[E36M3]

Just read in the paper today that our US Congress Republican Candidate supports extending the AWB. I recently moved here and jumped right into the local organization with some good experience from my previous place of residence ready to pound the pavement. I'm posting here to kinda test-market my thoughts, I guess. Here's the email that I shot off this morning:

Dear * and *:
I very, very much appreciate your warm welcome to the local Party, but I'm going to have to back out. I read today that * * opposes the expiration of the "Assault" Weapons Ban which is a very Democrat thing to say. I can't get behind that at all so I'll be returning all signs today. Nothing personal, but I'm not swaying an inch from my principles.
Thanks again. I'm going to just focus on my business and family for now. If I ever do get involved again, it'll be as a Candidate running on a serious Conservative platform. I may have under (or over) estimated * * , but I strongly feel that I represent a lot of people out there. Republicans in Name Only do no one any good and I can't be a part of it.
Best wishes.
Sincerely,

* *

[artherd]

I'm annoyed by any infringment on my right to keep and bear, by anyone.

[Foreign Devil]

I think it proves that we barely got rid of the ban, only through the sunset clause are we seeing its well deserved death.

[Pilgrim]

I think it would have been worthwhile to point out in your e-mail to the local Republican machine that Bill Clinton acknowledged that passage of the AWB cost him control of the House of Representatives.

Pilgrim

[E36M3]

This just sent to the Candidate:

Dear *:
I just wanted to mention that I read in the * * today that you support extending the "Assault" Weapons Ban. Most would just do their thing and let it go, but I feel that you might like to hear from a future constituent (you're definitely winning) who's thinking represents a lot of people out there.
I won't bore you with the details of gun control, Constitutional Rights and so on, but I moved to * strictly over these sorts of issues which certainly carry over into just about every other area where accountability, personal responsibility and self-reliance are concerned. I had signs posted on my lawn until today when I returned them all. I've also removed myself from any local political involvement.
I and many others take this real seriously. Many Republicans and some Democrats have the courage to take a firm stand on common sense and I will only support those who embrace principle and moral courage. Everyone's free to think whatever they like, but (in my humble opinion) Republicans need to be Republicans or no one is served. I've heard that the AWB is what cost Clinton control over Congress, although I haven't confirmed that myself. It'd be something interesting to look into.
Best wishes.
Sincerely,

* *

[Dbl0Kevin]

Why not tell us who it is? :confused:

[E36M3]

It's really somewhat personal being that I was involved and am now horribly disappointed. I'll post a response from him if I get one and I may mention his name if I don't like it. I may also mention his name if I don't get a response. There's always that chance that I'm off base in some way so I don't want to jump the gun. Time will tell.

[publius]

Speaking of R's who support the mean looking weapons ban, here's something (http://www.newsmax.com/archives/articles/2004/9/12/190433.shtml) I did not recall from back then:

Just over a year after the San Francisco shootings, President Bill Clinton signed Feinstein's bill into law. It banned the sale of 19 specific semiautomatic weapons and ammunition clips of 10 rounds or more.

Former Presidents Gerald Ford, Jimmy Carter and Ronald Reagan wrote to all members of the House to encourage them to pass the ban at the time.

Et tu, Ronnie? We're having our party today on thin ice.

[Bubbles]

E36 - let me see if I can change your mind. I'm a member of my local Republican party despite Senator John Warner co-sponsoring the AWB extension bill. I'm a member because:

- It's easier to find out who the RINO's are at the local level, and knock them out of office or prevent them from winning in the first place.

- Money given to the local Party doesn't go to the Federal level.

- Your state and local officials will learn your name and face, and will pay more attention to your opinion.

- I've got two state legislators coming to me to help them write pro-gun bills for the Virginia General Assembly session next January.

- The local Party is a great vehicle to use as another way to put pressure on elected officials. I don't know about in PA, but in VA when the local Party passes a resolution or takes a stance, legislators pay attention.

- If, as you say, you want to run for office, a history of working with the local Party will help. People who join just to become candidates typically aren't viewed well; they haven't paid their "sweat equity".

So, I ask that you give it some more thought.

[Black Snowman]

All of my locals are RINOs, all the Dems are anti-gun, so I'm voting Lib for the locals and Repub for the feds. Do your research and tell them why they aren't getting your support, otherwise they won't know and won't change.

