Posted on 06/13/2016 3:32:14 PM PDT by jazusamo
A former Republican senator is endorsing Hillary Clinton for president after the mass shooting in Orlando, Fla., citing her support for gun control.
Former Sen. Larry Pressler (R-S.D.) called for universal background checks on all gun sales and an assault weapons ban Monday in the wake of the deadliest mass shooting in U.S. history.
“I can’t believe I’m endorsing Hillary Clinton for president, but I am,” said Pressler, who spoke with The Hill on Monday after endorsing Clinton in a statement issued over the weekend.
“This morning, I woke up and told my wife, ‘Did I really do that?’” he said. "But I did.”
“If someone had told me 10 years ago I would do this, I wouldn’t have believed them."
Pressler, a moderate Republican who served three terms in the Senate before losing his seat to Democrat Tim Johnson in 1997, said he believes voting for Clinton is the “responsible thing to do.”
He said he feels disenfranchised by Donald Trump, the presumptive Republican nominee, and modern-day congressional Republicans who have opposed efforts to expand background checks for gun sales.
“We need to go the route of more gun control as a result of Orlando and all the other shootings that have occurred,” Pressler said. “But it’s almost as though Republicans are saying gun control shouldn’t be part of the conversation at all."
But gun control isn’t the only reason why Pressler is ready to join “Republicans for Clinton” — he’s also concerned about Trump’s rhetoric on Muslims.
“This election is starting to sound like the German elections in [1933],” Pressler said. “This is a very dangerous national conversation we’re slipping into.”
Pressler, a Mormon Sunday school teacher, said he understands all too well the dangers of signaling out a particular religious group.
In 1838, Missouri Gov. Lilburn Boggs ordered Mormons to be killed, which forced many to leave the state before eventually resettling in Salt Lake City, Utah.
Trump makes “Mormons very nervous,” Pressler said.
"Mormons are the only religious group besides the Jews who have been ordered by the government to be extinguished, killed,” he said.
“The worst thing is for Republicans to be silent,” Pressler added. “A lot of Republicans are just saying, ‘I’ll sit it out, I won’t vote.’ Or, ‘I’ll vote for a third-party candidate.’ But if they don’t vote, they are giving more power to dark forces.”
the Mormon leader of the church is against trump that is why you have all theses Mormons coming out against trump. the religion has a very tight control over those that adhere to it and involved in politics. that is why you have the likes of glen beck and Mit Romney acting the way they are. you will see others in the church come out for Hillary or just not vote.
WTF is wrong with these freaking Mormons?
Worse, this fool is comparing Mormons to all the Muslims Obama is bringing in? This guy is a retard.
Thinking the same thing.
They know they are about to lose their cash cow-the federal government.
10% of the gross of everything the Mormons make is to go to the church. Doesnt matter how they make it, its just give 10% to the church.
How does anyone think Harry “the mob boss” Reid has survived in that “Church” for so long without being kicked out? They dont care, its money.
Yep. Wanna wager 5 cents he’s a Glenn Beck fanatic Cruzer who never got over his TDS?
That crossed my mind also, either he doesn’t know Mormon history or he chooses to ignore it.
He is Harvard Law.
In this case, "Mormon" has one too many "M's" in it.
Oh, he knows it, alright.
Post # 30 ~ This is the real GOPe. ~
Another uniparty hack (has been)and that is why I didn’t bother to research this loser’s voting record, I suspect I know what I would find...
Is this critter so egotistical as to believe the endorsement has ANY value whatsoever?
No surprise he’s still tied to Clinton. Pressler was the author of Bill Clinton’s Telecommunication Act of 1996, which while promising deregulation & media diversity gave us consolidation and a monopoly.
Key word being “former.”
Pressler, a Mormon Sunday school teacher, said he understands all too well the dangers of signaling out a particular religious group.
There you go. I have never been a Mormon “hater” but at this point I see ZERO reason for any Trump supporter to vote for ANY Mormon Republican.
Really Pressler? I guess the American Indians don’t count as a religious group eh?
And Mormons are the only religious group besides the Muslims who have committed mass murder in this country on behalf of their religion.
Is he the guy who turned down the ABSCAM bribe?
Senator Larry Pressler (R-SD) refused to take the bribe, saying at the time, “Wait a minute, what you are suggesting may be illegal.”
He reported the incident to the FBI. When Walter Cronkite referred to him on the evening news as a “hero” he stated, “I do not consider myself a hero... what have we come to if turning down a bribe is ‘heroic’?”
A real “Whore with a heart of gold” he be.
Would you look at that, The establishment feels “disenfranchised”.
SD has bad water?
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