Attention Gun Owners
I've recently (After 11/7/06) read a couple of articles that lead me to believe firearms owners just might have their work cut out for them now that there are some new members in the House and Senate.
Groups For and Against Guns Put Best Possible Spin on Election
By Susan Jones
CNSNews.com Senior Editor
November 09, 2006
(CNSNews.com) - The midterm election may have been a referendum on the president, war, corruption, and scandal, but "it does not translate into greater support for gun control at the grass roots level," says a gun lobby group.
"If anything, gun control was notable as a non-issue in this election," said Gun Owners of America in a news release.
A leading gun control group, however, says quite the contrary: "In this election, the gun issue was in play, gun violence prevention groups won while the gun pushers lost, and there is now a shift in momentum on the issue of common-sense gun restrictions," said Paul Helmke, president of the Brady Campaign to Prevent Gun Violence.
Looking on the bright side, Gun Owners of America insisted that on a race-by-race basis, the pro-gun movement suffered a net loss of "only a small handful of seats." And while many newly elected Democrats may support the anti-gun agenda, they also realize that open support for gun control may cost them at the polls, GOA said.
But higher up, it's a different story: Gun Owners of America warned that the Democratic leaders in the House and Senate "will unquestionably put gun owners on the defensive by seeking to renew the so-called assault weapons ban, close down gun shows, and drastically expand the Brady gun control law."
The group noted that House Speaker-elect Nancy Pelosi will control what bills reach the House floor, and she's expected to use that power to advance gun control bills.
Most of those bills will pass through the House Judiciary Committee - about to be headed by gun control advocate Rep. John Conyers (D-Mich.). GOA described Conyers as "an extremist who advocates a total handgun ban."
The situation in the Senate may be worse, GOA warned, given the likelihood of a Democratic majority in that chamber as well.
Both Harry Reid of Nevada (who would become Senate Majority leader) and Pat Leahy of Vermont (the likely head of the Judiciary Committee) have received "F" grades from GOA based on their votes on gun legislation.
"From there it really goes downhill," GOA said, adding that other Democrats on the Senate Judiciary Committee comprise a "who's who of the anti-gun movement."
Democrats on the committee include Sens. Ted Kennedy ("mouthpiece for Sarah Brady in the Senate, GOA said), Joe Biden (chaired the Judiciary Committee in 1993 when the Brady Bill passed); Herb Kohl (author of the gun free zones ban); Dianne Feinstein (author of the so-called "assault weapons" ban); Russ Feingold (lead sponsor of so-called campaign finance reform); Charles Schumer (lead sponsor of 1993 Brady law); and Dick Durbin (outspoken gun control advocate).
"Gun owners should look twice at the above list," GOA said.
"Most or all of these members will remain on the Judiciary Committee when the new Congress convenes in January, and will help shape American gun laws for at least the next two years."
Bright spots
Gun Owners of America said there were several "bright spots" for gun owners in the midterm election.
It noted that eight "A-rated" Republicans, most with "strong, proven pro-gun records" in their respective state legislatures, won House seats on Tuesday, and four of them are "a vast improvement over the Republicans they are replacing."
GOA also said some of the defeated incumbent Republicans were not strong gun-rights supporters -- including Nancy Johnson of Connecticut, Jim Leach of Iowa, Clay Shaw of Florida, Curt Weldon of Pennsylvania and Charlie Bass of New Hampshire.
In the Senate, ousted Republicans Mike DeWine of Ohio and Lincoln Chafee of R.I. were as anti-gun as many liberal Democrats, GOA noted.
But Democrat Senators-elect Jon Tester of Montana, Bob Casey of Pennsylvania and Jim Webb of Virginia claim to be pro-gun. "It remains to be seen if they vote that way," Gun Owners of America said.
Gun control advocates energized
The Brady Campaign insists that candidates supporting "a common sense approach to gun violence prevention" did very well on Tuesday.
"In races where the Brady Campaign endorsed candidates went head-to-head with competing candidates endorsed by the NRA, Brady won 5 of 5 governorships (Patrick in Massachusetts, O'Malley in Maryland, Rendell in Pennsylvania, Doyle in Wisconsin and Blagojevich in Illinois) and 4 of 4 U.S. Senate seats (Cardin in Maryland, Cantwell in Washington, Stabenow in Michigan, and Nelson in Florida).
Overall, candidates endorsed by the Brady Campaign won over 95 percent of their races, the group said on its website.
