[JerseyHighlander]

April 16, 2008

The Fake "Gun Rights Group" Supporting Obama

ABC News reports that Barack Obama has collected the endorsement of a guns rights group, the American Hunters and Shooters Association:

"Sen. Obama will be a strong voice an unabashed voice for America's hunters and shooters and it is with great pleasure that we endorse his candidacy," President of the Association Ray Schoenke said, citing Obama's commitment to the traditions of gun ownership.

Schoenke said they had reached out to the Obama campaign several weeks ago to offer their support – but the announcement wasn't made public until today. Schoenke added that the timing amid the controversy was important.

"We believe recent attacks on Sen. Obama's stand on the 2nd amendment and his commitment to the hunting and shooting heritages are unfair."

Actually, it is Obama's record on firearms that is unfair to Americans, but don't expect Ray Schoenke to know much about gun rights, even if the Daily Kos diarist is the President of the American Hunters and Shooters Association (AHSA).

Schoenke, a failed Democratic candidate for governor of Maryland, has donated thousands to Handgun Control, Inc, a virulent anti-gun organization that was the forerunner of Brady Campaign To Prevent Gun Violence. He has donated tens of thousands more to anti-gun Democratic politicians including Ted Kennedy.

AHSA executive director Robert Ricker has testified as a paid witness against the gun industry and consults for several anti-gun groups, and John Rosenthal, President of the AHSA Foundation, is a former member of Sarah Brady's Handgun Control, Inc, and is leader of Stop Handgun Violence, a Massachusetts anti-gun group that has contributed to that state's intolerant anti-gun guns.

Just as Obama's record of claiming he is in favor of the Second Amendment even as he pushes for gun ban is dishonest, so is this endorsement from a trojan horse gun control organization masquerading as a group that respects American's rights to life and liberty.

Update: SayUncle examined this group earlier this year in greater detail. Posted by Confederate Yankee at April 16, 2008 04:05 PM

 

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American Hunters and Shooters Association Screech

Posted by: SayUncle

You see, they are the righteous pro-hunting, pro-conservation, pro-gun group! The NRA betrays hunters at every turn. At least, that’s what they tell us. Behold Ray Schoenke’s screed at The Daily Kos. It’s so disjointed I can’t really fathom the point other than tooting the AHSA’s horn. Which is amazing, since they have no significant accomplishments nor significant membership that I know of. Only a screed with zero actual evidence about why they’re good and NRA is bad. So, let’s look at the American Hunters and Shooters Association record on guns:

The NSSF has a fact sheet on them here:

Reported in an article by Bill Schneideri that the operating budget for AHSA is $500,000. Where did this money come from? With only a handful of members (paying $25 dues) – who is bankrolling their operation?

When you follow the money, they read like a who’s who of gun grabbers. They are a front for the anti-gun Democratic Leadership Council so that anti-gun politicos can say they belong to a group that sounds pro-gun.

Members (five of them that they disclose) of the AHSA are anti-gun lobbyists.

They’re basically a shill group set up so that anti-gun candidates can try to woo the hunting crowd. Note that their only endorsement victory (McCaskill) did not sign on to support Heller.

AHSA wrote a non-opposition opposition to Heller for it’s wording.

The president allegedley helped a reporter break the law by engaging in straw purchases.

They pay people to stand outside NRA meetings to protest. Can’t get any volunteers with all your members?

They support they anti-gun Mayors Against Guns.

Field and Stream (you know, real hunters and real shooters) don’t seem to be a fan.

They keep peddling the Zumbo myth.

They call gun owners extremists and whackos. That’s correct. The Executive Director of a supposedly pro-gun group is calling those who buy weapons for self-defense (i.e., the largest growing demographic of gun owners) whackos. So, who exactly are the shooters in American Hunters and Shooters?

They say any woman who buys a gun is a sign of law-breaking.

Posted in Guns on February 29th, 2008 | RSS 2.0 | Both comments and pings are currently closed.

