POLITICS CREATES THE STRANGEST BEDFELLOWS
Oops, the NRA Agrees With Obama
You know politics is an unpredictable game when the NRA and President Obama end up on the same page.
By Bill Schneider, 1-29-09
Editor’s Note: I posted my weekly column (Are Bison Wildlife or Livestock?) early this week, but I couldn’t help filling up my normal Thursday slot with this little political irony for all my gun nutty friends.--Bill Schneider
Politics can be frustrating and maddening, but it can also be interesting and ironical.
Take, for example, the recent political revelation that the National Rifle Association (NRA) agrees with President Obama, a headline you haven’t seen anywhere except on NewWest.Net.
We’ve probably all heard about New York Democratic Governor David Patterson picking upstate Democratic Congresswoman Kristen Gillibrand to fill the U.S. Senate seat vacated by Senator Hillary Clinton when she accepted a new role as Secretary of State in the Obama Administration. But you probably haven’t heard how this made the NRA an Obama supporter.
First a little background. Politically, New York is one of the most anti-gun states, especially in New York City where Mayor Michael Bloomberg constantly beats the political drums for more gun control and has his words repeatedly shot full of freedom holes by the NRA and other pro-gun groups. Upstate New York leans to the right and is more conservative and gun-happy than the city, but hardly Idaho or Montana in its view of Second Amendment rights.
So, here’s what happened. The minute Patterson revealed his choice for Clinton’s seat, Mayor Bloomburg, Congresswoman and NRA arch-nemesis Carolyn McCarthy (D-NY) and other anti-gun politicos and groups blasted the appointment because--surprise!-- Gillibrand has a hundred percent or “A” rating from none other than the NRA. She is one of the few democrats earning such a score for Second Amendment voting.
(Incidentally, the Gun Owners of America (GOA), normally considered a little right of the NRA, isn’t quite as thrilled with Gillibrand, giving her a “C” rating, but still respectfully decent considering that 22 out of 26 New York Democratic Representatives received “F” or “F-” ratings and three “D” or “D-,” making Gillibrand’s “C” the highest Democrat score in the state.)
Even though New York went strongly for Obama back on November 4, our new president didn’t seem the least bit concerned about Gillibrand’s voting record on gun issues and declared her a “wonderful choice” to fill Clinton’s chair in the U.S, Senate. Here’s exactly what he said: “Governor Paterson made a wonderful choice in appointing Kirsten Gillibrand to fill Secretary Clinton’s seat in the United States Senate. I am confident that she will continue Secretary Clinton’s distinguished service to the people of New York and to our country.”
So since the NRA and Obama both support Gillibrand, does that mean the NRA agrees with Obama?
Probably not, but interesting, don’t you think?
I suspect a few people at the NRA noticed this political anomaly because there has not been one word--no news release, no alert, nothing on the website--from gun groups about Senator Clinton’s pro-gun replacement. You’d think the gun groups would be ecstatic about this turn of events. After all, Clinton received an “F” rating from the NRA ("F-" from GOA), but not one word of praise for the appointment.
I wonder why not?
[End of article]Pro-gun blogs have been all over this appointment. Apparently you're not in the loop, Bill.
Heck, gunnies were writing letters to the guv to get Gillibrand in there the second that Clinton's nomination was announced. Lots of Florida, Wyoming, and Montana people wrote the NY governor's office tacitly implying that they were NY citizens and supported Gillibrand. It appears to have worked. Heck, if you search around you can probably find some form letters supporting Gillibrand circulated on pro-gun forums as early as December.
Way too much ado, here, Bill. Grasping at a thin straw. Gillibrand's appointment, and the ranting of the usual suspects, especially McCarthy, was all over the gunosphere.
We real gunnies are simply waiting to see if Gillibrand knuckles under to the shouting from south of Tappan Zee. And it will be fun to see if a bonehead like McCarthy can actually beat her in the primary. If she does, that will annoy a lot of upstaters and might make a Republican (gasp) senate race viable again.
Yep, I saw lots of chatter about Gillibrand in the gun blogsphere, but that wasn't my point. No gun group pointing out that Obama thinks a pro-gun senator is wonderful or no praise for her from the big boys because it would put them on the same political page as Obama. Just a little tongue-in-cheek, guys, especially for most people who don't live in the gun blogsphere....Bill
Comment By jlbraun, 1-29-09Bill, the point that you're failing to grasp is that Obama gets to play "above the fray" given his predilection towards post-partisan rhetoric. He's got all of the usual suspects screeching about Gillibrand and trying to derail her. Obama's comments here mean nothing, and I'm surprised that you didn't pick up on the reason why. Really, Bill - get with the program. You're falling behind.
