by Tanya K. Metaksa
Nov. 4, 2014, Election Day across America, is fast approaching and the Second Amendment may not be on the ballot, but its future is. The anti-gun crowd is working hard to destroy our Second Amendment rights during this political season.
According to the article in USA Today Bloomberg has vowed “to spend $50 million this year to build a grass-roots network aimed at combating the National Rifle Association’s influence in Washington and state capitols around the country.” USA Today published an article in September entitled, “Bloomberg group launches midterm campaign for gun control” Everytown for Gun Safety, the Michael Bloomberg financed gun control group, is not only endorsing candidates throughout the USA, they are launching commercials and a road show that they say will visit seven states before election day.
If you live in Oregon, California, Illinois, Minnesota, Maine, Maryland, Connecticut or Washington, you can expect to hear from Shannon Watts, the lobbyist/founder of Moms Demand Action for Gun Sense, in your state. But they will not be the only anti-gunners out there.
An article by Alan Fram with the Associate Press appearing in newspapers across the country entitled “Gun Foes plan to match NRA spending in fall races” reports that former Rep. Gabby Giffords’ (D-AZ) group, Americans for Responsible Solutions, will be involved in those Senate races as well as House races in New Hampshire, Pennsylvania and Arizona.
Yet, the Oct. 7, 2014 edition of the Wall Street Journal ran an article, “Bloomberg Gun Control Group’s Endorsements Are Incumbent-Heavy.” The article went on to state, “when the former New York City mayor’s Everytown for Gun Safety endorsed 78 candidates running for federal office this year, the list was heavy on incumbents. It passed on a series of tough races in which gun control advocates are challenging sitting congressmen.” Although Bloomberg had expressed a desire to change state legislatures, the article pointed out that the group was not supporting state candidates who favored stricter gun legislation in Colorado, Nebraska and Arkansas.
It continues, “Mr. Bloomberg’s group endorsed 61 House members, 53 of whom are incumbents…In the Senate, Everytown endorsed 16 Democrats, all but two of whom are incumbents, and GOP Sen. Susan Collins (R., Maine). The group also backed Democratic Reps. Bruce Braley of Iowa and Gary Peters of Michigan, who are running to hold Democratic Senate seats in their states.”
Additionally, Bloomberg has given $2.5 million to the Democrat Senate Majority PAC and $2 million to the liberal Emily’s List PAC that usually backs Democrats. For a listing of candidates supported by Bloomberg’s groups visit: gunsensevoter.org.
On the same day, the New York Times ran an article entitled, “Bloomberg Tries to Help Centrists with TV Ads.” The article states the Bloomberg’s Independence PAC, a federally registered political action committee, will spend $2.3 million ad campaign for Gov. Rick Snyder of Michigan. In Michigan Bloomberg is also supporting Senate Democratic candidate Gary Peters. Additionally the Times notes that that he is also supporting Massachusetts Republican gubernatorial candidate, Charlie Baker, and Democrat Seth Moulton running for Congress. Of the four candidates listed, all but Gov. Snyder would be probable anti-gun politicians—Gov. Snyder is given a B grade, and was endorsed by the NRA. According to dailysignal.com, Independence PAC is spending $1.56 million for Democrats and $1.4 million against Democrats.
The Washington Times reported, “Everytown for Gun Safety released its inaugural endorsement list and named candidates from 28 states: 17 US Senate candidates, 61 candidates for the US House and 32 candidates for state offices…The group is backing Democrats in close Senate races in Iowa, Louisiana, North Carolina and elsewhere, but some key Democrats in such races aren’t on the list. In addition, more than half of the US House candidates with endorsements are in districts that political analysts deem to be safely in Democrats’ hands, suggesting trouble finding high-profile candidates who could stand to benefit from Mr. Bloomberg’s help.”
Another group that has boasted that it would spend as much money as possible to defeat the NRA—media-speak for defeating pro-gun candidates—is Americans for Responsible Solutions (ARS), the group supported by former Congresswoman Giffords and her astronaut husband, Mark Kelly. In June the Wall Street Journal ran a similar article on Giffords’ political picks, “Gabby Giffords Gun Control PAC Picks Its Winners.” It said that it would get involved in “seven Senate and four House races this year.”
According to Federal Election Reports (FEC), the group is involved with independent expenditures in four House races: Giffords’ old seat, AZ-02, now held by her aide, Ron Barber, two House races in New Hampshire attacking the Republicans in the hope of keeping the incumbent Democrats, and backing an incumbent anti-gun Republican Rep. Mike Fitzgerald, who is also supported by Bloomberg. ARS is also backing Oregon state representative, Chuck Riley, who is running for state Senate. ARS is spending $599,391 for Republicans, $160,898 for Democrats and $2.6 million in independent expenditures against Republicans.
However, The Washington Times reported that “Everybody loves Gabby Giffords—just not necessarily on the campaign trail. When the gun control advocacy group led by the former congresswoman from Arizona threw its support behind several endangered Senate Democrats in Western and Southern states, the candidates carefully moved to distance themselves from the affable Ms. Giffords and boasted about their strident defense of Second Amendment rights.” It seems that candidates, especially those in tight races, do not want the anti-gunners’ support.
To find out who these groups are supporting, it is necessary to peruse the labyrinth of Federal Election Reports. While on the other hand every gunowner can visit www.nrapvf.org and find out the NRA endorsed candidates by state, by office or by voter address. They, unlike the Bloomberg groups and the Giffords group, have taken a position on a big percentage of races by grading candidates and by offering endorsements. Although not all races are graded or endorsed, the transparency of the NRA is light years ahead of the opposition. Thus if you are a gun owner, it is incumbent upon you to visit the NRA Political Victory Fund’s web page and become educated. There is no excuse not to vote. If you will not be able to visit a polling place on Election Day, Nov. 4, you can always request an absentee ballot. In most states there is early voting that begins approximately two weeks before Election Day.
In addition, there is the battle between competing referenda, I-594 and I-591 in Washington State. The I-594 ballot initiative would require all gun sales to be conducted through a licensed federal firearms dealer (FFL) thereby expanding the state’s database of gunowners. The I-591 initiative would stop the state from initiating any further background check laws if and when a federal standard is implemented. As of the beginning of October the I-594 backers have collected approximately $7 million from wealthy Evergreen State backers such as Bill and Melinda Gates, former Microsoft CEO and owner of the Los Angeles Clippers Steve Ballmer, another former Microsoft co-founder Paul Allen, and Seattle venture capitalist Nick Hanauer. Additionally Michael Bloomberg had contributed $2 million to the effort as of October 9.
There is no excuse for any gunowner not to vote. This year, as every year, your vote is a Second Amendment vote.
