Posted on 01/13/2004 1:12:04 AM PST by Richard-SIA
I attended a small gathering of about 60 republican party faithful tonight.
The occasion was an informal evening meeting with Nevada Senator John Ensign (R).
This was an invitational event, I was still surprised and disappointed that it was not better attended.
This is my favorite type of event, the cost of attendence was only $25 to cover rental of the exhibit hall, the location was nearby (Reno), and there was plenty of time available to speak directly with my favorite Nevada senator.
I believe there will be another meeting tomorrow, in Las Vegas. Anyone interested can probably get information by calling his L.V. office, (702) 388-6605
Anyone who was no too timid to speak up in public was able to ask whatever question they liked.
John did not duck any of them, and resonded clearly, as a good republican should.
Many in attendence asked their questions and made their comments in comparative privacy, in one on one discussion.
Two of my questions were in the area of "gun control".
I am quoting John's replies as closely as I recall them.
Q. Will the AW & Hi-Cap Mag. bans be allowed to expire on Sept, 13th?
A. Certainly, it would take 60 votes to force a bill extending them to the floor, there are too many people like myself who will filibuster them if necessary to prevent their passing.
The democrats know the gun control issue can hurt them, it is not likely to be an issue.
Q. What are the chances of SB-659 being passed next year? (Outlaws continuing the predatory lawsuits that have been filed in an effort to bankrupt the firearms industry)
A. The bill can be expected to pass, it is a good thing that the bill will be decided in an election year, gun control is not a winning issue in an election year.
-------------------
I would encourage everyone to attend these party meetings any time they can.
You can learn where and when they are being held by simply asking your representative's staff.
Also ask them to put you on their mailing list.
The MOST effective means of contacting our reps is personal contact. This event illustrates that it does not require great wealth, just a little time and commitment.
I suspect Colt will continue to produce post ban AR-15's and Ruger will continue to not sell high capacity mini-14 mags to the public.
Indeed. Most likely the renewal, maybe even the horrible expansion version, will be offerred as a floor amendment, likely passed by "unanamous consent" at "O dark thirty" some night in the Senate. An amendment to some must pass bill, even a totally unrelated one perhaps. That is more or less how we got the thing in the first place, is it not? It certainly was not passed as a stand alone bill.
The gun-haters are sneaks, liars, and will pull
whatever trick they think they can get away with
to further their agenda of total civilian disarmament.
You make a good point about "triangulation".
I think that Bush believed that he had to go along with the Assault Weapons Ban because so many voters are ignorant and believed that it had something to do with machine guns. Hopefully, he knows better.
But in this case, the triangulation is arranged in our favor, assuming that the Congress plays "bad cop" on the AWB by failing to pass it, allowing Bush to play "good cop" by assuring the ignorant that he would sign it.
I see nothing wrong with confusing the Demoncrat gun-grabbers by allowing them to waste their time on measures that won't pass. This diverts them from working on measures that might pass.
I think that it is very valuable for politicians of both parties to understand that gun-control is a losing issue. If your representative fails to get elected even though he supports the Second Amendment, then it weakens the message that being anti-gun vs pro-gun is bad for one's career.
*"Recent evidence of this comes in the form of data from a poll conducted by John Zogby for Southern Methodist University's Tower Center and the O'Leary Report...Surprisingly, however, the data showed that while more people in the blue states favor new and tougher gun laws than those in the red states, most voters in both groups of states are far more supportive of the right to own firearms than the Democrats suspected. Indeed, only the sorts of urban and campus-based liberals who dominate the leadership of the Democratic Party were found to be as hostile to gun ownership as Gore and his running mate had been in 2000."
-- Gun issue could cost Democrats the White House again, David Keene, The Hill, Tuesday, January 13, 2004.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.