$1 million raised after gun vote by Giffords' group
Washington (CNN) – The group founded by former congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords and her husband Mark Kelly raised one million dollars since the defeat of a measure in the Senate expanding background checks two and a half weeks ago, according to Jennifer Bluestein, a spokeswoman for the group.
Giffords, wounded in a Tucson, Arizona shooting in January of 2011, campaigned hard for expanding the checks for purchases at gun shows and online. She has sent several e-mail solicitations since the Senate defeat.
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"I'm not going to stop fighting, and I hope you'll commit to kicking off the accountability portion of our campaign to reduce gun violence," she wrote on April 18th.
Americans for Responsible Solutions made the background checks issue a priority and has vowed to grade members of Congress on their votes.
Since the defeat in the Senate, the organization has aired radio ads criticizing Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Kentucky, and Sen. Kelly Ayotte. R-New Hampshire, for voting against the proposal and praising Sen. John McCain, R-Arizona, for voting in support of it.
Giffords' husband, Mark Kelly, has vowed to keep pressure on members to support the background checks issue
Meanwhile the well-financed Mayor Bloomberg group, Mayors Against Illegal Guns, announced on Monday a new television ad against Ayotte. The ads will air in Manchester and Boston media markets this week. The ads slam Ayotte for having "Gone Washington" (the ads' title too) in not listening to voters' desires to pass background checks.
Ayotte reacted Monday to some of the ads being run, and the strong questioning she faced at town halls last week, by offering a defense of her record. She did not indicate any change of heart regarding expanding background checks.
In an op-ed published Monday on seacoastonline.com she wrote, "Despite what the false attack ads say, I helped introduce and voted for the Protecting Communities and Preserving the Second Amendment Act, which improves the existing background check system, addresses mental health gaps in the criminal justice system, boosts resources to improve school safety, and criminalizes gun trafficking and straw purchases."
Regarding the bill she voted against, Ayotte wrote, "some of my colleagues want to expand the broken background check system we have now. In my view, we shouldn't be expanding a flawed system. The focus should be on fixing the existing system, which criminals are flouting. We need to make sure we are enforcing current law and prosecuting those who attempt to illegally obtain firearms."
In the op-ed, which was re-tweeted by the NRA, the senator wrote, "I know that there are members of both parties who want to find common ground on this important issue. And my commitment to the people of New Hampshire is that I will continue to try to work across the aisle to prevent violence, enforce and improve our broken background check system, strengthen mental health services, and increase school safety — all while protecting the constitutional rights of law-abiding Americans. Misleading television and radio ads are counterproductive and only help to poison this important discussion."
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Already have background checks, go after the inner city criminals who commit most of the gun crimes.
$1 million in two and a half weeks is impressive, but then again, there are way more VICTIMS of firearms than members of the NRA. Perhaps that is a metric the NRA should have considered before their little trip down the road to extreme radicalization.
-Wilson
@The Real Tom Paine
All this report does is confirm the fact that no troops or support aircraft would have made it in time to affect the outcome. Nothing new in this report, other than the musings of a State Department Official who feels that, had aircraft been available it might have scared them off, in the unlikely event an F18 pilot traveling at several hundred miles per hour would have been able to pinpoint a mortar team operating in a crowded urban area. Issa needs to stop reading Tom Clancy novels.
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You would be suprised what they can do, especially the F22.
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Different weapons for different missions. The F22 would have been useless, as virtually any fixed -wing aircraft would have been in either crowd dispersal or, as I mentioned, locating and destroying a mortar team operating in an urban environment. A sniper team would have been more effective, but, they would never have arrived in time, either. You're missing the point.
They're gonna need a LOT of $. The NRA has Openly Declared WAR !! Take no prisoners ! Those who do not agree TOTALLY with the whole Gun/Ant-Gay/Non-Christian(sorry about that Jesus)/Tea Party Agenda is the sworn ENEMY of these Self Proclaimed PATRIOTS.
I will donate to any campaign to hold these senators accountable for their votes. No Redemption Vote!!!
Guest
Already have background checks, go after the inner city criminals who commit most of the gun crimes.
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There are no background checks at gun shows, for "private sales" (like garage sales), or for some Internet-based sales. This is what the NRA wanted just 10 years ago before they radicalized.
Now they can give the money to kalifornia who says they don't have the money to enforce gun laws already on the books...why do you idiots think the pro gun populace figjts back so hard? Time and again current laws are not enforced due to lack of funds or lack of innitative! You want common sense? Enforce what we already have instead of screaming to give away your rights with more unenfoceable legislation
The constitution and bill of rights are the foundation of our country. When you start chipping away at a structures foundation it fails...and is then called liberalsim!
Give away your rights RS, not me.
They should have background checks to vote, our nation wouldnt be in such a sad state of affairs.
Polling numbers of republicans who didn't vote for the bill have dropped and those that did had a bump in their polling.
Doesn't take a genius to figure this one out.
Stand up for your freedoms America, freedoms big city politicians are trying to chip away. Stand your ground!
These gun haters want gun registration, not background checks
Guest
The constitution and bill of rights are the foundation of our country. When you start chipping away at a structures foundation it fails...and is then called liberalsim!
Give away your rights RS, not me.
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What rights do I give up by undergoing a background check? I am not a criminal, and theoretically, neither are you. <eanwhile look at the Amendments. The legal limitations on them are clear, and Court sanctioned. Stop talking nonsense.
Guest
They should have background checks to vote, our nation wouldnt be in such a sad state of affairs.
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Typical Rightie- register voters, not guns. No one is talking about registering guns!
I am an NRA member and I would support background checks if they worked... But they don't work, this is why so many politicians wont support them as well, the system is broken.. Also, the facts are very distorted.. Many states DO have background check laws for gun shows.
I have never been convicted of anything other than a speeding ticket and I had to spend 6 months fighting the FBi and ATF for my right to own my gun because of an "Error" in the finger print identification system, like hundreds of thousands of other people effected by the broken system.. It is anything but effective. They system does nothing to stop criminals and only hurts law abiding citizens. Before implementing more regulation that does not work properly they need to fix and enforce what we currently have.
PaulG
Stand up for your freedoms America, freedoms big city politicians are trying to chip away. Stand your ground!
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Maybe to REALLY feel that freedom, you should be shot by a crazy person- you know like Congressman Giffords, then you'll have credibility on the value of guns.
Scott
These gun haters want gun registration, not background checks
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Funny, that wasn't in the bill. Defending against something that isn't a threat is often called paranoia.
That's great and I joined the NRA life Membership.
I am tired of all the BS just ban everything that kills people and we won't have any cars, trucks, hammers, 2X4's, drinking, I could go one forever it will not stop the killing of innocent people.
Why can't you people understand this.
No need to say anything else you wouldn't be able to understand it either.