Democrats Go After Gun Politics

Lawmakers Discuss Tapping Into The Traditionally Conservative Issue

by Bill Swindell

Thursday, Aug. 28, 2008


Stepping gingerly back into the thicket of gun politics, some Democrats are offering up a few proposals to make them less on the defensive on an issue that many claim cost former Vice President Al Gore and Sen. John Kerry, D-Mass., the presidency.

Rep. John Dingell, D-Mich., and Sen. Blanche Lincoln, D-Ark., spoke at a National Wildlife Federation briefing Wednesday afternoon, pushing efforts to expand conservation areas for hunting and fishing grounds as well as better protection of the environment for sportsmen.

"Sportsmen have been stereotyped as concerned with one issue: guns. But if you listen to sportsmen as I have over the years ... we hear a different story," said Larry Schweiger, president of the National Wildlife Federation.

The goal is to allow Democrats to play at least a little on the offense on an issue that party leaders will not bring up because of fear of major political repercussions to its members by the powerful National Rifle Association. Top Democrats are still reeling from NRA-led defeats in 1994 of their members who voted for the Brady Bill and legislation to ban some assault weapons. Others say the issue likely cost Gore a win in West Virginia in 2000 that would have put him in the White House.

Dingell said hunting and fishing areas need better environmental protection, specifically citing that enforcement of the Clean Water Act needs to be beefed up to protect those lands. "These have not been a good eight years," said Dingell, a stalwart NRA member. Lincoln cited the increasing loss of public hunting areas that threaten the opportunities for families to go shooting or fishing, like hers will do in a few weeks at a dove hunt in Maryland.

"Democrats are all about conservation. They are all about preservation. I think that's a huge opportunity," Lincoln said.

But the NRA is likely to pump a significant amount of its $40 million political spending this election season in an effort to defeat the Democrats' presidential standard-bearer, Sen. Barack Obama of Illinois, whom the organization has said fails to support their agenda.

The 3-million member group will wait until after both conventions to give an endorsement, which will likely go to Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz., despite his sponsoring of some legislation that the NRA has adamantly opposed, including requiring background checks at guns shows and a bill to tighten campaign finance laws.

"With Sen. Obama you have a lifetime record of supporting gun control, voting for gun control, speaking out against gun rights and voting against gun rights either as an elected official or a private citizen," said Andrew Arulanandam, an NRA spokesman.

But Dingell said that it is undetermined how much the NRA will actually spend and what races will be targeted. "I will point out to you that if you look at Mr. McCain's record on firearms, it ain't so good," said Dingell, who added that he would offer up some advice for Obama on the issue if asked.

  •  
  •