Posted on 07/01/2010 7:08:29 AM PDT by Ogie Oglethorpe
Multiple sources tell me the National Rifle Association is planning to endorse liberal Harry Reid against pro-gun champion Sharron Angle.
Two weeks ago, I told you about the carveout the NRA received in exchange for their support for the DISCLOSE ACT deal.
Then this week, RedState broke the story of the “gag order” the NRA issued to members of its Board on the Kagan nomination.
Now, I’m getting credible reports that the NRA is leaning toward endorsing Harry Reid, even though the NRA is finally saying it will score a vote on Kagan — something that was not a sure thing.
Why would they do this? Why would they go out of their way to protect a Senator who has demonstrated a repeated hostility to the Second Amendment in his votes and his leadership?
Well, I thought perhaps the NRA carveout in the DISCLOSE Act might be the answer. But, there is more. It turns out, Reid secured a $61 million earmark for a gun range in Clark County, Nevada.
NRA members were recently treated to a three-page spread in the American Rifleman about a visit to Nevada by Wayne LaPierre and Chris Cox to “thank” Reid for the earmark. The article even includes a cliché picture of Reid cutting a ribbon with a gigantic pair of scissors. (Every good porker has his own giant pair of gold earmark scissors.) More here.
Here is a video of the event from Reid’s youtube site.
At 3:25, you can hear LaPierre touting Reid’s record on guns saying, “I also want to thank you, Senator, for your support every day for the Second Amendment and for the rights of American gun owners. “
The American Rifleman article also commends Reid’s Second Amendment record noting, “His dedication to this project is just one of the ways Sen. Reid has demonstrated his support for gun owners and the Second Amendment.”
Well, that’s all very nice. What politician representing a pro-gun red state wouldn’t want Wayne LaPierre to come out for a personal photo op at their earmark ribbon cutting.
But, here is the problem. Reid has not supported the Second Amendment “every day.” Or ever.
Reid has a lifetime rating of “F” from Gun Owners of America (who Ron Paul once called “the only no-compromise gun lobby in Washington”). GOA is actively supporting the 100% pro-gun Republican nominee, Sharron Angle, in her campaign to unseat Harry Reid.
But if you don’t believe GOA, see for yourself below the fold. Then call (800) 392-VOTE (8683) before it is too late and make the NRA knows they’d be betraying second amendment voters by endorsing Harry Reid.
Below are just a few of the votes that demonstrate Reid’s longstanding hostility to guns and the Second Amendment. Not included in this list is the long list of consistent and active support for anti-gun nominees to the Federal Judiciary and to high level cabinet posts. The reason I did not include anti-gun nominees is because he supported every last one of them.
June 28, 1991. Vote No. 115. Voted for a 5 day waiting period for handgun purchases.
October 21, 1993. Vote 325. Voted to eliminate the Army Civilian Marksmanship Program. Only the most fringe anti-gun Senators voted for the amendment.
November 19, 1993. Vote 385. Allow states to impose waiting periods over and above the 5 days waiting period required under the Brady Bill.
November 19, 1993. Vote 386. Voted to eliminate he 5-year sunset in the Brady Bill.
November 19, 1993. Vote 387. Voted to close off debate on the Brady Bill.
November 19, 1993. Vote 390. Voted to close off debate on the Brady Bill.
November 20, 1993. Vote 394. Voted for the Brady Bill, which imposed a 5-business-day waiting period before purchasing a handgun.
August 25, 1994. Vote 294. Voted to close off debate on the Clinton Crime Bill, which contained the ban on so-called “assault weapons.”
August 25, 1994. Vote 295. Voted for the Clinton Crime Bill, which contained the ban on so-called “assault weapons.”
April 17, 1996. Vote 64. Voted to expand the statute of limitations for paperwork violations in National Firearms Act from 3 years to 5 years.
June 27, 1996. Vote 178. Voting to destroy 176,000 M-1 Garand rifles from World War II, and 150 million rounds of 30 caliber ammunition, rather than giving them to the Federal Civilian Marksmanship program.
September 12, 1996. Vote 287. Voted to spend $21.5 million for a study on putting “taggants” in black and smokeless gunpowder.
September 12, 1996. Vote 290. Voted to make it a Federal crime to possess a gun within 1,000 yards of a school.
May 12, 1999. Vote 111. Voted to give the Treasury Department expansive new authority to regulate and keep records on gun shows and their participants, and criminalize many intrastate firearms transactions.
May 13, 1999. Vote 116. Voted to ban the importation of ammunition clips that can hold more than 10 rounds.
May 14, 1999. Vote 119. Voted to criminalize internet advertisements to sell legal firearms in a legal manner.
May 18, 1999. Vote 122. Voted to for Mandatory triggerlocks.
May 20, 1999. Vote 133. Voted to create new Federal regulation of pawn shops handling of guns.
