[csmkersh]

This moring we were screwed again and weren't even kissed first.

Both the Fineswine AWB extention, S.Amdt 2637 passed (52-47) as well as the so-called gun show loophole amendment, S.Amdt 2636 (53-46).

We need to vote out every Republican Senator who voted for these amendments.

Unless the House strips the S1805 of this abomination or kills the bill altogether. we are screwed; GWB will sign it.

 

[LIProgun]

According to AP, "Ten Republicans broke party ranks on the assault weapons vote: Warner, Chafee, Fitzgerald, DeWine, Lugar, Voinovich, Susan Collins of Maine, Judd Gregg of New Hampshire, Gordon Smith of Oregon and Olympia Snowe of Maine."

And "Six Democrats voted against extending the ban: Baucus, Nelson, Russ Feingold of Wisconsin, Mary Landrieu of Louisiana, Zell
Miller of Georgia and Harry Reid of Nevada."

 

[csmkersh]

According to AP, "Ten Republicans broke party ranks on the assault weapons vote: Warner, Chafee, Fitzgerald, DeWine, Lugar, Voinovich, Susan Collins of Maine, Judd Gregg of New Hampshire, Gordon Smith of Oregon and Olympia Snowe of Maine."

As I understand it, none of the Repulsive One stand for election this year. I don't look for the House to do us any favors and GWB has already stated as CanDidate Bush that he supports the AWB. As President Bush, he sent up a trial balloon through the Press Secretary that he would sign.

 

[LIProgun]

While such things are rarely certain, I think it is a safe bet that DeLay will make sure the conference committee is properly staffed and has its marching orders not to let any gun control (other than possibly the trigger lock requirement with the sale of new guns) survive the conference report.

 

[csmkersh]

Stacking, er, staffing the committee wasn't needed. The bil was rejected. At this moment, the vote roll call isn't available...

We go back after the law suit bill next spring - or at least not before 1 October 2004.

Amended Post:

Here's the letter the NRA sent to the Senators after SA 2636 & 37 were tagged on:

March 2, 2004



Dear Senator:

The National Rifle Association opposes final passage of S. 1805 as
amended by the Senate today.

While we will continue to work to save the U.S. firearms industry, we have said from the start that we would not allow this bill to become a vehicle for added restrictions on the law-abiding people of America. Given this fact, we oppose final passage of S. 1805 as amended and will fight this issue another day.

Our decision is in no way a reflection on the hard work and dedication of those Senators on both sides of the aisle-especially Sen. Larry Craig and most of his cosponsors-who stood up for the principle of individual responsibility embodied in S. 1805, and who opposed the anti-gun “poison pill” amendments aimed at estroying it. We sincerely appreciate their hard work and dedication.

However, having made our decision, this vote on final passage is a key vote for the NRA and will be used in our future evaluations and
endorsements of candidates for the U.S. Senate.

Sincerely,

Wayne R. LaPierre, Jr.
Executive Vice President
National Rifle Association

Chris W. Cox
Executive Director
NRA Institute for Legislative Action


and here's the Republican Senators who voted for the poison pill amendments:

Chafee (R-RI)
Collins (R-ME)
DeWine (R-OH)
Fitzgerald (R-IL)
Gregg (R-NH)
Lugar (R-IN)
Smith (R-OR)
Snowe (R-ME)
Voinovich (R-OH)

None face relection before 2006 or 2008.

 

[TBeck]

Conveniently enough, I had to renew my NRA membership this evening. I made sure to tell the service rep that I appreciated the NRA killing the bill rather than allowing further erosion of our rights to occur.

Bad news for the tin foil hat crowd that was seeing an NRA conspiracy to extend the AWB behind every vote for the past three days.

 

[SubSonicSquid]

The vote count I heard on Fox News this afternoon was 90-8 against it. Seems like once they added all the chicken-s%$t amendments, Mr. Craig withdrew his sponsorship. This fight just gets more and more interesting.

Dave

 

[LIProgun]

I think we may have just witnessed the last real attempt to renew the Clinton semi-auto ban before it sunsets. Bush's call for a "clean bill" (i.e., the bill barring reckless suits against the gun industry free of any gun control provisions) signals he has no intention of renewing the ban. Even if the Senate passed a renewal bill (which is doubtful, since some of the Republicans who voted to include it as an amendment probably did so safe in the knowledge that the full bill would be scuttled), it would not even get out of committee in the House.

 

[csmkersh]

Rob, I don't know if we've seen the last of the AWB moves just yet. I don't know the rules when it comes to amendments; must they apply to the matter at hand or could Fineswine's S.Amdt 2637, aka AWB, be added to a must-pass bill like the budget? You are 100% correct that a bill renewing the AWB will never get out of committee in the House, but I don't trust what can happen in a joint House/Senate committee - and neither did Sen Craig.

I see yesterday's moves by the Ds and the Sellout Six(1) as a deliberate move to scuttle Craig's S1805 and they succeeded. I'm catching flack form Knox and others as being a naysayer, but damn it, the NRA did a poor job of PR and left the erronious impresion they had cut a backroom deal to get S1805 by giving away the AWB renewal. This turned GOA and the KFCers into raving ijits.

1. Warner was no surprise. I suspect McCain the RINO would have voted for S1805 if it had been close but he got a free ride with his Nay.

 

[SubSonicSquid]

I don't know the rules when it comes to amendments; must they apply to the matter at hand or could Fineswine's S.Amdt 2637, aka AWB, be added to a must-pass bill like the budget?

They can slip amendments into just about anything. IIRC, that's why President Reagan was pushing so hard for a line-item veto!

Dave