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.
Ditto. I’m a member, but not a lilfe member. If this happens I will never give NRA another cent!
Ditto. I’m a member, but not a lilfe member. If this happens I will never give NRA another cent!
Read your post that I replied to.
You obviously are not familiar with how the NRA has back-stabbed us every day for as long as we’ve been alive.
Now if you read the Redstate comments section, several people did call the NRA 1-800-392-8683 and the NRA denied the story and said they would never endorse Reid....
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Yours is the only worthwhile post in the whole thread so far!
I can't believe NRA supporters are the type to go off half-cocked :)
“I can’t believe NRA supporters are the type to go off half-cocked”.
####
We aren’t.
The puff-piece on Reid in their magazines is what a logical, non “half-cocked” person would deem substantive evidence of a trend.
Exactly! I've been saying, for many many years, that the NRA is the Jesse Jackson of the gun rights issue. They need to have gun laws on the books so that they have their "paper tiger" to fight and the ability to keep the cash flowing in......
Setting the Reid ‘endorsement’ aside for now, do you have any concerns about the recent actions of the NRA? Do you have any rebuttal to the information about the NRA board schism in the link at post 6?
No, no refunds.
Something always bugged me about the NRA. It looked fine on the outside and I really support the alleged purpose of the organization, but something always kept me from pulling the trigger on my check book.
Guess I was having premonitions about what is now happening in the NRA.
Hey, Wayne, great way to keep ordinary people from ever trusting you.
That will do it for me!
“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.”
.
Words are cheap!
Reid has never been in our corner, and every jerk-wad traitor at the NRA knows that, and they have promised him a “B” rating for this election.
Once the campaign money starts flowing to Reid and the Vegas unions, do you really expect Angle to have a chance?
Certainly not by the NRA.
As much as I distrust the NRA, I suspect this is just a campaign to ensure that the NRA goes the right way.
Two things MONEY and POWER. Wayne has turned out to be a shill for dem/libs. NRA has been successfully inflitrated. Next thing you know NRA will be backing dem legislation limiting 2nd Amendment “for the good of the nation”.
Then again it could be a very good Rope-A-Dope act against the libs. Doubtful...
If you’re trying for the “Useful Idiot” award, you’re the current front runner....
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Really NRA? You're going to endorse this BS? Do so at your own peril.
Sure man. NRA denials notwithstanding let’s all write a bunch of negative stuff about the NRA for an endorsement the NRA says they are not making and would never make — but we are pretending they are. Let’s attack the most effective interest group non-profit on our side. You know the one the politicians are actually afraid of.
I am a Patron level Life Member of the NRA. If they endorse Reid, I’ll quit.
I don’t understand why the NRA would do this? Of course, I never understood why the Catholic Church supported Democrats over pro-life Republicans either. Why in the world would the NRA think that Reid would be true to his word and not support Democratic laws removing guns from regular citizens? I am beginning to wonder about paybacks and possibly information about the NRA’s top people. I guess I am getting too jaded.
The NRA has emailed 3 separate explanations for their Disclose Act position to me and no doubt to millions of other members. One I received on 6/18 was from Chris Cox. It stated that the NRA, being a single issue organization, did what it considered best for its membership and its continued ability to defend the 2nd amendment. In short, the NRA sold out the rights and liberty of the American people, making a deal with the devil, in order to be exempt from the lefts’ underhanded attempt to get around a Supreme Court decision. I consider this sleazy and contemptible to say the least. I informed the NRA that I would NOT be renewing my membership or the insurance I currently carry through them. The fact that the NRA has issued so many explanatory statements indicates that I’m not alone in my decision. The NRA has done a great deal to help secure the God given, 2nd amendment supported rights of American citizens. But I cannot abide selling out the rights of millions. No one at the NRA will lose sleep over the loss of my membership income. But I DO hope tens of thousands of other members share my beliefs and will follow my example.
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