Side bars need to go to PMs or start another thread of their own.
They did this in Miller
Yet, in neither case was the NRA on board from the beginning. IIRC they refused to join Heller until it looked like it was a sure thing. Then they had bragging rights. Had it looked like a loser, they wouldn't have joined and been able to say "See? We knew we shouldn't waste our time and money!"Let's see....
Heller... win
McDonnald... win
I think the NRA knows how to play the game to win and strategizes well enough.
In any case, I stopped supporting them a while back and only donate to GOA now.
Of three NRA board members I contacted, only one confirmed "explicitly and directly" receiving any sort of directive that could be interpreted as a "gag order" regarding Kagan. But all three sources confirmed that NRA board members actively opposed to Sotomayor's confirmation have been severely chastised "to the degree that they would not speak out against Kagan" (as one board member – who requested anonymity – told me)....
Out of curiosity, when have the NRA board of directors been called to testify in a SCOTUS confirmation hearing? This is the second red herring issue I have seen involving the NRA in two weeks. First the non issue involving the DISCLOSE act, now this.
GOA exists to collect money for itself, and undermine the NRA.
If you're in a battle, the guy who spends all his time shooting at your ally is not your ally. He's your enemy.
RAF......
Brother, I am on the NRA BoD.......
This is nonsense and untrue.
Joe
... The NRA is carved out and gets a special deal in this bill. The NRA is all about protecting the Second Amendment, but apparently its leaders don’t care about protecting the First Amendment. That’s very disappointing.
http://johnboehner.house.gov/News/DocumentSingle.aspx?DocumentID=192240
Libertarian said:Yet, in neither case was the NRA on board from the beginning. IIRC they refused to join Heller until it looked like it was a sure thing. Then they had bragging rights. Had it looked like a loser, they wouldn't have joined and been able to say "See? We knew we shouldn't waste our time and money!"
If John Boehner suddenly cares so much about the First Amendment then I suggest that he join the ACLU. The NRA is a Second Amendment advocacy group.
"NRA Members of New York,
There are a myriad of rumors regarding the NRA cluttering the internet but one in particular is causing me personal anguish. That rumor reports that the NRA staff has issued a gag order to the NRA Board of Directors regarding comments on the nomination of Elena Kagen to the Supreme Court. Let me explain something about the structure of the NRA; authority to do anything within the NRA comes from you the members of the NRA. That authority is delegated to your elected Board of Directors who in turn elects officers and formulate policy that is then issued to the Executive Vice President/CEO who then turns that policy into action through the professional staff. Gag orders for the Board of Directors do not exist.
Friends; those of you close to me should know by now that telling me I can’t speak up on an issue of vital importance to the 2nd Amendment is going to get you into a war. I spoke vociferously regarding the nomination of Sonya Sotomayor to the Supreme Court; in fact I joined a number of national 2nd Amendment leaders protesting the appointment and urging through a nationally published letter she not be confirmed. I did that because of her ties to New York State and the position she took, on then recent, anti 2nd Amendment decisions. I have not taken a position on Elena Kagen’s nomination to the Supreme Court because I find it absurd that anyone with no judicial experience would be nominated to the Supreme Court and fervently hope the Republican Senators will block this nomination.
The 2nd Amendment protects all the rest. Why would the NRA, the protector of the 2nd Amendment, attempt to limit the 1st Amendment rights of its’ own Board of Directors? It does not but if you think the Board members you voted for could be gagged then you voted for the wrong guys.
Tom King
NRA Board of Directors
President
I have to agree. The NRA has enough on its plate without taking on 1A issues. That's a matter for the ACLU...and of course, the voting public.