...excuse me?
This is interesting. I just heard a day ago that Lamar Alexander, the other TN State Senator that isn't the incomparable Bob Corker (in other words, the not-so-awful one) is breaking the party line and supporting Sotomayor. Good on his life! naturally some folks are upset about this but Lamar has basically said fuck em.
Well it sounds like he better watch his back! NRA gon get'choo!
NRA Threatens To Punish Senators Who Vote For Sotomayor... No One Listens
WASHINGTON — 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.
That's not to say that the NRA's late decision to wade in hasn't had an impact.
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.
Well first off, may I just declare "LOLALITY" (link NSFW/life/gore)?
Also,
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.
As a federal appeals court judge, Sotomayor was part of a panel that ruled this year that the Second Amendment doesn't limit state controls on guns – only federal ones. That was in keeping with a 19th Century Supreme Court precedent and subsequent appellate court rulings.
"The simple fact is that as far as this nominee is concerned, she has a track record on Second Amendment issues, and it's one that is of great concern to us," said Andrew Arulanandam, an NRA spokesman. "We wanted to give the nominee a chance to respond, but after four days of testimony, none of the concerns we had about Judge Sotomayor were dispelled – in fact, based on some of her responses, our concerns increased."
But by the time the NRA announced it would score her confirmation vote, several senators it rates highly had already come out in Sotomayor's favor, including Republican Sen. Lindsey Graham of South Carolina and Democratic Sens. Tim Johnson of South Dakota and Mark Warner of Virginia.
In the days since, other senators have inquired privately as to how much they could hurt themselves by supporting Sotomayor, only to be given an ambiguous answer: It's too early to tell.
Alright, so if the folks on capitol hill already said "yeah cool" why do I care? Because this is silly and I enjoy silly fun, regardless of whose expense it is at (sometimes). It's an interesting to me because I'd literally forgotten about the NRA and this terrible power they wield. Come on. You're not against her because you don't like her guns stance or else you wouldn't have "sat on the fence" so long.
Also I'm glad someone's finally giving the NRA the cold shoulder or calling their bluff. You want to withdraw support? Shit, do it. The NRA shouldn't hold the power they do or think they do anyway. Ugh, sit the fuck down.
