Usually, I tend to agree that party matters. After all, if you look on my Twitter page you'll see my quoting Thaddeus Stevens-a truly great Republican-who said Principles be damned! Betray your principles and stand by your party!
I get tired of all the firebaggers at Jane Hamsher and Naked Capitalism-I like NC except when they get onto President Obama-with their endless litmus tests. If a Democrat does anything they or many liberals don't like they're demanding a primary. Right now the opposition to Obama is so personal for some firebaggers that they just want to beat him some way. Lately they've been talking about starting a party just about Social Security-preventing chained CPI, etc.
http://diaryofarepublicanhater.blogspot.com/2013/04/naked-capitalism-commentators-obama-is.html
However, on the matter of gun control I think this is an issue that resonates with most liberals. If we can't get even the most modest common sense gun control measures done after 20 first graders are mowed down in their classroom-along with 6 educators their to teach them-there's something wrong.
I normally agree with the pragmatic, big picture argument, and that's what Harry Reid is giving: the big picture argument.
"Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid’s aides met recently with staffers of New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg to warn them: Targeting vulnerable Democrats like Arkansas’s Mark Pryor on gun control could backfire on the party, several sources told POLITICO."
"Four Senate Democrats — Pryor, Max Baucus of Montana, Mark Begich of Alaska and Heidi Heitkamp of North Dakota — joined with Republicans to derail the bill, drawing howls of protest from the gun control movement and complaints from the White House."
Read more: http://www.politico.com/story/2013/05/bloomberg-pryor-gun-control-ads-democrats-90986.html#ixzz2ScB6etUG
I get tired of all the firebaggers at Jane Hamsher and Naked Capitalism-I like NC except when they get onto President Obama-with their endless litmus tests. If a Democrat does anything they or many liberals don't like they're demanding a primary. Right now the opposition to Obama is so personal for some firebaggers that they just want to beat him some way. Lately they've been talking about starting a party just about Social Security-preventing chained CPI, etc.
http://diaryofarepublicanhater.blogspot.com/2013/04/naked-capitalism-commentators-obama-is.html
However, on the matter of gun control I think this is an issue that resonates with most liberals. If we can't get even the most modest common sense gun control measures done after 20 first graders are mowed down in their classroom-along with 6 educators their to teach them-there's something wrong.
I normally agree with the pragmatic, big picture argument, and that's what Harry Reid is giving: the big picture argument.
"Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid’s aides met recently with staffers of New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg to warn them: Targeting vulnerable Democrats like Arkansas’s Mark Pryor on gun control could backfire on the party, several sources told POLITICO."
"It didn’t work."
"Ads from the Bloomberg-funded Mayors Against Illegal Guns are going up soon in Alaska, Arkansas and North Dakota — three states with Democratic senators who broke with the White House on last month’s background checks vote."
"The group is also moving as many as 60 field organizers into about a dozen states where senators — Democrats and Republicans — voted against bill, with the goal of building infrastructure and countering gun rights groups like the National Rifle Association."
"It’s all got Democrats nervous about keeping their hold on the Senate, if they are under attack from not only Republicans but pro-gun control forces as well. Gun control legislation gained new national momentum since last December’s shooting at Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown, Conn., that left 20 children and six adults dead, but advocates know they cannot overcome the power of the NRA on Capitol Hill unless those who oppose them pay an electoral price for doing so, and they’ve shown no sign of backing down.
Bloomberg’s group has made its choice: Its radio spots in Arkansas will target the state’s African-American community, “without which Mark Pryor doesn’t have a prayer of getting reelected,” said Mark Glaze, director of Mayors Against Illegal Guns."
"Four Senate Democrats — Pryor, Max Baucus of Montana, Mark Begich of Alaska and Heidi Heitkamp of North Dakota — joined with Republicans to derail the bill, drawing howls of protest from the gun control movement and complaints from the White House."
"But it’s Pryor’s fate that has Democratic leadership most worried.Senate Democrats point to the example of former Arkansas Democratic Sen. Blanche Lincoln as a warning. Labor unions, angered by Lincoln’s vote against legislation they backed, helped fund a primary challenger in 2010. Lincoln narrowly won that primary, and then was swamped that November by Republican John Boozman."
"Democratic senators and aides also note that Pryor has backed President Barack Obama and the leadership on other big issues such as Obamacare, banking reform and taxes, and Reid will need him on upcoming immigration votes."
Read more: http://www.politico.com/story/2013/05/bloomberg-pryor-gun-control-ads-democrats-90986.html#ixzz2ScB6etUG
It's a good point-opposing Pryor and other Dems who vote no could just get us a Republican Senator who will definitely vote no in the future. However, this time I agree with the activists. If the gun control groups can't demonstrate that they can execute payback, how can we hope to win this fight? Greg Sargent always emphasizes that gun control groups have to show that there's a price to pay in opposing such a commonsense measure as background checks.
The NRA has managed to do this: the lobby is probably feared well beyond what's even deserved which is a testament to their ability to convince everyone that the lobby is to be feared. If people fear it beyond what's even warranted, that's all to the better from their standpoint.
So groups like Bloomberg's and Gabrielle Giffords have to show the same ability. The argument that some Dems are making that the groups should praise Red State Dems who did vote for it misses the point. Sure that might be a good thing to also do as Gifford's group is doing. However, the point is also to influence those who voted against to change their vote. If enough pressure is brought to bear, we may even get Manchin-Toomey passed sooner rather than later.
For the record Harry Reid is not going soft on Manchin-Toomey and is interested in having some more votes on it. A few Senators may already be talking about switching their votes.
"Senate Democrats believe that they have several new votes in favor of a bill that would expand background checks for gun buyers, after weeks in which those who opposed the legislation faced strong political backlash at home."
Read more: http://www.politico.com/story/2013/05/bloomberg-pryor-gun-control-ads-democrats-90986_Page3.html#ixzz2ScEtIiGP
"…the bullish talk from Democrats — from leadership on down — is yet another indication that the party feels good about the fallout from the failed gun vote and is increasingly eager to try again."
"Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid prompted the latest round of legislative speculation during a sit down interview with The Las Vegas Review Journal this past weekend, a portion of which was provided to The Huffington Post."
“Joe Manchin called me yesterday,” Reid said. “He thinks he has a couple more votes.”
There's some good reason to think that this issue is starting to break in gun control advocate's favor. However, part of that effort is keeping pressure on those who voted on it-how else you you change their votes?
At this point if you're not ready to take a tough vote after 20 first graders got mowed down by a madman with an assault weapon, I think we're better off with you not in the Democratic party. As far as thanking Dems who voted for Manchin-Toomey, it's interesting that you don't see Republicans giving Dems who voted against it any credit:
"Mark Pryor doesn’t know what he believes,” said Brad Dayspring, communications director for the National Republican Senatorial Committee. “The same guy voted for [an assault weapons] ban just a few years ago, so it’s no wonder that the Bloomberg group is trying to pressure him. The larger the spotlight on the Second Amendment and the gun issue is in Arkansas, the brighter Pryor’s blatant hypocrisy shines.”
Read more: http://www.politico.com/story/2013/05/bloomberg-pryor-gun-control-ads-democrats-90986_Page3.html#ixzz2ScEtIiGP
The lesson is that you're going to get attacked no matter what you do so just vote your conscience.
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