Seriously: in what way was Saddam Hussein or the Taliban a greater threat to America than the terroristic motherfuckers of the NRA?
I asked a Democratic legislative staffer for a first-person
description of the NRA's power on the Hill. Here's the response I got,
on the condition that I not provide any further identifying information.
It's pretty breathtaking.
We do absolutely anything they ask and we NEVER cross
them—which includes asking permission to cosponsor any bills endorsed by
the Humane Society (the answer is usually no) and complying with their
demand to oppose the DISCLOSE Act, neither of which have anything to do
with guns. They've completely shut down the debate over gun control.
It's really incredible. I'm not sure when we decided that a Democrat in a
marginal district who loses his A rating from the NRA automatically
loses reelection. Because it's not like we do everything other partisan
organizations like the Chamber [of Commerce] or NAM [National
Association of Manufacturers] tell us to...
Pandering to the NRA is the probably worst part of my job. I can
justify the rest of it—not just to keep the seat, but because I believe
most of the positions he takes are consistent with what his constituents
want. But sucking up to the NRA when something like Colorado happens is
hard to stomach.
SNIP
The NRA's hold over American politics is a perfect symbol of right wing politics in the 21st century. They're thugs.
But at least someone is finally willing to mention the unmentionable.
Five days after a gunman killed 12 people in an
Aurora, Colo., movie theater, President Obama spoke at length about the
need for government action to reduce gun violence, including hinting at a
return to the assault weapons ban and tightening restrictions on gun
purchases.
On Capitol Hill, gun control has been a non-starter in the wake of the Colorado shooting. Mitt Romney said in an interview Wednesday that he didn’t see the need for new firearms regulations following the tragedy.
Obama distinguished himself Wednesday in a speech before the National
Urban League convention in New Orleans. The president tied Aurora
shooting and other high-profile mass shootings in recent years to
continuing urban gun violence and said it was time to take greater
legislative steps to curb the problem.
SNIP
Read Obama’s full remarks about guns from the Urban League speech here.
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