NRA opposition fails to sway senators on Sotomayor

NRA opposition fails to sway senators on Sotomayor

WASHINGTON (AP) – The National Rifle Association’s threat to punish senators who vote for Supreme Court nominee Sonia Sotomayor has been met with a shrug by Democrats from conservative-leaning states and some Republicans who are breaking with their party to support her.

The gun rights group is used to getting its way by spooking lawmakers about the political consequences of defying its wishes. But it never before has weighed in on a Supreme Court confirmation battle. It was cautious about breaking that pattern, and it looks like a losing a fight to defeat President Barack Obama’s first pick for the court.

Sotomayor is expected to easily win confirmation in a vote this coming week that could deflate the long-accepted truism in Washington that you don’t cross the NRA.

Voting “yes” will include A-plus-rated and NRA-endorsed Democratic Sen. Max Baucus and his fellow Montanan, A-rated Sen. Jon Tester, as well as A-rated and NRA-endorsed Tennessee Sen. Lamar Alexander, the only GOP leader to break with the rest of this party to back Sotomayor.

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NRA opposition fails to sway senators on Sotomayor

The National Rifle Association’s threat to punish Senators?

I didn’t realize that standing up for OUR rights and demanding that OUR Senators vote the will of The People was a threat. Apparently there are those in the Hallowed Halls that seem to think so.

What did come out of this perceived threat was Sen. Harry Reid making a fool of himself. Granted, given Reid’s appearance and demeanor, it’s not hard to imagine him playing the real life part of Jeff Dunham’s puppet, the smart-ass, lovable, yet cranky old man, Walter.

But in this particular case, I am serious, Reid is a smart-ass, cranky old man, sans the lovable part. And now he’s frightened.

“I just think that their voting against this good woman is going to treat them about the same way that they got treated as a result of their votes on immigration,” said Reid, D-Nev. SOURCE

Threats are NOT the way we run America. Many Americans don’t take well to being threatened. Not by Dems, not by Republicans, not by the POTUS, not by anyone. Once upon a time I would have said nearly ALL Americans, in this day and time, as apathy abound and the libber mindset prevails on so many, I’m not sure that the ire of the American people can be raised to anything other than a low growl any longer.

Many Republicans who were considered possible “yes” votes for Sotomayor – including Utah Sen. Orrin Hatch, Georgia Sens. Saxby Chambliss and Johnny Isakson, and Texas Sen. Kay Bailey Hutchison – have come out against her after the NRA’s announcement, citing gun rights concerns as an important reason.

I can’t speak for Hatch, Chambliss and Isakson regarding their moving to a definite NO vote on Sotomayor but with Hutchison, it’s easy to figure out. She has been inundated with calls, letters, emails, personal visits and so forth, all telling her that if she votes FOR Sotomayor, Cap and Trade or this travesty of a health care bill, her political career is over and ANY chance she may have at winning the Texas Statehouse will be a waste of time and money.

Many of us here in Texas have long ago fallen OUT of love with Kay Bailey Hutchison.

Hutchison was once considered the ‘Belle of Texas’ by Republican and Conservative Texans. She had a tremendous following. But after 16 years as our U.S. Senator, many Texans are fully aware that Hutchison has become the ultimate Washington insider, and nothing more.

In 2001, she worked with Senator Hillary Clinton (D-NY) to write provisions into the No Child Left Behind Act, Hutchison voted FOR the 1st Bush bailout, she voted FOR The Immigrant Dream Act, she has openly opposed a border fence or wall and it has only been her Second Amendment support that has kept her from being run out of town, or over to the Democrats.

Some Democrats who have high NRA ratings, including Alaska Sen. Mark Begich and Nebraska Sen. Ben Nelson, are on the fence.

Still, the NRA’s threats seem to hold less potency on this vote. Asked whether he was worried about ruining his perfect NRA score and endorsement by opting to vote for Sotomayor, Nelson paused and said with a smile, “I’d probably have a good rating regardless.”

The NRA derives much of its considerable clout from what has become a kind of mantra on Capitol Hill: Defy the gun lobby on something it cares about and face recriminations at the polls; back it and enjoy a substantial political boost.

After that pompous statement I would sincerely hope that the NRA and its membership would show Sen. Ben Campbell exactly how well his A+ rating from the NRA will stand. And not just Campbell, but ANY and ALL U.S. Senators that vote FOR the confirmation of Sotomayor.

If the NRA is going to make a threat they need to follow through with it and put the heat ON these Senators, otherwise, the NRA has rendered themselves just another hole that trusting gun owners and pro Second Amendment folks throw their money into.

The NRA says it sat on the fence for so long on Sotomayor because its leaders wanted to give her the opportunity to reassure gun rights supporters during her confirmation hearings about her views on the issue.

In her testimony, Sotomayor declined to call gun rights “fundamental” – meaning that they apply to states as well as the federal government – although she said she’d have an open mind on the issue if it came before the court

Sonia Sotomayor is an anti-gun and anti Second Amendment advocate. I can’t say it in any other terms.

All American gun owners, ALL 2A supporters, right and left, Dem, Lib, GOP, Conservative, all of us, if you own a gun and you want to keep it, you had best be standing in direct opposition to Sotomayor.

Sotomayor is only one person, but her confirmation to the SCOTUS is for life. If Obama, or any other far left moonbat that were to assume the presidency were to appoint more Justices like Sotomayor, then the idea of 2A freedom becomes highly problematical.

Right now, Sotomayor is a wash, we’re swapping one Libber Justice for another, but this one is young, and barring a tragedy, she’s going to be there for a very long time. Presidents, Senators, Congressmen, all elected officials, they come and go. Supreme Court Justices are for life.