 

April 16, 2008

The Fake "Gun Rights Group" Supporting Obama

ABC News reports that Barack Obama has collected the endorsement of a guns rights group, the American Hunters and Shooters Association:

"Sen. Obama will be a strong voice an unabashed voice for America's hunters and shooters and it is with great pleasure that we endorse his candidacy," President of the Association Ray Schoenke said, citing Obama's commitment to the traditions of gun ownership.

Schoenke said they had reached out to the Obama campaign several weeks ago to offer their support – but the announcement wasn't made public until today. Schoenke added that the timing amid the controversy was important.

"We believe recent attacks on Sen. Obama's stand on the 2nd amendment and his commitment to the hunting and shooting heritages are unfair."

Actually, it is Obama's record on firearms that is unfair to Americans, but don't expect Ray Schoenke to know much about gun rights, even if the Daily Kos diarist is the President of the American Hunters and Shooters Association (AHSA).

Schoenke, a failed Democratic candidate for governor of Maryland, has donated thousands to Handgun Control, Inc, a virulent anti-gun organization that was the forerunner of Brady Campaign To Prevent Gun Violence. He has donated tens of thousands more to anti-gun Democratic politicians including Ted Kennedy.

AHSA executive director Robert Ricker has testified as a paid witness against the gun industry and consults for several anti-gun groups, and John Rosenthal, President of the AHSA Foundation, is a former member of Sarah Brady's Handgun Control, Inc, and is leader of Stop Handgun Violence, a Massachusetts anti-gun group that has contributed to that state's intolerant anti-gun guns.

Just as Obama's record of claiming he is in favor of the Second Amendment even as he pushes for gun ban is dishonest, so is this endorsement from a trojan horse gun control organization masquerading as a group that respects American's rights to life and liberty.

Update: SayUncle examined this group earlier this year in greater detail. Posted by Confederate Yankee at April 16, 2008 04:05 PM

 

---

 

American Hunters and Shooters Association Screech

Posted by: SayUncle

You see, they are the righteous pro-hunting, pro-conservation, pro-gun group! The NRA betrays hunters at every turn. At least, that’s what they tell us. Behold Ray Schoenke’s screed at The Daily Kos. It’s so disjointed I can’t really fathom the point other than tooting the AHSA’s horn. Which is amazing, since they have no significant accomplishments nor significant membership that I know of. Only a screed with zero actual evidence about why they’re good and NRA is bad. So, let’s look at the American Hunters and Shooters Association record on guns:

The NSSF has a fact sheet on them here:

Reported in an article by Bill Schneideri that the operating budget for AHSA is $500,000. Where did this money come from? With only a handful of members (paying $25 dues) – who is bankrolling their operation?

When you follow the money, they read like a who’s who of gun grabbers. They are a front for the anti-gun Democratic Leadership Council so that anti-gun politicos can say they belong to a group that sounds pro-gun.

Members (five of them that they disclose) of the AHSA are anti-gun lobbyists.

They’re basically a shill group set up so that anti-gun candidates can try to woo the hunting crowd. Note that their only endorsement victory (McCaskill) did not sign on to support Heller.

AHSA wrote a non-opposition opposition to Heller for it’s wording.

The president allegedley helped a reporter break the law by engaging in straw purchases.

They pay people to stand outside NRA meetings to protest. Can’t get any volunteers with all your members?

They support they anti-gun Mayors Against Guns.

Field and Stream (you know, real hunters and real shooters) don’t seem to be a fan.

They keep peddling the Zumbo myth.

They call gun owners extremists and whackos. That’s correct. The Executive Director of a supposedly pro-gun group is calling those who buy weapons for self-defense (i.e., the largest growing demographic of gun owners) whackos. So, who exactly are the shooters in American Hunters and Shooters?

They say any woman who buys a gun is a sign of law-breaking.

Posted in Guns on February 29th, 2008 | RSS 2.0 | Both comments and pings are currently closed.

 

[mnehring]

Jersey
Is the first part of that last post your own comments? If so, I would like to ‘steal’ those for a letter to the editor.