May 20, 1999. Vote 134. Voted to give the Treasury Department expansive new authority to regulate and keep records on gun shows and their participants, and criminalize many intrastate firearms transactions. The vote was 50-50, with Vice President Gore casting the tie-breaking vote.
May 20, 1999. Vote 140. Voted for the Clinton Juvenile Justice bill, which contained a package of gun control measures.
July 29, 1999. Vote 224. Voted to close debate on the Clinton Juvenile Justice bill, which contained a package of gun control measures.
February 2, 2000. Vote 4. Voted to make firearms manufacturers and distributors’ debts nondischargeable in bankruptcy if they were sued because they unknowingly sold guns to individuals who used the gun in a crime. 68 Senators voted against Reid’s position, including 17 Democrats including Bryan of Nevada.
March 2, 2000. Vote 27. Voted to say that school violence was due to the fact that Congress “failed to pass reasonable, common-sense gun control measures” and call for new gun ownership restrictions on the anniversary of the Columbine shootings.
March 2, 2000. Vote 28. Voted to say that school violence was due to the fact that Congress “failed to pass reasonable, common-sense gun control measures” and call for new gun ownership restrictions on the anniversary of the Columbine shootings (reconsideration of vote 27).
March 2, 2000. Vote 32. Voted to use Federal taxpayer funds to hand out anti-gun literature in schools and to run anti-gun public service announcements.
April 6, 2000. Vote 64. Voted for a gun control package including new onerous restrictions on gun shows.
April 7, 2000. Vote 74. Voted against an amendment to provide for the enforcement of existing gun laws in lieu of new burdensome gun control mandates.
May 16, 2000. Vote 100. Voted to commend the participants of the so-called “Million Mom March” for their demand for more Federal restrictions on firearms ownership, and to urge the passage of strict gun control measures.
May 17, 2000. Vote 102. Vote to overturn the ruling of the chair that the Daschle amendment (commending the participants of the so-called “Million Mom March” for their demand for more Federal restrictions on firearms ownership, and to urge the passage of strict gun control measures) was out of order.
May 17, 2000. Vote 103. Voted against an amendment stating “the right of each law-abiding United States citizen to own a firearm for any legitimate purpose, including self-defense or recreation, should not be infringed.”
May 17, 2000. Vote 104. Voted for an amendment commending the participants of the so-called “Million Mom March” for their demand for more Federal restrictions on firearms ownership, and to urge the passage of strict gun control measures.
February 26, 2004. Vote 17. Voted for mandatory triggerlocks.
March 2, 2004. Vote 25. Voted for Federal regulation of gun shows.
July 28, 2005. Vote 207. Voted for mandatory triggerlocks.
March 5, 2009. Vote 83. Voted against a ban on the United Nations imposing taxes on American citizens after France and other world leaders proposed a global tax on firearms.
“What happened to the NRA?”
C’mon Laz, this crap has been going down at the NRA for 40 years at least.
They’ve never worked foe us; its always been money and power and global everything.
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The June edition of American Hunter had a pic of Reid and LaPierre at a ribbon cutting ceromony for a gun range...
La Pierre said Reid has been a good friend to gun owners...
Will not be donating to NRA for a few years because of this....
I have been a life member of the N.R.A. for decades and I am disgusted by the organization. The listing of all of the anti-gun efforts of Harry Reid should cause the N.R.A. to be doing everything it could to get him out of office.
Neil Knox recognized that Wayne LaPierre had become corrupted by the D.C. insider environment. Knox always supported his own list of candidates when it was time to vote for new board members.
Money is tight right now, but I will renew my G.O.A. membership which I had allowed to lapse. It will be difficult to get through to the N.R.A or I.L.A. because I know that their phones are going to be ringing off the hook. I will call until I get someone on the phone. I will also write them and I will try not to include the profanity I am thinking now. Talk about a bunch of sell-outs.
“Has Wayne LaPierre received some offer-that-cannot-be-refused ?”
I’m thinking it is photos of LaPierre & Al Gore in a relaxed moment...
Once the campaign money starts flowing to Reid and the Vegas unions, do you really expect Angle to have a chance? As mentioned elsewhere in this thread, everyone has a price, and Reid is a master at the greenback shuffle.
How can Wayne LaPierre justify this statement? I am sure if it weren't video taped he'd deny he said it. This quote is all anyone needs to know about the morons running the NRA.
I’d really hate to walk on the balance owing on my EPL Life Membership in the NRA but that’s how it’s shaping up.
The NRA is dead to me. From now on, it’s junk mail goes straight into my trash can, especially donation requests.
I expect her to have a chance, because this is America and there is a God in Heaven and sometimes the good guys actually do win, despite all the defeatists and doubters, who, BTW, do not usually make much of a contribution to the eventual victory. Believe.
