Alphecca: More on New Dems and Gun Control

November 10, 2006

More on New Dems and Gun Control

Schumer, Feinstein, and Pelosi may find themselves having a hard time of it if they play the gun control card:

She's pro-gun rights, pro-death penalty and wary of big government waste.

Meet Claire McCaskill, the senator-elect from the generally conservative state of Missouri. She's a Democrat.

Like many of her freshman Democratic colleagues in the Senate and the House of Representatives, McCaskill defies the long-standing stereotype of Democrats as the party of San Francisco liberals. Consider:

• Sen.-elect Bob Casey of Pennsylvania, calmly and resolutely against abortion rights.

• Sen.-elect Jon Tester of Montana, a flat-topped farmer and butcher who loves his guns.

• Sen.-elect Jim Webb of Virginia, a virtual compendium of alpha-male machismo who wore combat boots on the campaign trail and served as President Reagan's secretary of the Navy.

• In the House, freshman Democrats include Heath Shuler of North Carolina, a member of the Fellowship of Christian Athletes.

[...]

Such candidates helped make winning possible for Democrats, ending 12 years as the minority party in the House. But they could make governing hard for Democratic leaders who are trying to push the party's agenda.

I might add that Casey Jr is pro-gun rights and not mentioned in the article, Jon Tester in Montana is as well. So is Shuler. There's more:

Pelosi, for instance, already is hearing sniping from centrist "Blue Dog" Democrats about the liberal bent of some of her likely House committee chairmen, said Ronald Walters, a University of Maryland political science professor and former adviser to Jesse Jackson.

"They are communicating with Nancy Pelosi right now and are, in effect, extracting promises from her that she will curtail the liberal bent," Walters said.

Rep. Mike Thompson, D-Calif., a leading House centrist, said he expected the Democratic congressional leadership to focus on the doable and stay away from potentially divisive issues such as flag burning, abortion or gun control.

Heck, even Kos has repeatedly said that Democrats need to drop gun control as a national issue and leave it to local governments.

If Democrats -- at the national level -- would drop the issue completely and maybe even, dare I suggest it, embrace the 2nd Amendment as they have the rest of the Bill of Rights, they could remain the party in power for a good long time. Of course, they would also have to stop kow-towing to every special interest, professional victims group as well. And stop trying to regulate every single facet of our lives. And show a little fiscal restraint... Okay, I guess this is all asking too much of them.

Ghod if we could only get a rational, small "L" libertarian party going.

Posted by Jeff Soyer at November 10, 2006 07:20 AM

Comments

Just spent the last couple of days with a client of mine who grew up playing football in North Carolina and knows Heath Shuler very well.

Said they disagree completely on fiscal matters, but that there is no way Heath would ever "go for letting some Yankee or San Fran liberl take away his guns"

Posted by: countertop at November 10, 2006 08:58 AM

"Ghod if we could only get a rational, small "L" libertarian party going."

Had the same discussion with some British Mates and they said that Tony B-liar created a new centre right party to fill the vacum at the centre created by the tories...

Trouble is, with the existing parties, both sides of the Atlantic, they have so many vindictive sods on their extreme wings that when they need every member for an important vote, they have to pay them with some obnoxious vindictive legislation.

Howzabout a pan westernist libertarian party?

Posted by: keith at November 10, 2006 10:40 AM

Pelosi has the power to effectively ineffectuate the new members if they do not toe the party line. It remains to be seen if "careerism" tempers their principles or if they will stand fast.

I bet on Pelosi snapping them into line. I hate it, but I think that is what will happen. Remember, they can always exclude themselves from the more onerous laws with which they burden us.

Posted by: straightarrow at November 10, 2006 11:51 AM

Countertop:

The problem we will have is that as soon as Shuler realizes that nothing he does as Senator applies to him, but only the little people, he may change his tune.

He won't be taking away his guns, only our guns. Why not do so, if he needs to cut a deal for something from his leadership?

The new Senator from RI, Sheldon Whitehouse, epitomizes this. When he was RI AG, he refused to renew many carry permits, placed restrictions on those he did renew (even though the law provides no such authority to him), but issued himself one...and oh, by the way, he owns some very expensive firearms (he loves his Perazzi shotguns).

He just doesn't think you should have any such thing.

It is going to be a very long two years.

Posted by: TAF at November 10, 2006 11:54 AM

Oops, typed Senator, meant Congressman. My bad.

Posted by: TAF at November 10, 2006 12:11 PM

With the help of a handful of Republican quislings from the NorthEast the Dems should have little difficulty passing the AW ban. With enough votes from liberal Dems and “moderate” Republicans to pass any such bill, Pelosi and Reid can let pro-gun Democrats from the South and West opt out and vote against the ban. The newly elected pro-gun Democrats will be able to safely tell their constituents that they stood against the ban but couldn’t stop it. Anyway you look at it the ban will return. BTW, remember George Bush said he would sign a renewal of the AW ban if it reached his desk. Guess what?

Posted by: Mike Gordon at November 10, 2006 12:14 PM

Claire McCaskill is pro-gun. But only if the guns are in the hands of troops she controls.

I'm one of the ones who's slightly optimistic on Bush. He said he'd sign a renewal of the existing AW ban, not that he'd sign any AW ban.

Posted by: KCSteve at November 10, 2006 01:56 PM

While the stupid Rs that ran against these clowns chose to not say anything. Odd.

Posted by: bill at November 10, 2006 02:52 PM

UH Yeah when pigs fly. They will start bellying up to the pork trough as soon as they are sworn in to get re-elected they will start making deals. I plan on buying a few pieces I have been putting off because they will be illegal soon.

Posted by: Oldcrow at November 11, 2006 03:15 AM

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November 10, 2006

More on New Dems and Gun Control

By Golly, you're reading an archived post. Click Here to head to the main page and read current stuff...

Check it out:

My group sci-fi blog novel:

Colony: Alchibah