The NRA Endorses Corker
Chattanooga, Tenn. – The National Rifle Association, America’s leading Second Amendment rights grassroots organization, today formally endorsed Republican U.S. Senate nominee Bob Corker in Tennessee’s U.S. Senate race.
I don’t know that Corker has a record on gun rights, really. I’ve covered Harold Ford and guns before. I wonder what the NRA saw that they liked? Well, other than that he’s not Ford and there’s an R after his name. Perhaps they should have listened to Insty’s podcast, which Countertop summarized in comments as:
Helen asked him about nationwide concealed carry – specifically, would he support legislation that allowed an individual with a permit in one state to carry their gun in another state. Very clear, straight up .
He paused. Said, he thought so, but didn’t know. Said, he wasn’t prepared for such in depth questions. Then said he would have to look at the issue and get back to them.
She followed it up with a question on legislation preventing the confiscation of firearms in situations such as Katrina. He again gave a weasly answer.
Now, I guess if the NRA had to pick someone, it’d be Corker. But I just don’t see much there.
September 12th, 2006 at 4:38 pm
I’m going to hope they issued it based on what he wrote and signed. I think that carries more weight than a podcast (even if it is a question coming from the InstaWife). However, this may be one of those situations where an endorsement could make enough of a difference to turn out voters to potentially keep Ford out of the seat. I get pissed about their endorsements all the time, so I’m not defending. I’m just saying what I hope to be the case.
September 12th, 2006 at 5:14 pm
Seems like the type of situation where they ought to simply abstain from making an endorsement. It wouldn’t be unprecedented to do so.
September 12th, 2006 at 7:17 pm
The NRA is, with some justification, worried the Democrats retaking the house is going to make things difficult for us. I expect some pro-gun democrats to get screwed in this. It sucks, but the Democrats will probably screw us if they take back both houses of Congress. Stock up on “assault weapons” in December if they do, because you know that ban is coming back, and this time probably without a sunset clause.
September 13th, 2006 at 1:00 am
Ford’s voting record shows that he is selectively supporting some Second Amendment bills in congress but his voting record up until the last couple of years has been anti gun. Corker, the former mayor of Chattanooga should have a better grasp of gun problems. His web site touts the fact that as mayor the crime rate dropped in Chattanooga. Wonder what that was? He does day he “supports the Second Amendment” but so did Kent Coleman, the Tennessee State representative with an “A” NRA rating who promptly joined the anti gun group in the House oxymoronic “Constitutional Protection Subcommittee and voted against every gun bill that came before the subcommittee
Corker should know that Tennesseans licensed to carry sidewarms has an excellent reord of being responsible, safe and no threat to law enforcement or the public at large. Ford’s record of anti gun votes for some eight out of ten years provides a telling story. I’d rather vote for someone with a question mark than someone who appears to have changed his mind based on the political scene. I’m also not real keen on the Ford family background in Memphis.
BulltetBillSR
September 29th, 2006 at 9:44 am
[…] So, Harold Ford, Jr. was on the radio again this morning. And he was again asked about two issues that were important to me. The first was guns. You may recall that I reported he told a little fib about his gun position a bit back where he claimed he had a B rating from the NRA but the NRA reported he had a C. This time, he said he had a B rating from the NRA for the last two years, which is probably a true statement. I’m sure he may have misspoke the first time. Good for him as it was an honest answer. However, Mr. Ford was definitely anti-gun up until 2003, which I figure is when he decided he’d make a play for Senate. And in 1999-2000 he introduced the anti-gun Gun Industry Responsibility Act, which encouraged governments to sue gun makers in civil court for gun damages. He has since voted for the the Protection of Lawful Commerce in Arms act, which prohibits frivolous suits against gun makers. A near total turn around. He also said he had a good relationship with the NRA. So good, the NRA endorsed Corker. […]