According to the gun control group, "The results should have a profound impact on the ability to fight illegal gun trafficking and gun violence in the coming years."
The National Rifle Association seems to agree with Gun Owners Of America on this one.
ELECTION 2006 RE-CAP
Thursday, November 09, 2006
On November 7, 2006, the American electorate took out its frustration and anger on the Republican Party and turned over control of Congress, not to mention governors’ mansions and majorities in several state legislatures, to the Democrats. Importantly, however, on a day that saw voters expressing dissatisfaction over conduct of the war, over political corruption and over competency to govern, Americans cast their votes for record numbers of pro-gun candidates, both Democrat and Republican.
Many of the newly elected office holders pledged their support of the Second Amendment while on the campaign trail. They got elected when voters took them at their word. Those same voters, which certainly include first and foremost NRA members, will be closely watching them to make sure they walk the walk as well as talk the talk. NRA will make sure opportunities for tests of true intentions are not long in coming.
Change in Washington, D.C., will be very real. Extreme opponents of our Right to Keep and Bear Arms have been elevated to seats of power, especially in the House of Representatives, where Nancy Pelosi will become Speaker and John Conyers is set to take over the powerful Judiciary Committee. Anti-gunners will also assume the chairs of important sub-committees. The power shift is balanced in part by the fact that Second Amendment champion, and former NRA Board Member John Dingell, the longest serving member in the House, is set to regain the reins of the Energy and Commerce Committee and will be a powerful voice for gun owners rights among his colleagues. Pro-gun Democrats will also chair some very relevant committees and sub-committees.
There will be battles ahead, and, with the 2008 elections on the ever-nearing horizon, NRA members and their fellow gun owners must remain ever vigilant. We must let our representatives, both Democrat and Republican, know one thing: we expect our Second Amendment rights to be respected.
Again, thank you for all you have done this election year, and all you will continue to do in the future.
I'm thinking that from time to time we might need to contact these newly elected Representatives and Senators just to remind them of the meaning of the Second Amendment, (A well regulated militia being necessary to the security of a free State, the right of the People to keep and bear arms, shall not be infringed.) and the fact that they can always be replaced. The next time their name appears on a ballot.
God Bless America, God Save The Republic.
Groups For and Against Guns Put Best Possible Spin on Election
By Susan Jones
CNSNews.com Senior Editor
November 09, 2006
(CNSNews.com) - The midterm election may have been a referendum on the president, war, corruption, and scandal, but "it does not translate into greater support for gun control at the grass roots level," says a gun lobby group.
"If anything, gun control was notable as a non-issue in this election," said Gun Owners of America in a news release.
A leading gun control group, however, says quite the contrary: "In this election, the gun issue was in play, gun violence prevention groups won while the gun pushers lost, and there is now a shift in momentum on the issue of common-sense gun restrictions," said Paul Helmke, president of the Brady Campaign to Prevent Gun Violence.
Looking on the bright side, Gun Owners of America insisted that on a race-by-race basis, the pro-gun movement suffered a net loss of "only a small handful of seats." And while many newly elected Democrats may support the anti-gun agenda, they also realize that open support for gun control may cost them at the polls, GOA said.
But higher up, it's a different story: Gun Owners of America warned that the Democratic leaders in the House and Senate "will unquestionably put gun owners on the defensive by seeking to renew the so-called assault weapons ban, close down gun shows, and drastically expand the Brady gun control law."
The group noted that House Speaker-elect Nancy Pelosi will control what bills reach the House floor, and she's expected to use that power to advance gun control bills.
Most of those bills will pass through the House Judiciary Committee - about to be headed by gun control advocate Rep. John Conyers (D-Mich.). GOA described Conyers as "an extremist who advocates a total handgun ban."
The situation in the Senate may be worse, GOA warned, given the likelihood of a Democratic majority in that chamber as well.
Both Harry Reid of Nevada (who would become Senate Majority leader) and Pat Leahy of Vermont (the likely head of the Judiciary Committee) have received "F" grades from GOA based on their votes on gun legislation.
"From there it really goes downhill," GOA said, adding that other Democrats on the Senate Judiciary Committee comprise a "who's who of the anti-gun movement."
