Free Republic
Browse · Search
News/Activism
Topics · Post Article

Skip to comments.

Democrats in Senate Confront Doubts at Home on Gun Laws
New York Fishwrap ^ | 1/24/13 | Peters

Posted on 01/24/2013 7:11:43 AM PST by pabianice

BECKLEY, W.Va. — Talk of stricter gun control has stirred up a lot of unease here, a place where hunters vie for top prize (a 26-inch LED television) in the Big Buck Photo Contest, and ads for a gun-simulator game ask, “Feel like shooting something today?”

Businessmen and community leaders in Beckley, W.Va., met with Senator Joe Manchin III last week to discuss gun control.

But before Senator Joe Manchin III invited a group of 15 businessmen and community leaders to lunch last week to discuss the topic, he had only a vague idea of how anxious many of his supporters were.

“How many of you all believe that there is a movement to take away the Second Amendment?” he asked.

About half the hands in the room went up.

Despite his best attempts to reassure them — “I see no movement, no talk, no bills, no nothing” — they remained skeptical. “We give up our rights one piece at a time,” a banker named Charlie Houck told the senator.

If there is a path to new gun laws, it has to come through West Virginia and a dozen other states with Democratic senators like Mr. Manchin who are confronting galvanized constituencies that view any effort to tighten gun laws as an infringement.

As Congress considers what, if any, laws to change, Mr. Manchin has become a barometer among his colleagues, testing just how far they might be able to go without angering voters.

(Excerpt) Read more at nytimes.com ...


TOPICS: Business/Economy; Constitution/Conservatism; Culture/Society; Politics/Elections; US: West Virginia
KEYWORDS: awb2; banglist; guncontrol; rkba; secondamendment
Navigation: use the links below to view more comments.
first 1-2021-36 next last

1 posted on 01/24/2013 7:11:47 AM PST by pabianice
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | View Replies]

To: pabianice

Time to stop the ‘rats from using incrementalism to take all our rights.
Don’t allow ANY infringement.


2 posted on 01/24/2013 7:14:11 AM PST by MrB (The difference between a Humanist and a Satanist - the latter admits whom he's working for)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: MrB

The GOP should be taking offensive action like many states are.


3 posted on 01/24/2013 7:20:17 AM PST by cripplecreek (REMEMBER THE RIVER RAISIN!)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 2 | View Replies]

To: pabianice

No matter what positions or facade a Democrat presents to the voters, the people will have to learn that no Democrat can be trusted on any issue at any time. Until this is well understood by a majority America’s decline will continue.


4 posted on 01/24/2013 7:24:32 AM PST by allendale
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: pabianice

Rockefeller’s seat in WV, Landrieu (LA), Pryor (AR), Begich (AK), Hagen (NC), Shaheen (NH) and Warner (VA).

Also, republicans McConnell and Cornyn, the leader and whip.

Moderates: Cochrane (MS), Alexander (TN), Graham (SC), Collins (ME), Enzi (WY) and Chambliss (GA).

All up for re-election in 2014. And all should be looking over their shoulders.


5 posted on 01/24/2013 7:25:44 AM PST by cotton1706
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: pabianice; ding_dong_daddy_from_dumas; DoughtyOne; Gilbo_3; Impy; stephenjohnbanker; NFHale; ...

House Republicans are playing this just right, unlike the last two years of failures.

They are saying nothing on this and refusing to answer direct questions from reporters on what the House will do on it.

Instead they are letting Reid and Obama try to get Dem Senators to pass something, even though a number are in states when voting for gun control might just get them booted (they have High NRA ratings), knowing it wont make it into law anyway.

The House Rs have decided to get the Reid Senate go out on limbs for a change, and watch the show. Hell, Harry, how about gay marriage next?


6 posted on 01/24/2013 7:26:23 AM PST by sickoflibs (Losing to O is NO principle!)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: cripplecreek

The GOP should be taking action, period. Leadership has been MIA on this.


7 posted on 01/24/2013 7:27:01 AM PST by skeeter
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 3 | View Replies]

To: pabianice

Forgot Johnson in SD. Him too!


8 posted on 01/24/2013 7:28:20 AM PST by cotton1706
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: MrB

Not one step backwards. Forward attack. Scorched earth should we fail.


