Gun rights supporters packed Sen. Angela Giron’s (D-Pueblo) town hall meeting in protest of the gun grab
Conservatives, gun owners and those opposed to an over-reaching government should not feel totally hopeless after hearing that Governor Hickenlooper is ignoring their concerns and signing the magazine ban tomorrow. In the gun control debate, there have been a number of key victories that are worth remembering.
This legislative battle may be over, but the war continues. Here’s 6 reasons for conservatives to cheer:
(1) Two of the bills, at a great embarrassment to their sponsors, died an unceremonious death, as leadership tried to resuscitate them. It isn’t often that a signature bill from the Senate President gets whacked without a vote in the case of the “assault” weapon manufacturer liability legislation. HB1226, the ban on concealed carry, died due to both the utter stupidity and insensitivity of two Democrat legislators and the courageous testimony of victims who didn’t want to be “disarmed” by the Legislature’s vote.
(2) The bills that did pass, passed narrowly when Democrats control everything. Remember, Democrats have a whopping 38-27 advantage in the House and a healthy 20-15 majority in the Senate. The fact that the gun bills had close votes at all is a testament to the opposition’s campaign.
(3) Hickenlooper was flipping and flopping for a reason: because his phone was ringing off the hook, his email was full, planes were flying over his head. As recently as three weeks ago, Hickenlooper was on Sunday talk shows ducking whether or not he would sign them.
(4) Rep. Mike McLachlan (D-Durango) knows he’s baked. It’s one and done for his legislative career. He reneged on his support for a 30 round limit in the magazine ban legislation, and then waffled on supporting the 15 round limit when the bill came back to the House. In a sign of how pissed off his people are back home, in one of the most sparsely populated districts in the state, McLachlan saw 500 angry gun rights supporters show up to his town hall recently to denounce him as a “traitor.”
(5) The shotgun ban, which Democrats fixed, and the readily convertible mag bungling, which Democrats didn’t, are story lines that aren’t going anywhere. Some have said these narratives are made up. Tell it to Kyle Clark.
(6) You know what other story lines aren’t going gently into that good night? Joe Salazar and Evie Hudak‘s despicable comments about women and rape. Those two lowly legislative losers are no longer known only to Capitol insiders but to people all across the country. Their comments made national news and will most certainly be appearing in campaign commercials come 2014. War on Women? We got some of that right here for you, Democrats.
COLORADO Is Recalling Democrat Traitors! Help make it happen: https://www.facebook.com/GunRightsAcrossAmerica1?ref=ts&fref=ts. http://www.Coloradorecall.com http://www.facebook.com/recalljohnmorse
"New York City?!?!?"
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vgrGyR6EYbY&list=PL77A360A0AC67B5ED
Patriots — Get 2014 Take-Back-Colorado talking points and outrage here: http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2013/feb/28/colorado-anti-gun-laws-target-the-most-vulnerable/.
Chris, let's not forget to add to your last line, We'll act and respond. We can't just sit back and only hope/pray.
Hickenlooper was elected with support of moderates and independents, many of them gun owners. Now that he has betrayed them and signed-on with Bloomberg and ultra-liberals with national political ambitions, he has driven a new wedge in his support base.
We have seen this movie before. After being in power for so many years, it seems both political parties attempt to over-rearch whatever "mandate" they believe re-election has handed them. Remember George W. Bush after his reelection ("I have earned political capital and I intend to spend it?")? He was wrong, and so are the Democrats this time.
The difference between W then and Democrats now is that George tried unsuccessfully attempted to privatize social security, a government social policy (he failed). In contrast, the Democrats have launched an assault on one of America's most prized Constitutional freedoms which guarantees the other articles of the Bill of Rights. The Second Amendment forces the "political class" (a term that did not exist in my youth) to get consent from the governed. With these new gun laws, which can only be described as collective punishment on good people for the acts of a tiny and insane minority, they have proven they are trying to govern without our consent. History tells us where that road is paved to…
I do not like to think in terms of silver linings, but If this divisive debate on gun control helps bring out the best in US-A, then perhaps it has served a good cause. Be ready to protest HB1224 on July 2! This is our first step in showing the state, the nation and the world that America is for Americans first, not for the disconnected political class, amoral Wall Street bankers, un-patriotic multinational corporations or those simply afraid of freedom.
couldn't agree more Bill Souder
Hickenlooper made a comment that he didn't feel that signing the State's Gun Bills would cost him an election in the future…let's make sure that we don't forget his decision and constantly remind others during his next re-election campaign. We need to get a Republican Governor in office and re-address those laws. The fight for our rights which he has taken away has only just begun. We should send e-mails everyday reminding him how we feel about his ignoring the outcries of the over-whelming majority of his constituents "We the People" against these ridiculous laws.
Awesome post…and thank God it is a paradoxical universe! Let the pendulum back to the Right, to RED, and to Responsibility…
But we still lost and are still getting screwed …
Perhaps you should look at the language in the CO legislation and admire it's similarities (as in word for word copy) of legislation in the north east. Look into the calls that originated in NYC and terminated in democrat party offices in CO. We now have Colorado legislation crafted by people from out of state.
the 'Bloomberg Gun Grab'?
I think that you've completly understated the political tsunami Democrats have created. The silver linings you mention are mostly small consolations. I take much greater solace from knowing that Democrats have effectively built a platform and voter base for the 2014 elections that will be big enough to swamp the Democratic Party. In other words, these bills not only have small consolations, but they have actually done something that the Republican Party hasn't been able to do much of lately.
Namely, the Democrats have actually made Colorado a red state–or, I should say, a deeply intransigent state poised to entertain a Republican resurgence that will set the table for a national resurgence in the same way that liberals hope these gun laws will prompt a national trend. The irony is delicious, isn't it?
I think it makes a Cory Gardner run against Sen. Udall MORE likely. I think it makes the governor actually vulnerable, and will thereby attract a quality candidate like Scott Tipton, John Suthers, or Walker Stapleton to the race. In other words, while Democrats are licking their chops over CD-6 and a permanent legislative majority and easy statewide races, the Democrats' overreach sort of casts a red-hued pall over the whole election. Otherwise D-leaning races might suddenly become toss-ups, and close races could have the kind of Republican-lean that has eluded the GOP here for the last decade.
To be sure, 2014 is a long way away. And the Republican penchant for shooting ourselves in the feet might rival Democratic folly here. Nevertheless, Republicans do deserve a lot of credit for their strong voice in the legislature, and their very agile handling of these issues.
If I'm wrong about all of this, then it's clear enough that Colorado has entered the genuinely dystopian zone of blue states. But my hunch is that Democrats are taking a purple state to the left, and the nature of things will be to swing quite a bit more back to the right.
We'll hope. We'll pray. And we'll see what happens.