Democrats on the committee include Sens. Ted Kennedy ("mouthpiece for Sarah Brady in the Senate, GOA said), Joe Biden (chaired the Judiciary Committee in 1993 when the Brady Bill passed); Herb Kohl (author of the gun free zones ban); Dianne Feinstein (author of the so-called "assault weapons" ban); Russ Feingold (lead sponsor of so-called campaign finance reform); Charles Schumer (lead sponsor of 1993 Brady law); and Dick Durbin (outspoken gun control advocate).
"Gun owners should look twice at the above list," GOA said.
"Most or all of these members will remain on the Judiciary Committee when the new Congress convenes in January, and will help shape American gun laws for at least the next two years."
Bright spots
Gun Owners of America said there were several "bright spots" for gun owners in the midterm election.
It noted that eight "A-rated" Republicans, most with "strong, proven pro-gun records" in their respective state legislatures, won House seats on Tuesday, and four of them are "a vast improvement over the Republicans they are replacing."
GOA also said some of the defeated incumbent Republicans were not strong gun-rights supporters -- including Nancy Johnson of Connecticut, Jim Leach of Iowa, Clay Shaw of Florida, Curt Weldon of Pennsylvania and Charlie Bass of New Hampshire.
In the Senate, ousted Republicans Mike DeWine of Ohio and Lincoln Chafee of R.I. were as anti-gun as many liberal Democrats, GOA noted.
But Democrat Senators-elect Jon Tester of Montana, Bob Casey of Pennsylvania and Jim Webb of Virginia claim to be pro-gun. "It remains to be seen if they vote that way," Gun Owners of America said.
Gun control advocates energized
The Brady Campaign insists that candidates supporting "a common sense approach to gun violence prevention" did very well on Tuesday.
"In races where the Brady Campaign endorsed candidates went head-to-head with competing candidates endorsed by the NRA, Brady won 5 of 5 governorships (Patrick in Massachusetts, O'Malley in Maryland, Rendell in Pennsylvania, Doyle in Wisconsin and Blagojevich in Illinois) and 4 of 4 U.S. Senate seats (Cardin in Maryland, Cantwell in Washington, Stabenow in Michigan, and Nelson in Florida).
Overall, candidates endorsed by the Brady Campaign won over 95 percent of their races, the group said on its website.
According to the gun control group, "The results should have a profound impact on the ability to fight illegal gun trafficking and gun violence in the coming years."
The National Rifle Association seems to agree with Gun Owners Of America on this one.
ELECTION 2006 RE-CAP
Thursday, November 09, 2006
On November 7, 2006, the American electorate took out its frustration and anger on the Republican Party and turned over control of Congress, not to mention governors’ mansions and majorities in several state legislatures, to the Democrats. Importantly, however, on a day that saw voters expressing dissatisfaction over conduct of the war, over political corruption and over competency to govern, Americans cast their votes for record numbers of pro-gun candidates, both Democrat and Republican.
Many of the newly elected office holders pledged their support of the Second Amendment while on the campaign trail. They got elected when voters took them at their word. Those same voters, which certainly include first and foremost NRA members, will be closely watching them to make sure they walk the walk as well as talk the talk. NRA will make sure opportunities for tests of true intentions are not long in coming.
Change in Washington, D.C., will be very real. Extreme opponents of our Right to Keep and Bear Arms have been elevated to seats of power, especially in the House of Representatives, where Nancy Pelosi will become Speaker and John Conyers is set to take over the powerful Judiciary Committee. Anti-gunners will also assume the chairs of important sub-committees. The power shift is balanced in part by the fact that Second Amendment champion, and former NRA Board Member John Dingell, the longest serving member in the House, is set to regain the reins of the Energy and Commerce Committee and will be a powerful voice for gun owners rights among his colleagues. Pro-gun Democrats will also chair some very relevant committees and sub-committees.
There will be battles ahead, and, with the 2008 elections on the ever-nearing horizon, NRA members and their fellow gun owners must remain ever vigilant. We must let our representatives, both Democrat and Republican, know one thing: we expect our Second Amendment rights to be respected.
Again, thank you for all you have done this election year, and all you will continue to do in the future.
I'm thinking that from time to time we might need to contact these newly elected Representatives and Senators just to remind them of the meaning of the Second Amendment, (A well regulated militia being necessary to the security of a free State, the right of the People to keep and bear arms, shall not be infringed.) and the fact that they can always be replaced. The next time their name appears on a ballot.
God Bless America, God Save The Republic.
posted by David Schantz | 12:41 PM
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