Comment By JD, 1-29-09Bill, Obama could care less if KG is pro-gun. He already has enough of his people in place to stomp on the 2ndA, even if KG votes pro-gun every time. You gotta step up your gunosphere game sir!
Comment By clem from boise, 1-30-09You gun nuts are amazing. Were in the worst economic situation in 30 years, involved in two wars left over by Bush, massive layoffs etc and you can only worry about one issue. Do you really believe that Obama is even going to have the time to try and pry your rifle "From your cold dead hands". Quit being suckers for the rhetoric spewed by the NRA, gun dealers and others profitting off your insecurity and help get this country back on it's feet.
Yes I own three guns. I love to target shoot, understand the need for responsible hunting and don't loose a bit asleep about someone coming to take my guns away.
What better time to take a peoples freedom than when their not looking?
Remember what Jefferson said about the cost of freedom.
Tom don't put too much sugar in that batch of Kool Aid you are mixing up.
Comment By Tom, 1-30-09Clem:
Obama said three things during the campaign.
"I didn't hear what reverend Wright was saying", Bill Aires is just a guy in my neighborhood", and "We need to spread the wealth around". Which of those three things made you believe he would be the best choice for president?
And you accuse me of drinking kool aid.
I'm not as worried about Obama as I am Pelosi and Reid. Pelosi is one of the most dangerous people in this country right now. Pull your head out and look at what's going on insted of just listening to the left wing propaganda machine.
And you accuse me of drinking kool aid.
boy tom, those are great quotes, your talent at removing context is as good as OReilly, Hannity and the rest. aside from saying those things, within the context of long, detailed explanations, he also said a few other things over the course of his 2 year campaign. one was that he didn't want to take your hunting rifles. but that isn't good enough, i know. what you - big you "2ndA-ers" - can't get is that when a politician from a big city - where over 2 dozen children are murdered by handguns and assalt rifles every year - tries to legislate, in THAT state, to keep those kinds of weapons off the city streets, he doesn't give a s**t about your guns in montana, or idaho, or wyoming or any of the places where there are a lot of guns per capita but not murders.
now is when you tell me that that is just the start and once one law comes down in one district that limits 2nd amendment rights it is the first step to the man coming into my house and taking my .25-06. And that, tom, is drinking the kool aid.
What were some of the "few other things he said? And how about one or two words of the "long detailed explainations he gave? I think about 46% of the voters missed that.
As I said I'm not as worried about Obama as Pelosi. She's already defying him on the stimulus package. What else will she and Schumer and other far left loons try to pull?
you're probably right Tom, but if you and 46% of the voters missed what candidate Obama said during the Aires, Wright, etc. misdirection plays by the right and during the 18 months of campaigning, it's because you weren't listening. and that 46% that missed it voted for someone else. and in politics, thats a landslide.
i heard candidate Obama talk about taxes, environment, security, liberty, faith, hope, injustice, poverty, education, economy...is that a few? are any of those as important to you as the NRA's grade?
and for the record, i don't like Pelosi either. i think they should toss her out. and Reid too. she's a zealot and he's a wuss. Schumer isn't as left loony as you think. but i guess that depends on where you stand.
Jcc73,
I think we agree that Obama, at this time, doesn't seem to be the problem, in fact he seems very willing to work together to find a solution, but with Pelosi, Reid, Conyers and others struggling so hard to perpetuate the intense hatred for the right, I don't see much hope that he'll succeed.
As far as Schumer, maybe you could get across to him that criminals don't obey laws. Includung the thousands of gun laws already on the books. Anyone who talks about making laws to take guns away from criminals is only taking guns away from law abiding citizens. Criminals do not obey laws. That's why they're criminals. Obama may not want to take our guns, but I would advise him not to turn his back on that crowd. They'll sell him down the river in a minute.
Sounds like a few people have been reading the zealotry from the GOA "Gun Owners of America" that makes the NRA look like a bunch of lefties about Harry Reid's record on gun control. Yes he wants people to have background checks and those of dealers at gun shows but otherwise when it comes to issues like gun control he is CONSERVATIVE. You don't get elected in Nevada and remain in the LDS Church if any other way. So stop the paranoia about Reid, do your home work and research the topic from different viewpoints and sources.
Pelosi is a whole different matter.
Clem,
Go to Vote Smart and smarten up a little. Reid votes however he thinks he can, mostly with Brady Campaign and others on the order of 50 to 75 percent. So he's anti-gun most of the time, which is plenty for me.
You might find this interesting.
Check it out:
http://my.barackobama.com/page/group/NRAMembersandGunOwnersforObama