Democrats are gun-friendly

[Bartholomew Roberts]

WASHINGTON — Republicans retained their hold on the Senate for two more years Tuesday though by a narrower margin, as Democrats boasted history-making triumphs by first lady Hillary Rodham Clinton in New York and a dead governor in Missouri.

You realize the news article you are quoting refers to the 2000 Senate elections? i.e. - 6 years and three elections after the AWB passed the Senate?

One reason that there was gun control during Clinton/Gore was Columbine. This created a great pressure for it.

Actually almost all of the gun control passed during the Clinton/Gore admininstration was passed BEFORE Columbine. 1994 was a banner year for gun control for example.

I think the national party knows it is a loser issue. I believe as a result of Gov. Dean's 50 state strategy you'll see a shift in this issue in the party.

I certainly hope you are correct; but given Gov. Dean's own shift away from pro-gun issues during his primary run, I remain less optimistic.

I believe that they have come to understand that pandering to the gun control wishes of urbanized states with large numbers of electoral votes will not give them as much success as trying to get votes everywhere.

I believe that the current Democratic party thinks they can pursue the same legislative goals without being punished by pro-gun voters if they just wrap it up in a fancier package. Hopefully, they will realize we aren't all ignorant yokels and can recognize the difference between words and action. Here is to hoping the Democratic party reforms and shows some action on the issue.

 

[hwp]

Ok lostone is in the wrong decade. Check your info. The deciding vote on the AWB was algore. Remember yet?

and this surprised me

Democrat House members with GOA rating of A or B:

Alabama - Cramer
Arkansas - Ross
Louisiana - Melancon
Maine - Michaud
Minnesota - Peterson
Mississippi - Taylor
Ohio - Strickland
Tennessee - Davis, Gordon, Tanner
Virginia - Boucher
West Virginia - Mollohan, Rahall

I am glad at least 6.47% of house Democrats are pro gun. That number is lower than the amount of full blown communist in the Democrat side of the house. Hardly a number to get excited about. How anyone that likes guns/shooting/the 2nd amendment enough to come on THR and still votes for these fools is beyond me.

It is a cultural problem in the democatic party. Of the eye-popping 13 out of 201 Democrats in the house that are considered gun friendly only two come from outside the south.

I sure can't see how the Democrats appeal to anyone except urban liberals, minorities, and the ever shrinking organized labor elements. Two elections in a row and the Democrats only get votes from urban dumps. That tells me all I need to know.

 

[RealGun]

Yes, but i am a little queesy at that prospect too. the 2A is a FEDERAL guarantee of rights...not a state-by-state guarantee.

Then freedom of speech, property rights et al can also not be protected from infringement by States, even if guaranteed by a State constitution. Folks need to acknowledge the Civil War and its outcome, fully considering what the 14th Amendment really says.

See http://www.stephenhalbrook.com/law_review_articles/right-to-keep.html

quoting the concluding paragraphs:

" Thus, the states may regulate certain aspects of the exercise of the right to keep and bear arms, but may not prohibit its exercise altogether.

Conclusion

Supreme Court jurisprudence coupled with the intent of the Framers makes clear that the Second Amendment guarantees the right of law-abiding individuals to keep and bear arms. The Fourteenth Amendment incorporates the Second Amendment so as to protect this right from state infringement. As Americans celebrate the Bicentennial of the Bill of Rights, it is evident that the Second Amendment is not an embarrassing relic to hide in the closet, but is as essential to human freedom as is any other fundamental right."

For further good reading, back up to the index page at http://www.stephenhalbrook.com/articles.html

 

[RealGun]

I'd say among the voters that pro or neutral gun rights Democrats are in the majority.- Hollowdweller

If this is even remotely true, they will have to insist that Democrats in Congress and other levels of legislature back off on the issue of gun control. Otherwise it appears to be a ludicrous argument, a lie hoping to gain votes...a smile on your face and a knife behind your back.

 

[buzz_knox]

The Republicans didn't gain control of the Senate until the November 1994 election. The AWB passed two months before that, in September 1994 under a Democratic-controlled Senate. Sorry, but you're simply wrong about the Republican-controlled Senate being partly responsible for the AWB.

To complete the picture, Clinton credited passage of the AWB and efforts of the NRA as giving the Republicans the Senate.

 

[Master Blaster]

yes they are they are so friendly that they have offered to store all of you guns for you, so you and your children wont get hurt by them.

And here is a picture of them in 2004, they are smiling because they just voted to ban all armour piercing rifle rounds, You know like .30-.30 and anything more powerful than that.

 

[davec]

Eleanor Roosevelt packed heat, and was a good shot.

She carried for over 25 years.

Pro Gun Democrat.

 

[scout26]

Eleanor Roosevelt packed heat, and was a good shot.

She carried for over 25 years.

Pro Gun Democrat.

And quite dead. Also currently not running for any office.

Please try again.

How about this challenge: Name 5 (or more) Pro-Gun US Senators with a (D) after their name ?

 

[NotOneMore]

Another pro-gun Dem website - Amendment II Democrats

In fact, the site is trying something a little different - polling all candidates for the US House and Senate to find out how they'd vote on gun legislation:

http://www.a2dems.net/campaign2006/speakout-tx.htm

This is just the Texas candidates for now. I think I like this Dan Dodd feller.

Hopefully, more candidates will start weighing in soon. This project just got started a few weeks ago, so keep your fingers crossed...

