As more and more NRA corporate partner flee the NRA cooties and as polls show that voters are finally ready to express their NRA-hatred at the polls, the tone-deaf and clueless DCCC is still clinging to their NRA recruits-- such as Anthony Brindisi (NY), Jeff Van Drew (NJ) and Ann Kirkpatrick (AZ). Even more tone-deaf and more clueless are Republican state legislators in the states where the GOP has a stronghold on political power, like in Tennessee. There a crackpot state rep., pig rancher Andy Holt, who calls himself "west Tennessee's conservative voice" and who introduced a bill that would allow people carry guns in airports and bars local governments from passing their own gun regulations. The bill comes up before the legislature today. Holt has 10 unpaid speeding tickets and was questioned by the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation about his part in a bribery ring. He's probably best known for fighting with Carrie Underwood on Twitter and for tweeting directly at President Obama in 2016: "Take your gun control and shove it." A friend of mine in the Tennessee general Assembly told me he doesn't smell worse than the swine he raises but "his social skills aren't as good."Last week Republicans in the Oklahoma state House passed 2 NRA bills, one that allows teachers to carry guns in schools and another that allows Oklahomans to carry guns without a permit and with no training. The progressive Democrat who looks like he can win a congressional seat in Oklahoma City, Tom Guild, told us that "the lesson learned from the mass shootings in Connecticut, California, Texas, Nevada and Florida is that we need to pass common sense gun safety measures to reduce and eliminate tragic gun massacres from occurring. We need to outlaw bump stocks, not only administratively but legislatively. Administrative actions such as executive orders can easily be undone by incoming administrations. We need to pass truly universal background checks covering all civilian commercial transactions involving firearms. America needs to greatly expand investment in mental health treatment. We need to raise the age to purchase firearms for civilian use to 21. We also need to seriously consider and adopt a ban on the manufacture and sale of assault rifles purchased for civilian use. These measures are a good start in bringing peace to America and help ensure that Americans are not targeted for slaughter at schools, churches, concerts, political rallies, and as we simply undertake our daily routines and exercise our fundamental right to assemble peacefully."Meanwhile another right-wing imbecile, this one in Indiana, state Rep. Jim Lucas-- whose website brags "As your State Representative, I have authored and co-authored many bills and amendments to restore and protect our gun rights"-- is probably best known as the nut who is trying to license journalists, proposed an amendment right after Parkland to expand another NRA bill aimed at letting Hoosiers take guns into schools and churches. He citizens of Indiana need to be guaranteed the right to carry weapons on all state-owned property-- as well as at horse tracks and in casinos.Lucas' amendment gets a hearing tomorrow.Lucas lives in Seymour in Jackson County which is in Indiana's 9th congressional district, the seat Dan Canon is contesting this year. And Dan didn't mince any words about what Lucas is trying to do. "The extremist agenda of the Indiana legislature is a textbook example of just how far removed elected officials are from the needs and wishes of their constituents. Most regular folks in Indiana don't want to live in the wild west, especially after seeing dozens of kids die in their classrooms over the last few years, and yet you have lawmakers pushing these unbelievably regressive gun bills. Putting guns in schools isn't what Hoosiers want. Making semiautomatic weapons and silencers easier for everyone to get isn't what Hoosiers want. Making it easier to carry concealed firearms across state lines isn't what Hoosiers want. The people want commonsense gun legislation, and they're not getting it. Lawmakers aren't even seriously talking about it. Is there any real question about what master is being served here?"And the Republican multimillionaire Canon is taking on, Trey Hollingsworth, is another NRA butt-kisser. Normally districts like IN-09 and OK-05 wouldn't even be up for grabs. But this year isn't "normal," not even in Indiana or Oklahoma. Hillary only a bit over a third of the vote in each district but Dan and Tom have every expectation of winning over half with their strong, values-oriented grassroots campaigns. Please consider helping Dan and Tom get their messages out so they can take on GOP/NRA extremists like Jim Lucas, Trey Hollingsworth and Steve Russell. There are plenty of red-state Democrats who don't want to speak out on a divisive issue like this-- which is exactly how the DCCC counsels candidates. Dan Canon isn't one of them-- and neither is Tom Guild. If you'd like to see people like them in Congress instead of NRA water carriers, please click on the thermometer above and consider making a contribution to their campaigns.
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