April 20, 2013 by David K. Sutton
Gun control reform: all but three ‘no’ senators received pro-gun cash
On Wednesday, when President Obama said, “They [Senators who voted against extended background checks] worried that the gun lobby would spend a lot of money and paint them as anti-second amendment,” he was referring to one way pro-gun advocacy groups and the gun lobby push their weight around.
But spending money on advertising and other activities to paint politicians in a negative light has its limits. Why not just buy your politicians? The Guardian’s Dan Roberts reports 42 of 45 Senators who voted against sensible gun safety legislation received cash from pro-gun groups. “The Gun Owners of America and National Association for Gun Rights – two groups seen as more conservative than the NRA – have also been active in the Senate,” writes Roberts. “Giving $9,000 and $5,000 respectively to Ted Cruz, one of the leaders of Republican opposition to the amendment.”
The gun lobby has learned it doesn’t need to shame politicians, it simply needs to pay them off. Donate generously to their political campaigns, and make sure they are re-elected, and the gun lobby has a friend in congress for many years to come.
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