9 posted on 01/24/2013 7:31:55 AM PST by RC one (.From My Cold Dead Hands.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 2 | View Replies]

To: skeeter

The states are the only ones stepping up.


10 posted on 01/24/2013 7:37:27 AM PST by cripplecreek (REMEMBER THE RIVER RAISIN!)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 7 | View Replies]

To: pabianice

Senator Munchkin is a Democrat above all else and will do what Hairy Reid tells him to do. If Hairy has the votes, he’ll grant Munchkin an “out” to vote against bills that attack the 2nd Amendment. ... That said, it suggests the people of the great state of West Virginia are beginning to wake up to what they’ve done to themselves by electing Munchkin to the U.S. Senate.


11 posted on 01/24/2013 7:39:12 AM PST by glennaro
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: cripplecreek

> The GOP should be taking offensive action like many states are.

I surmise that there are many in the GOP who think, “Something HAS to be done,” and at least a few others that are perfectly okay with weapons and ammo bans.

Just look at New York’s “Republican” dominated legislature.


12 posted on 01/24/2013 7:39:52 AM PST by Westbrook (Children do not divide your love, they multiply it.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 3 | View Replies]

To: pabianice
Joe Manchin was one of the very first guys to jump on the Obama anti 2nd Amendment bandwagon. Once he took a breath from his innate liberal disposition, he quickly started backpedaling because he realized that there may be a political price for him in following his true heart.

“Out of the abundance of the heart doth the mouth speak.”

Manchin is a quintessential politician and with the longing heart of a liberal. There can be little doubt that if he had more political freedom he would be right there with Obama and Schummer.

13 posted on 01/24/2013 7:43:40 AM PST by Obadiah (America is Babylon)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: pabianice

Just wonder when the GOP and GOP Media starts caving on 2d Amendment issues to give cover for Obama and the Dems....like they have on taxes, budget, spending, illegal alien amnesty, Obama Eligibility, etc...

When do the PhonyCons sell Americans out on 2d Amendment/Right to Self Defense issues?


14 posted on 01/24/2013 7:44:05 AM PST by SeminoleCounty (GOP = Greenlighting Obama's Programs)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: pabianice

I lived in WV for two years. At that time, the national YWCA came out against guns (1973). Contributions to United Way went to 50% overnight where I worked (HUGE supporter of United Way). Local chapter had to refute national stance and even then, most people designated therir contributions away from YWCA.


15 posted on 01/24/2013 7:46:23 AM PST by NTHockey (Rules of engagement #1: Take no prisoners)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: pabianice

NY Fishwrap DESPISES my home town.


16 posted on 01/24/2013 7:46:50 AM PST by backwoods-engineer ("Remember: Evil exists because good men don't kill the gov officials committing it." -- K. Hoffmann)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: pabianice
Democrats can't sleep at night knowing there is some aspect of our lives they don't control.


17 posted on 01/24/2013 7:48:36 AM PST by Iron Munro (I Miss America, don't you?)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: cotton1706

Baucus in Montana too. But he’ll vote against whatever comes up on this one.

He always runs a conservative, then spends the next five years voting left.


18 posted on 01/24/2013 7:48:47 AM PST by Fightin Whitey
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 5 | View Replies]

To: Iron Munro
Absolutely correct. That's exactly what Obamacare is all about. That is exactly what climate change is all about. This is what the Marxists really, truly want. Complete fascist control, period.
19 posted on 01/24/2013 7:50:34 AM PST by Obadiah (America is Babylon)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 17 | View Replies]

To: Fightin Whitey

Its dangerous ground for Levin and Stabenow in Michigan as well.

Democrats aren’t going to get their gun control passed in the senate let alone the house.


20 posted on 01/24/2013 7:53:08 AM PST by cripplecreek (REMEMBER THE RIVER RAISIN!)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 18 | View Replies]


Navigation: use the links below to view more comments.
first 1-2021-36 next last

Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.

Free Republic
Browse · Search
News/Activism
Topics · Post Article

FreeRepublic, LLC, PO BOX 9771, FRESNO, CA 93794
FreeRepublic.com is powered by software copyright 2000-2008 John Robinson