the matter is, Jason Altimire has been good to gun owners.  It might be true that his party hasn’t, but do we want the gun rights movement to be a wholly owned subsidiary of the Republican Party, or do we want there to be a bipartisan consensus?  I think it’s pretty clear under which situation our rights would be more secure.

It’s true that the 110th Congress hasn’t provided as much opportunity for Jason Altmire to stand out compared to Melissa Hart, but on the important issues, he’s been with us.  He signed the Congressional Brief favoring Heller.  He signed on to BATF reform, concealed carry reciprocity, national park carry, and preempting DC Council from regulating guns.  I would say he’s been a leader on our issue.

Now, I’m certainly not saying NRA never makes mistakes in their endorsements.  They do.  Nor am I saying that every pro-gun group always has to get behind NRA’s endorsements.  There have certainly been times where I have felt candidates got the endorsement when they didn’t deserve it, but if that’s the feeling with Congressman Altmire, I’d really like to understand what that’s based on.  I’d like to develop a better understanding of what FOAC, and other pro-gun groups in Pennsylvania consider when it comes to endorsements.  Obviously key votes, and details of what go into any individual endorsement aren’t something that needs to be shared, but I think the overall process needs to be reasonably understood.  I can certainly understand why folks want to support Mellisa Hart, both as a citizen and a gun owner, but the message gun owners are sending to Jason Altmire is that it doesn’t matter how much he supports them, it’ll never be enough.  In the 111th Congress, what incentive does he have to remain so receptive to the concerns of gun owners, when they tried to help unseat him?  As gun rights activists, we must be cautious of letting our own personal political preferences get in the way of what’s best for the overall movement. The smart move here, even if you disagree with NRA’s endorsement of Altmire, would be to issue no endorsement at all.