“The NRA is about to become the SMALLEST oldest civil rights organization in America. People will quit by the 100’s of thousands.”
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You can’t quit the NRA, they won’t let you. - I tried in ‘96. I was a life member and resigned, but they continue to send their crap, and even send me a new membership card every year now! I have a stack of them about 3” tall.
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Neil Knox recognized that Wayne LaPierre had become corrupted by the D.C. insider environment. Knox always supported his own list of candidates when it was time to vote for new board members.
How right you are. Knox was really run out of the NRA because he spoke the truth, and they “couldn’t handle the truth”.
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I am a Life Member, strongly leaning toward resigning. Very strongly.
They kept you on their mailing list, but did you get a pro-rata refund of your previously paid in Life Membership dues?
“The Sierra Club started out with noble aims....”
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That’s pure BS!
The Sierra Club was always intended to destroy individual rights, and especially property rights.
The NRA never once stood up for individual gun rights. They brokered the 1968 atrocity, and most of what has followed.
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I'm a paid up life member, and keeping my membership drains NRA resources.
It's also sad to read some of the uninformed comments here.
Neal and others lead a revitalization of the NRA that saved the second amendment. Unfortunately, somewhere along the way Mr. LaPierre apparently became King.
When Neal and others began to question the Kings actions, they were banished, and the long slow decline of the NRA began.
I still hope and pray for a rebirth, but the King and his cronies are in firm control, and I see few challengers.
I just contacted Nra here is there reply.........
Thank you for contacting NRA-ILA regarding the recent reports that the NRA-Political Victory Fund (NRA-PVF) has endorsed U.S. Senator Harry Reid for reelection.
The NRA-PVF has not endorsed Senator Harry Reid. The NRA-PVF has not released ratings or endorsements for the Nevada Senate race at this point. Ratings and endorsements will be decided closer to the election. You can find our most recent ratings and endorsements at www.nrapvf.org.
In 2004, Senator Reid’s last election, the NRA-PVF did not endorse him and he received a “B” rating: www.nrapvf.org/ELECTIONS/State.aspx?y=2004&State=NV. NRA-PVF has not contributed to Sen. Reid for reelection in this election cycle. However, as Senate Majority Leader, Sen. Reid has proven himself to be a supporter of our Second Amendment rights.
Early last year, Sen. Reid flatly stated that he would oppose any effort to reinstate an “assault weapons” ban if the Senate were to vote on it in the future. And Sen. Reid was instrumental in Senate passage (and eventual enactment into law) of the “Protection of Lawful Commerce in Arms Act” (PLCAA), which shut down reckless lawsuits against gun manufacturers and dealers, that attempted to hold them liable for the misuse of firearms by criminals. Sen. Reid also cosponsored S. 659 (PLCCA) in the 108th Congress and voted against “poison pill” amendments to it, including the Feinstein Amendment to ban so-called “assault weapons”, and the Kennedy Amendment that would have banned most hunting ammunition.
Sen. Reid voted for legislation that became law in 2006, to prohibit gun confiscation during states of emergency. He also voted for legislation to allow commercial airline pilots to be armed in the cockpit to protect their passengers and crew. In this congressional session, Sen. Reid voted for the Ensign Amendment to repeal the Washington D.C. gun ban and restore self-defense rights in our nation’s capital. He cosponsored similar legislation—S. 1414—in the 108th Congress. He also voted for an amendment to allow law-abiding citizens to carry firearms for self-defense in national parks and wildlife refuges. This federal policy change just took effect on February 22. In addition, Sen. Reid voted last year for the Thune-Vitter Amendment to provide national reciprocity for state Right-to-Carry permits. Sen. Reid also voted twice for the Wicker Amendment allowing Amtrak passengers to include firearms in their checked luggage. A vote on all of these amendments was made possible procedurally by Harry Reid in his capacity as Senate Majority Leader. Finally, Sen. Reid was among the 58 Senators who signed the pro-gun congressional amicus brief in the McDonald v. Chicago case, just argued before the U.S. Supreme Court on March 2, to decide whether the Second Amendment applies to states and localities.
Thank you for contacting us and please keep an eye out for our grades and endorsements as the election nears.
Sincerely,
Kyle C
NRA-ILA Grassroots Division
I just spoke to a guy at I.L.A. He assured me that the N.R.A. was not supporting Harry Reid and that Reid would be getting a D rating from the N.R.A.
I asked whether he had seen the list of anti-Second Amendment votes that Reid has cast over the years. He said that he had and that he had seen the blog that I was referring to.
I think the calls protesting LaPierre’s duplicity should continue. Now I will write to him and tell him just how sleazy he has become over the years. The N.R.A. should not ever support a gun control law. The first time they did that was the first sign that they were becoming corrupt. Now they just stink and LaPierre should resign.
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