On Wednesday, I asked readers to (among other things) contact the NRA, GOA, and CCRKBA about joining the Firearms Coalition in providing organized resistance to the confirmation of Eric Holder as AG. I, of course, conducted my own correspondence with them.
Today, I got a reply--Gun Owners of America says they're on it. I'll start with what I wrote them on Wednesday.
I am convinced that Eric Holder would be the most anti-gun Attorney General in history. I am disappointed to have seen very little effort on the part of GOA to fight his confirmation, or to mobilize membership to do so.And now, the reply:
This, I can only assume, is tacit acceptance of Eric Holder as AG. That is utterly unacceptable.
The GOA bills itself as the most hard-hitting gun rights advocacy organization in the country, but I am simply not seeing that.
Thank you,
Kurt Hofmann
Kurt,Maybe not quite as quick as I'd like, but it's action--rather than excuses about being "too big to risk losing," or something like that. Actually, I haven't heard even that much from the NRA (I have, instead, heard this), but that seems to be the gist of what others in a position to know are saying (also read about Western Rifle Association's conversation with the NRA).
GOA is 100% opposed to the Holder nomination. The reason you haven't seen anything from us as of yet is merely a function of timing.
Here is just a PARTIAL list of what we are and will be doing:
* An official notice of opposition send to every Senate office...with a warning that the confirmation vote will be used for our Congressional ratings (already sent)
* Detailed and lengthy face-to-face meetings with numerous Senators and their staff (ongoing)
* A press release which will lead to GOA spokesmen taking to the airwaves to drum up opposition (scheduled for this coming Monday)
* Op-Ed pieces (release dates flexible)
* GOA alerts to get the grassroots involved (first one scheduled for Monday or Tuesday)
So, we're definitely not in the remain-silent camp regarding this particular battle, nor is there any "tacit acceptance" -- there is unalterable opposition. Please watch your e-mail for upcoming opportunities to make your voice heard.
In liberty,
--Craig.
Craig Fields
Director of Internet Operations, GOA
Still nothing from CCRKBA.
Well, NRA? Should I assume this will be a repeat of your courageous stand on the sideline, when gun rights advocates were trying to block "Maximum Mike's" confirmation as Jack Booted Thug in Chief of the BATFE?
Stumble it!
8 comments:
I will admit that Obama and his new cabinet scare me to death and I do not doubt their willingness to methodically chip away at our rights. I am also grateful for the NRA and the way they fight for us, but this is a battle that I am prepared to fight for. Come and get em Mr. Obama, I dare you.
-Jordan
(realrandumb.com)
Well, that is more of an answer than I received from the NRA, though I only wrote them yesterday. I guess this is why we have multiple, different pro-rights organizations, so some can fill in for the others' weak points.
I didn't realize one of your links took me to SIH. Please apologize to the Pragmatist in Chief as I am sure I scared him again if he noticed my contact. I left within a second and a half, but knowing how he is please let him know I was there by accident.
Though I have no respect for him, I am not cruel, so I would not torture him with threats of conversation and such.
GOA doesn't put anything at risk by fighting Holder because they don't really have a presence on Capitol Hill. GOA does not have the membership numbers or the network of volunteers to be able to threaten a politician's seat come election time. They spent a total of 146,000 dollars in this year's election. This won't buy much influence in D.C.
In terms of capital, they don't have political alliances or reputation to risk by losing. There will be no media articles talking about the decline of GOA's political power, and if Obama's administration has even heard of them, they're not liable to care much about the opposition. Nor is Nancy Pelosi likely to be watching GOA's moves carefully, looking for weakness.
That said, they do have some very dedicated members, so they can make serious contributions going after issues like the Holder confirmation, and the noise they create will definitely serve a positive purpose of letting politicians know gun owners are still out there, and are watching.
And here I was, thinking I was on the brink of changing your mind, Sebastian ;-).
You've explained your position about as well as it can be explained, I think--but it's pretty clearly just never going to make sense to me.
In a nutshell, "don't fight if you have something to lose. Just go along to get along."
Does that clear it up for you, Kurt? I admit it sounded better when Snowflake said it, but that is really what he said when stripped of polite parlor palaver.
How much more pragmatic could they be? Excepting, of course, the fact that their cowardice will guarantee their impotence.
I don't see Sebastian and those who agree with him as cowards, SA--just far too willing to make excuses for the NRA leadership's cowardice.
I'd love to see the ghosts of Neal Knox and Harlon Carter come back and send Cox and LaPierre running and screaming like little girls, giving the NRA leadership a much needed shot of testosterone, and thus making them finally worthy of Sebastian's faith.
Well Kurt, you haven't seen some of them run screaming like little girls from conversation, I have.
I admire you generosity, but I don't share it in this particular case, or in the cases of others who know the truth but obscure it to avoid taking a stand on it.
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