[emc]

Richard Lugar, Senator for Indiana, and allegedly Republican is most definitely a RINO. He's made it clear that facts, etc., don't make a bit of difference to him, as long as he can continue to get favorable press from the NY Times, Washington Post, and get media attention for his periodic pontification regarding foreign affairs. He definitely doesn't listen to gunowners. :fire:

FWIW,

emc

[E36M3]

Thanks Bubbles. Extremely good advice, but I've been there/done that. Made a clear decision today to let it all go and move on. I'm totally disgusted and have removed myself from any possible political involvement. It's a disgrace and I'm not willing to take anymore of my time away from family and work.
Done.

[txgho1911]

I have halfway made my mind to show up at lugars charity event this weekend with a sign " go home to DC dick"

[RealGun]

RINO is often not a fair or appropriate pejorative. While generally conservative as centrists or right wingers, there are at least three major categories of "conservatives", social, ecomonic, and constitutional. In any one individual, those sentiments may be mutually exclusive. The umbrella nature of a major party would allow for many variations. All you have to do is review the platform for platitudes and weasel wording to see how noncommital the party really is. That is not to say that the Democrats are any more pure in their positions.

One simply finds the party that best fits their views. They are not a despicable X-in-name-only just because they do not buy into the whole package or fail to align with an extreme wing.

[Black Snowman]

Excatly RealGun. Which is why you need to make sure you know what your candiates stand for.

[S Roper]

I'm with RealGun. Republican is hardly synonomous with conservative, and even conservatives are a pretty diverse bunch (http://www.worldmag.com/displayarticle.cfm?id=8028).

I tend towards "cultural conservative" myself with some libertarian tendencies.

[emc]

The point that many of us are trying to make with the descriptive term RINO is that all too many of our elected representatives are holding themselves out to be what they are not, when their ads and campaigns are compared against their voting records. The two senators from Indiana are classic examples of this. Lugar particularly likes to parade around as a conservative when back here, but his voting record is something altogether different. Given the difficulty for the typical voter of tracking senatorial and congressional voting records, I believe that this gives cover to these people to do as they wish. Lugar's website in particular doesn't list various controversial bits of legislation that he's signed on to. It was only a very quick passing reference on a short radio news spot (which was NOT repeated) that triggered my interest in seeing what he was doing sponsoring legislation to give preferential treatment to illegal aliens in regards to educational costs. (The Dream Act) After some digging, I was able to find that. It doesn't appear on his website, however, and the typical voter wouldn't go to that much effort to find out, and it's my belief that their advisers know this and instruct them accordingly.

Evan Bayh (Democrat) campaigned under the motto of "Hoosier Values," but his voting record has been anything BUT that. There have been virtually no occasions when he has not voted in lockstep with his party, regardless of how injurious that vote would be, whether to our liberties, or to the economy of his own allegedly home state. Obviously not a RINO, but definitely not the somewhat conservative Democrat that he likes to portray himself as.

So, given circumstances such as these, it is not surprising that we would make use of a term such as RINO. The issue of deception is crucial in our perception of these people, since they certainly do not truthfully present themselves to their constituents.

FWIW,

emc

[RealGun]

So, given circumstances such as these, it is not surprising that we would make use of a term such as RINO. The issue of deception is crucial in our perception of these people, since they certainly do not truthfully present themselves to their constituents. - emc

Yes, but what standard is relative to how they voted? If they don't vote family values for "social conservatives", for example, does that mean they are RINOS? Other legitimate Republicans could be indifferent to a specific issue.

Reference to legislators voting in a partisan way concerns a different phenomenon, I think. With that, the credibility and integrity of the entire Congress are called into question.

To me, a RINO is simply a person hard to distinguish from a Democrat, but we would have to be careful how we define Republicans. A RINO is not necessarily someone who disagrees with us on one issue or class of issues. Big business Republicans are more economic conservatives and could very much clash with the priorities of social or constitutional conservatives. None of them are RINOS in a pejorative sense. A left wing liberal is a better target for such a label.

Thinking in terms of how the Dems must view Zell Miller would perhaps clarify the concept. Sen. Jeffords actually made good on his RINO status and officially bowed out of the party.