Posted on 04/10/2013 10:36:37 AM PDT by xzins
The National Rifle Association will oppose the background check bill introduced by Sen. Joe Manchin (D., W.Va.) and Sen. Pat Toomey (R., Pa.) Wednesday, the pro-Second Amendment group told the Free Beacon.
Manchin and Toomey held a press conference Wednesday morning announcing a bipartisan bill that would expand background checks for all commercial firearm sales, including gun shows and Internet sales.
The bill is the latest effort by the Senate to introduce background check legislation, after negotiations between Sen. Tom Coburn (R., Okla.) and Democrats broke down earlier this year.
Manchin’s office told BuzzFeed Wednesday that the senators had been talking with the NRA, but the Second Amendment group had thus far remained “neutral.”
“The NRA has not said either way,” Katie Longo, Manchin’s press secretary, told BuzzFeed. “The senators have been talking to the NRA, but they’re still neutral.”
A spokesman for the NRA said the report was “wrong.”
The NRA reiterated its opposition to expanded background checks in a statement to the Washington Free Beacon.
“Expanding background checks at gun shows will not prevent the next shooting, will not solve violent crime and will not keep our kids safe in schools,” the NRA said. “While the overwhelming rejection of President Obama and Mayor Bloomberg’s ‘universal’ background check agenda is a positive development, we have a broken mental health system that is not going to be fixed with more background checks at gun shows.
“The sad truth is that no background check would have prevented the tragedy in Newtown, Aurora or Tucson,” the NRA’s statement continued. “We need a serious and meaningful solution that addresses crime in cities like Chicago, addresses mental health deficiencies, while at the same time protecting the rights of those of us who are not a danger to anyone. President Obama should be as committed to dealing with the gang problem that is tormenting honest people in his hometown as he is to blaming law-abiding gun owners for the acts of psychopathic murderers.”
No, it's the Senate's mess for now...let them take the heat.
As soon as Boehner steps in the spotlight goes from Reid to Boehner. Boehner had enough spotlight in the last 4 years with Reid NEVER getting any attention.
Time for the Senate to take some pressure and DON'T diffuse it!
NRA should back a primary challenger to Toomey.
That would get his attention.
“I always understood that once an American has served their time, paid their debt to society, they cannot be denied their basic Constitutional protections.”
There are some states where this is automatic, and some states that require the felon to go through a judge and a process by which their rights are restored. And some states say “never” when it comes to firearms.
The NRA gave equal support to the Democrat who was running against Coburn in OK. We stopped giving them any money afeter that and have since joined Gun Owners of America.
NOT.
Guess what, Sparky? I already knew that. I LIVE here. I read NRA's disgusting, over the top, breathless endorsement in my copy of American Rifleman.
I voted against Rat Bastard Manchin anyway.
Maybe NRA should pay some attention to folks who live in the states where these smarmy bastards come from, instead of sitting in their NoVA Ivory Tower deciding what looks good on paper.
Thanks
That might be nice, but unfortunately, the paper record is all they have to go on, as limited as it is. The record is fact. Opinions vary.
Although I have my issue with the NRA (I’m a member), it has a top-notch PR team that really knows how to frame the debate. If only our so-called Republican leadership had the will and stomach to do the same. The debate should not be about gun control;, but about violence that from a statistical standoint is epidemic in certain segments of our population.
Seriously ... a national organization like NRA should not put its credibility on the line without good reason. There's absolutely no reason for them to issue an endorsement in every or any particular election. There are lots of good reasons for them NOT to do so ... biggest one is that a poorly placed endorsement, like Manchin (for example) makes them look like complete idiots when it (predictably) blows up in their faces.
Don't try to defend the indefensible. Don't piss on my leg and tell me it's raining.
NRA should be ashamed of itself.
I lit into an NRA rep in 2010 at the Bloomsburg (Pa) Fair b/c they were supporting two “pro-gun” Democrat frauds, Chris Carney and Paul Kanjorski over REAL 2nd Amendment supporters Tom Marino and Lou Barletta. Fortunately, the incumbent Dems lost, but their initial support for HARRY REID helped him, along with massive voter fraud, to defeat Sharon Angle. The NRA official had no response. In fact, he was somewhat apologetic. Bob
Tyrant Kim Un Obama must be very pleased that his efforts have so easily “FUNDAMENTALLY CHANGED THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA.”
I, too, am an NRA member, and I think that they generally do a good job WHEN they are on the offensive.
They are weak when they are attempting simply to maintain the status quo....football’s prevent defense would be a good analogy.
By its very nature, the NRA should always be on the attack.
Target pre-HS grad, teen mothers and you’ll see poverty and crime plummet. Chicago would be more like Mayberry without teen motherhood.
Of course, doing that strikes at two of the gods of liberalism: free sex and welfare programs.
Why can’t conservative candidates win on this?
I suspect there is some payola going on, too. That is, Manchin contacts NRA, has a sit down, tells his story, forks over 20 or 30 large ....
What liberal program hasn’t metastatized into a monstrous cancer on liberty?
If the ostensible purpose is to “prevent another Sandy Hook or mass shooting”, then background checks, even as currently used, won’t do that.
Take a look at the current low numbers of prosecutions under the existing NICS system.
Nothing could be easier to prosecute than a felon attempting to purchase a firearm. You’ve got at least one witness, it’s on film, the perp filled out the paperwork - it’s an orgy of evidence.
That so few ever get prosecuted tells the entire story.
Criminals will get guns - they’re criminals.
Manchin did indeed run as a pro gun rights conservative. Now that he’s shown his colors I’m gonna guess that his NRA support is gone. I was just geting ready to send another check to NRA-ILA and will furshure include a note to defund Manchin.
That doesn’t mean, however, that they can’t acquire big boy pants and finally figure out what’s going on.
Big boy pants?
They've become adults now?.
After 30 years of incremental government oppression and control including 30,000 gun laws, they finally figured out what going on?
You really buy this cow flop?
Because they're too busy saying they created jobs at Staples and saying that social issues are dead losers in political campaigns.
Others have already answered with the backdoor registration problem. Another is that just loaning a gun to a friend could become an actionable offense. I heard a sheriff speaking on Fox. He gave the example of people who had to evacuate due to fires in their area. If they’d left their guns with a friend for safe-keeping, they & the friends would be criminals under these rules.
Another law, another criminal. Like Ayn Rand said, they WANT us to break a law. It makes controlling us that much easier.
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