"Blue Dogs" Want Democratic Party
to Distance Itself From Gun Control
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"...We just don't think it's a good
issue for the party..." |
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-- U.S. Representative Marion Berry (D-Ark) |
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Rep. Berry (D-Ark) |
Members of the House "Blue Dog" coalition - a group of conservative
Democrats - have been discussing the issue of gun control ever
since the November 7 elections, according to a recent article in
the Congressional Quarterly Daily Monitor. The result of these
discussions? They "don't want (gun control) to be part of the
Democratic agenda," according to U.S. Representative Marion Berry
(D-Ark.). Berry went on to say, "We just don't think it's a good
issue for the party."
The concern was prompted by Democratic
losses in several races that were directly attributed to the
party's attacks on the Second Amendment. The crushing defeat of
Democrat Scotty Baesler by U.S. Rep. Ernie Fletcher (R-Ky.)
seemed to highlight the concerns of the Blue Dogs. Baesler, who
gave up the seat now held by Fletcher in 1998 to run for the U.S.
Rep. Fletcher (R-Ky) |
Senate (Baesler lost that race to current U.S. Senator Jim
Bunning, a pro-gun stalwart), ran an extremely anti-gun campaign,
that was heavily supported by gun-ban extremists, such as those
at HCI. His campaign included
- an expensive media campaign,
- the
exploitation of crime victims to promote his agenda, and
- his wife
even appeared on the "Rosie O'Donnell Show" to promote Baesler's
anti-gun views.
Fletcher wound up winning by an 18 point margin.
Some House Democratic aides blamed the Clinton-Gore
Administration's anti-gun agenda for their problems, and one
said, "Democratic members had to defend Clinton's aggressivity
[sic] on the issue."
While NRA would certainly welcome the
Democratic Party's leadership abandoning gun control as a party
platform, we are not holding our breath, but certainly appreciate
any support members of the Blue Dog coalition may offer.
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