 

[RealGun]

How about this challenge: Name 5 (or more) Pro-Gun US Senators with a (D) after their name ? - scout26

That's easy. According to GOA, there aren't any, and that's why pro-gun Dems in the House tend not to get any credit.

 

[NotOneMore]

What parameters will you use to define a pro-gun Democratic Senator?

If you want to use the 2004 vote to reauthorize the semi-auto ban, I can tell you that Russ Feingold, Harry Reid, and Mary Landrieu all voted against reauthorization. Does that help?

 

[fallingblock]

Absolutely not!

"Democrats are gun-friendly"
**********************************************************

Not at the national level, and increasingly not at the state level in the east and mid-western states.

Who's barrow is kentucky_smith pushing?

 

[Master Blaster]

In other news:

The sky is green with purple polka dots and two suns!!!

The moon is made of green cheese.

The check is in the mail.

 

[Bartholomew Roberts]

If you want to use the 2004 vote to reauthorize the semi-auto ban, I can tell you that Russ Feingold, Harry Reid, and Mary Landrieu all voted against reauthorization. Does that help?

Well, it is a little misleading since Russ Feingold also voted for Ted Kennedy's "Let's ban .30-30 ammo by name as armor piercing" amendment during the same debate.

 

[rangerruck]

so was al gore, before going national, Joe lieberman was pro school voucher, before going national, teddy was anti abortion, before going national, and prob having some of his girlfriends having some, even billary is talking about abortion being wrong and we need to do everything we can to limit abortions. now do you really believe her? 'cuz if you do i got some great stuff to sell you.

 

[Silver Bullet]

I looked up the Senate vote on the Gun Industry Shield, and I count Rs and Ds as follows:

Voting Republicans in favor of the Shield:
50 to 2, or 96.15%.

Voting Democrats in favor of the Shield:
14 to 29, or 32.56%.

Does that seem like gun-friendly Democrats to you ?

 

[Dan from MI]

I'm glad there are pro-2a Democrats.

That said, money talks, and leadership talks. John Conyers on judiciary? Chuck Schumer? Dianne Feinstein? The Levin brothers? Debbie Stabenow. Ted Kennedy? Hillary Clinton? Barack Obama? Dick Durbin? Carolyn McCarthy. John Kerry? How come I always see those names banning guns.

As for money, Moveon.org started as a gun grabbing and pro-Clinton organization - by two rich Californians. George Soros is the top Democrat funder in the country and started his own gun grabbing organization(and funds others).

If Democrats returned to the working class and Jeffersonian roots that their leadership ABANDONED for rich Manhattanites and Hollywood, I would consider them.

It was 2/3 republicans and 1/4 Democrats that got CCW in Michigan. It was Democrats who tried to derail it. 3/4 of the US senate Democrats voted to ban all centerfire ammunition. That was last year, and included "moderates" like Evan Bayh.

I'll stick with the Republicans. They aren't perfect, but they gave us conceal carry in Michigan. They stopped the gun show ban despite traitors like McCain.

And if it wasn't for Republicans, the ban on frivolous lawsuits would not ever happen.

 

[Dan from MI]

Thus, I'll repeat my challenge: I defy anyone to come up with 10 races -- in the history of U.S. politics -- where the D was better than the R on guns.

I can name two.

Sharon Renier vs Joe Schwarz (Congress, Michigan District 7). Schwarz won because conservatives split the primary vote. Renier was unpopular among a lot of Democrats because she was pro-gun and pro-life.

Glenn Poshard vs George Ryan (Illinois Governor).

 

[SIOP]

I looked up the Senate vote on the Gun Industry Shield, and I count Rs and Ds as follows:

Voting Republicans in favor of the Shield:
50 to 2, or 96.15%.

Voting Democrats in favor of the Shield:
14 to 29, or 32.56%.

Does that seem like gun-friendly Democrats to you ?

While that's true, it is also true that 20% of Senate Republicans voted FOR inclusion of an extension of the assault weapons ban when the act was being voted on in 2004.

 

[Dan from MI]

Let's not forget that Harry Reid and Mary Landrieu voted for the gun show ban that Klinton pushed through after Columbine. The only Democrat who supports gun shows is Max Baucus, and he caved on the AWB back in 93/94 (although has been better since)

The ONLY pro-2a Democrats in the senate are/were Zell Miller and Ben Nelson.

 

[mordechaianiliewicz]

Both Bill Clinton and Al Gore were from southern states with pro-gun outlooks.

Neither Bill Clinton nor Al Gore showed any signs at all being anti-gun until they got on a national stage.

Once in the White House, they comprised the most anti-gun administration in the 20th Century.

Let me put it very bluntly.

I am a college English instructor. I am from Arkansas, a state that's had only four Republican governors since the end of the Civil War. I even confess to having voted for Caligula Clinton in 1992.

If anyone, and I do mean anyone, should be the freakin' base of the Democrat party, it should be me. By all historical, occupational, and demographic indicators, I should be about as blue as a "blue stater" should get.

However, at present, I wouldn't walk across the street to pour stale piss on a Yellow Dog Democratic Candidate if he were on fire and yelling for help.

You want me back, Dems?

Then fundamentallly change the essential nature of the national party.

So the Dem Kentucky state reps are pro-gun?

Well yippee-freakin-skippee.

Do something about your damn national party.

hillbilly


Guess what hillbilly? Ain't happenin'. Kali, Illinois, and Neu York control the national party, and they aren't gonna let other Dems have the party back. The leftists are controlling the Party, much as Neo-Cons are controlling the Republicans, and refused to hand any control back to the more real Conservative or libertarian forces amongst them