Sen. Leahy: Bloomberg’s Gun Ads ‘Didn’t Help A Bit’

[friendly_iconoclast]

http://abcnews.go.com/blogs/politics/2013/08/sen-leahy-bloombergs-gun-ads-didnt-help-a-bit/

Sen. Leahy: Bloomberg’s Gun Ads ‘Didn’t Help A Bit’

By Arlette Saenz
Aug 3, 2013 6:00am

Sen. Patrick Leahy, D-Vt., pointed some of the blame for the failed Senate debate over comprehensive background checks at New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg, who dedicated millions of dollars to eviscerating senators who opposed such legislation.

“Unfortunately, you have some on the left like the mayor of New York City, who actually didn’t help a bit with his ads. He actually turned off some people that we might have gotten for supporters,” Leahy, chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee, said in an interview to air on C-SPAN Newsmakers on Sunday. “Then you have some on the far right who say that the second amendment allows us to have anything. I mean, you can take a machine gun to deer hunting. There needs to be a balance between the two.”...

...Leahy predicted the background check bill will not make it back to the Senate floor.

“It is not going to get through now,” Leahy said. “It’s unfortunate because, Could you pass one law that would stop all the gun violence in this country? No, but can you do a lot better than we have? Yes.”

Leahy is correct on both accounts, and it's a damn shame that UBCs are off the table for the forseeable future

[Kelvin Mace]

1. Sorry, trying to digest Leahy's description

of Bloomberg as "some on the left"

Just because Bloomberg happens to have his head out of his ass on a single issue like gun control does NOT make him part of the "left".

[gejohnston]

2. as far as I am concerned

Bloomberg's head is completely up his ass.

[Duckhunter935]

3. Who said this?

"you can take a machine gun to deer hunting."

I have never heard that except for some that think semi-automatic rifles are machine guns.

[ileus]

4. And that's the good news....lies and hyperbole don't sell well with 2A supporters.

[jimmy the one]

5. other side of the story

Last edited Tue Aug 6, 2013, 08:48 AM - Edit history (1)

Leahy, D-Vt. Leahy, (a long-time gun owner), pointed some of the blame for the failed Senate debate over comprehensive background checks at NYC Mayor Bloomberg, who dedicated millions of dollars to eviscerating senators who opposed such legislation.“Unfortunately, you have some on the left like the mayor of New York City, who actually didn’t help a bit with his ads. He actually turned off some people that we might have gotten for supporters,”

.. shifting blame onto others for senate rules? why not onto harry reid? Americans for Responsible Solutions, group founded by former Rep. Gabrielle Giffords, also ran ads criticizing senators who voted against the legislation.

Couple points here, the uni bg check bill passed the senate 56-44 {edit MT version}, it just wasn't filibuster proof. Which means majority support sided with bloomberg. IIRC, the 'debate' on the ubc in the senate was allowed, passed, it was the actual vote which failed the filibuster rule. Does leahy think bloomberg cost 4 senate votes which would have made the difference? absurd, review the democrat senators who opposed ubc bill.
.. That bloomberg or ARS 'turned off some people' (possible ubc supporters) is true but those are largely normal citizens just saying that to spite bloomberg et al, & wouldn't've made a whit of difference in the senate vote. {neither pre MT either}.

NYDN paper, friendly icon evidently just wanting to present the one side of the story: Bloomberg administration dismissed Leahy’s criticism as passing the buck. “One of the reasons that Congress’ approval ratings is at an all-time low is because too many in Washington would rather point fingers than step up and show real leadership,” Bloomberg spokesman Marc LaVorgna said. “Instead of blaming others for their own failure, Congress should come together and pass sensible gun legislation now. Every day that they delay costs more lives.”
.. Bloomberg and Leahy have butted heads on guns in the past.. not the first time Bloomberg has been criticized for his ad blitz — which only began aggressively attacking senators who voted against background checks after the proposal was defeated last April.
Phil Collins sang a good song on listening to 'both sides of the story', you should hear it icon.

leahy's last potshot:“It’s unfortunate because, Could you pass one law that would stop all the gun violence in this country? No, but can you do a lot better than we have? Yes.”

Leahy used 30 words to say absolutely NOTHING. And nothing improper should be attributed to mayor bloomberg for his cogent efforts to spur some sense into gunlobby influenced 'DIMocrat' politicians... (or is 'it's' considered two words?)

[Pullo]

9. Gun control, including a UBC bill, stood no chance of passing with this Congress

Even if a UBC bill made it out of the Senate, it was almost certainly DOA in the House. IMO that particular political reality loomed large in the minds of some red state Dem senators who voted against the MT UBC bill. Much more so than Bloomberg's participation in the debate. Republican Senators too had no real incentive to cross the NRA to support a bill that faced almost certain doom in the House.

I think the point Leahy was trying to make was that Bloomberg's pressure fired up pro gun supporters more so than it did those seeking more restrictive gun laws. I tend to agree with that.

[hack89]

6. If they can keep Feinstein out of the picture, they can pass UBCs

a single focused law with no extraneous BS like an AWB.

[Eleanors38]

7. Bloomberg on "left?" "Machineguns" to hunt deer?

At the highest levels standards of analysis have fallen to their lowest.

I'm sure few at DU would consider Bloomie on the "left." Still trying to figure out the "machinegun" bit. Musta been Ted Nugget!

[DonP]

8. Sounds like it's straight out of that Gun Control talking points document?

Use emotional rhetoric to gain the sympathy and support of the masses.

They rely on the ignorance and short attention span of many people to actually make them think some people use (what looks like) machine guns to hunt deer with.

"How horrible, quick Martha, we need to send these nice people a check to stop machine guns in the forest killing Bambi's mother! - Oooh look a shiny piece of tinfoil."