Posted on 04/15/2014 7:48:01 PM PDT by re_tail20
Michael R. Bloomberg, making his first major political investment since leaving office, plans to spend $50 million this year building a nationwide grass-roots network to motivate voters who feel strongly about curbing gun violence, an organization he hopes can eventually outmuscle the National Rifle Association.
Mr. Bloomberg, the former mayor of New York, said gun control advocates need to learn from the N.R.A. and punish those politicians who fail to support their agenda — even Democrats whose positions otherwise align with his own.
“They say, ‘We don’t care. We’re going to go after you,’ ” he said of the N.R.A. “ ‘If you don’t vote with us we’re going to go after your kids and your grandkids and your great-grandkids. And we’re never going to stop.’ ”
He added: “We’ve got to make them afraid of us.”
The considerable advantages that gun rights advocates enjoy — in intensity, organization and political clout — will not be easy to overcome. Indeed, Mr. Bloomberg has already spent millions of dollars trying to persuade members of Congress to support enhanced background check laws with virtually nothing to show for it.
What is more, for many gun owners, the issue is a deeply personal one that energizes them politically, said Larry Pratt, executive director of Gun Owners of America, who dismissed the mayor’s plans.
“He’s got the money to waste,” Mr. Pratt said. “So I guess he’s free to do so. But frankly, I think he’s going to find out why his side keeps losing.”
The N.R.A. had no comment.
Mr. Bloomberg’s blueprint reimagines the way gun control advocates have traditionally confronted the issue. Rather than relying so heavily on television ad campaigns, Mr. Bloomberg will put a large portion of his resources into the often-unseen field operations that have been effective for groups...
(Excerpt) Read more at nytimes.com ...
An egomaniacal billionaire with too much time on his hands looking to burn a hole in his pocket.
I absolutely encourage Mike Bloomberg to finance his anti-gun obsession. Most of the country doesn’t want it.
He’s nuts.
In other words he will shift his focus into indoctrinating the upcoming generation into believing that guns shoot people, not people holding guns.
That and making sure he and his bodyguards are exempt from the law.
I occurs to me that Bloomberg has kids, and grand kids. Just sayin.
Diabetes kills more people each year than guns. If Bloomberg were a man of principle he’d continue his crusade against sugary soft drinks.
Don’t underestimate the pompous little napoleon. He’s smart. Authoritarian, self-righteous, and with an ego that rivals that of dear leader. But quite smart.
While the NRA is prominent at the national level, most gun control is at the state and local level. We’re already in some fights at that level as a result.
Bloomie is a tyrant. If I were him , I would worry about someone determined that none of his DNA survives. This would be turnabout is fair play for the way the left has acted for the last 100 years. Hope it does not come to that, but I am not confident.
“Don’t underestimate the pompous little napoleon. He’s smart. Authoritarian, self-righteous, and with an ego that rivals that of dear leader. But quite smart.”
Smart? Well heck, even a dummy knows that being ‘smart’ is subjective”.
In short he's going to 'buy' a fake 'grassroots' group. Then he going to try to curb guns... which has NOTHING to do with curbing violence.
When Mayor Doomberg publicly...and repeatedly...announces his home address *and* that his home is *completely* gun free zone I'll accept the sincerity of his campaign.Until then,he's just another multi millionaire Second Amendment hypocrite.
Did he ever think that the voters who own firearms may soon outnumber the voters who don’t?
Good!
I love watching Lib’s prove their stupidity with their own money for a change.
Goonberg will be hiring 'young people' and union goons trying to create an organization that looks like concerned citizens. That's my guess based on all the other fat cat liberals who attempt the same thing.
Of course the 'young people' will all be on the millionaire elite's payroll. That's as 'grassroots as a large company. One big fake job. If he wants to 'curb' violence he could start with the gang bangers who DO most of the violence. But that's no where near as much fun as taking guns away from middle class Americans. Eff you Goonberg,Bloomberg or what ever...
He’s a nut.
Every gun owner in the USA should send his/her favorite pro-2A group a buck for every gun they own!
Estimates are between 250 and 300 million shotguns, rifles and pistols in private ownership in the USA.
That might show Doomberg what he is up against!
What? He’s going to pay each $35/yr member $5 to quit?
He doesn’t get it. The NRA has no power. It’s merely the expression of the power that members (and the 10 non-members for each of them) have in terms of opinion and votes .
“He added: “We’ve got to make them afraid of us.””
Uh, Mr. Bloomberg?
Guess which side is VERY well armed? And being this way has a wonderful effect on being fearful...
Most of that would be wet money seeing as how most of the guns in America were lost in boating accidents in the past year or so. I have been taking scuba diving lessons. In a month or two I should be licensed to dive for firearms. Yippee!
LOL!
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