Posted on 06/27/2010 8:08:41 AM PDT by dervish
The National Rifle Association slipped into a Beltway backroom this week to cut a deal with Democrats on their new campaign-finance legislation. Conservatives are ripping the gun-rights group for selling out free speech, and fair enough. But don't underestimate the political sellout. The NRA has potentially armed unions and Democrats for the midterm elections.
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America, meet the DISCLOSE act. The bill restricts corporate political participation for companies that contract with the government or have some foreign ownership. But its real aim is to use "transparency" as a weapon. CEOs would have to appear in ads to "approve" messages. Business groups like the Chamber of Commerce would have to "out" donors who give money that might be used in political activity.
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And the unions? Carved out. The bill technically requires both corporations and unions to report donors of more than $600 a year. But that number wasn't pulled out of a hat. The average dues of the nation's 15 largest U.S. unions were $377 in 2004. And while government contractors are restricted, the bill contains no such bars for unions that receive federal money or have collective bargaining agreements with government. The AFL-CIO and SEIU can continue speaking loudly and anonymously.
The one hang-up: The NRA. The gun group was bitter (and rightly so) that it would have to out its own donors. And its pressure on those Blue Dogs that it helps in elections was making it hard for Democrats to round up the votes. The result was this week's special deal, which was tailored to exempt the NRA from key disclosure burdens.
(Excerpt) Read more at online.wsj.com ...
our Congress at work -- enacting legislation to circumvent the Constitution
...not Un-Constitutional enough???
Et tu Brute?
I left the NRA after Charlton Heston’s term as President. Since then, they haven’t been worth a bucket of warm spit.
If it is clearly unconstitutional, then everybody should ignore it and run the ads they want.
I called (I’m a Life member) NRA and let them know this was a sh*tty thing to do. The guy who answered said I wasn’t the first to say so.
NRA sell-out for later..........
The recent gun right successes by libertarians, GOAL and other low cost, effective gun rights groups have really put the NRA bureaucracy under pressure.
What do I mean? Like the NRA should do better? No. The successes have put in question the reason for the existence of the NRA. If citizens and others reach gun liberties and rights of what they should be, then no more NRA. They lose their jobs.
So, Job Number One, for the NRA is to get back into the gun rights struggle and support Democrats to increase threats to gun rights, and thus drive the gun owner sheeple to support the NRA guys salaries.
The NRA is about the NRA, first and always.
Remember this when the gun nuts come a callin’ for our help.
If you want a real illuminating view of this disgraceful conduct by the NRA, check out Wayne LaPierres’ hapless effort to explain their action on the Lars Larson Show.
LaPierre needs to go.
Where’s he going to go? He’s had no other life.
“If it is clearly unconstitutional, then everybody should ignore it and run the ads they want.”
Exactly. Our government is picking and choosing the laws they want to ignore so we can and MUST do the same step for step.
If everyone stands firm and together, what can they do to everyone? But this is a battle for the strong willed. People with weak dispositions who cave to the government are part of the problem.
I told the NRA NO DEALS! The US Constitution is either all or nothing. There is no selectivity as to which Amendment is more important at the expense of any other. And it is not up to the NRA to broker my 1st Amendment.
I hear ya kemp. I left the nra when I found out the muslim terrorist front group, CAIR, had a main big fund raiser, agenda setter lobbyist and overall heavy hitter named grover norquist on board their org. who ALSO was a LONG time nra board member!!!! the nra knew of his anti-American activities and looked the other way!! the once great nra from years ago.......sunk so low it is just hard to believe isn’t it? the second amendment foundation gets my contributions now.
As an NRA life member I’m not happy with their decision to not score this piece of garbage. They claim to be against this but if they are not going to score it, it’s like a tiger without any teeth. They could have killed this if they wanted to put their weight behind it.
I’ve heard some apologists say that they only represent the second amendment issues. Yet, they were on board with the Citizen United’s case and touted their participation in it loudly. Not all board members are on board with this crap. Cleta Mitchell has written an article taking the NRA to task for not working to defeat this bill.
I think the NRA has done more than any other 2nd amendment organization to advance our liberties, but they really screwed the pooch on this one. They were looking out for the NRA not our 2nd amendment rights.
What kind of gun rights group would choose a place to hold their annual convention that prohibits carrying. The NRA knew the prohibition was illegal per state law but they didn't fight the venue on it.
The Second Amendment Foundation and GOA are much better organizations and are less corporate, more grass-roots.
great link Dayman, thanks.
The NRA does NOT support this legislation. The goa is just angry because now they have to do something which they won’t.
AND FOR ALL YOU IGNORANT ANTIGUN NRA HATING IDIOTS:
1. The NRA didn’t become a lobbying group until 1974.
2. While whiners complain about mail, guys like me get out the checkbook.
3. The NRA fought against Parker, not Heller. That’s because Parker was filed before Roberts and Alito. We would have lost. The NRA knows how to count to the number nine.
4. The goa has never done a single thing in it’s entire history. It’s the NRA and the SAF that filed all those lawsuits.
5. The “R” in the NRA stands for rifle. Not Republican. Get rid of Reid AFTER taking control of Congress or you’ll be whining about gun control and pleading for the NRA again. As always.
6. The antigunners hate the NRA just as much as some freepers. That explains the mentality of some freepers.
7. The media doesn’t know the name of any progun group other than the NRA. That should tell you something but you’re too stupid to understand.
8. The goa is the only gun group that asked the Supreme Court to take the narrow view. So far, they haven’t filed a single lawsuit to take responsibility for their actions. It’s the NRA and the SAF that filed all those lawsuits.
9. Lazy, stupid people always have an excuse not to get involved.
Tell me a single thing the goa has ever done on their own.
McDonald vs. Chicago. Nope, SAF.
Katrina victims? Nope, NRA.
Winnetka Lawsuits? Nope, SAF and NRA
Morton Grove Lawsuit? Nope, NRA.
San Francisco? Nope, NRA
Evanston? Nope, NRA and SAF
Parker? Nope, Robert Levy and it’s a good thing the case became Heller with Roberts and Alito or we would have lost. That’s why the NRA tried to stop it.
Heller? Nope, Levy again.
United Nations attacks? Nope, NRA as a Non Government Organization.
Free legal support for their members? Nope, NRA.
Even Basil’s Second Amendment Sisters give women’s classes
JPFO? They aren’t even a lobbying group.
Who does the leftist media fear? I’ll give you a hint, the initials are NRA.
NO ONE CAN EXPLAIN WHAT THE goa HAS EVER DONE ON THEIR OWN IN THEIR ENTIRE HISTORY. NO ONE.
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