From: Gun Owners of America
Re: Republican "Leaders" Looking to Replace Specter with Noted Gun Banner
May 7, 2009
Some Republicans still don't understand why mainstream America is so
upset with their Party.
Now that Sen. Arlen Specter has defected to the Democrat Party, many
prominent Republicans are openly recruiting liberal Republicans to run
against Specter.
And at the top of their list is Tom Ridge.
Ridge is the turncoat Republican whose vote was crucial in passing the
semi-auto ban in 1994.
After having opposed a similar ban in 1991, then-Rep. Tom Ridge
flip-flopped and teamed up with Charles Schumer (D-NY) to pass the
semi-auto gun and magazine ban. The gun ban passed narrowly, 216 to
214, thanks to Tom Ridge.
Later, as Governor of Pennsylvania, Ridge signed one of the most
restrictive gun control laws in the State's history -- the infamous Act
17 which registered and taxed long gun buyers and placed other
restrictions on Keystone State gun owners.
As the head of the Department of Homeland Security, Tom Ridge opposed
arming pilots. He asked, sarcastically, if pilots carry guns, then
should we also arm railroad engineers and bus drivers? As DHS Director,
Ridge should have led the charge to arm pilots and people in other
positions that fell under the agency's purview.
Instead, he just repeated the same tired old anti-gun line that we hear
every time a state passes a concealed carry handgun law.
Guess who else opposed the armed pilots program? Pennsylvania's
"Benedict" Arlen Specter, who was one of only two Republican Senators to
vote against the bill.
The last thing we need is another elitist in Congress who does not trust
law-abiding citizens with firearms. And yet, wishy-washy Republican
Senators like Utah's Orrin Hatch and South Carolina's Lindsey Graham are
touting Ridge over Specter. In other words, let's replace one turncoat
with another.
There is a better option. His name is Pat Toomey, a Gun Owners of
America "A" rated pro-gunner who served in the U.S. House of
Representatives for three terms, before honoring a self-imposed term
limit and retiring in 2004.
Those who are pushing anti-gunner Tom Ridge claim that Pat Toomey is
unelectable because he's "too conservative" for Pennsylvania.
But that's what self-appointed experts said before Toomey got elected
term after term in a largely Democrat district in the eastern part of
Pennsylvania. And that's what they said before he accrued a gigantic
lead in the polls over a sitting Senator this year, forcing Specter to
jump parties.
It was Pat Toomey who forced Specter to jump to the Democrat Party.
Toomey -- who was backed by Gun Owners of America Political Victory Fund
-- was leading Specter in polls by an overwhelming margin.
That's also what they said about Ronald Reagan -- who was supposedly too
conservative to win a national election. (By the way, Reagan also won
Pennsylvania.)
Bottom line: We need to put these squishy politicians on alert. Their
internal party politics is their business. But when party leaders start
pushing noted gun banners -- using the money contributed by millions of
gun owners around the country -- we're not going to remain silent.
Texas Senator John Cornyn is the head of the National Republican
Senatorial Committee. Michael Steele heads the Republican National
Committee. The decision to support an anti-gunner over a defender of
the Second Amendment rests largely in their hands.
ACTION: Please urge Senator John Cornyn and Chairman Michael Steele not
to interfere in Pennsylvania's primary. There is already a pro-gun,
electable conservative running in the primary who deserves their
support.
You can contact NRSC's Sen. Cornyn at info@nrsc.org or by phone at (202)
675-6000.
You can contact RNC Chairman Michael Steele at chairman@gop.com or by
phone at (202) 863-8700.
Some Republicans still don't understand why mainstream America is so
upset with their Party.
Now that Sen. Arlen Specter has defected to the Democrat Party, many
prominent Republicans are openly recruiting liberal Republicans to run
against Specter.
And at the top of their list is Tom Ridge.
Ridge is the turncoat Republican whose vote was crucial in passing the
semi-auto ban in 1994.
After having opposed a similar ban in 1991, then-Rep. Tom Ridge
flip-flopped and teamed up with Charles Schumer (D-NY) to pass the
semi-auto gun and magazine ban. The gun ban passed narrowly, 216 to
214, thanks to Tom Ridge.
Later, as Governor of Pennsylvania, Ridge signed one of the most
restrictive gun control laws in the State's history -- the infamous Act
17 which registered and taxed long gun buyers and placed other
restrictions on Keystone State gun owners.
As the head of the Department of Homeland Security, Tom Ridge opposed
arming pilots. He asked, sarcastically, if pilots carry guns, then
should we also arm railroad engineers and bus drivers? As DHS Director,
Ridge should have led the charge to arm pilots and people in other
positions that fell under the agency's purview.
Instead, he just repeated the same tired old anti-gun line that we hear
every time a state passes a concealed carry handgun law.
Guess who else opposed the armed pilots program? Pennsylvania's
"Benedict" Arlen Specter, who was one of only two Republican Senators to
vote against the bill.
The last thing we need is another elitist in Congress who does not trust
law-abiding citizens with firearms. And yet, wishy-washy Republican
Senators like Utah's Orrin Hatch and South Carolina's Lindsey Graham are
touting Ridge over Specter. In other words, let's replace one turncoat
with another.
There is a better option. His name is Pat Toomey, a Gun Owners of
America "A" rated pro-gunner who served in the U.S. House of
Representatives for three terms, before honoring a self-imposed term
limit and retiring in 2004.
Those who are pushing anti-gunner Tom Ridge claim that Pat Toomey is
unelectable because he's "too conservative" for Pennsylvania.
But that's what self-appointed experts said before Toomey got elected
term after term in a largely Democrat district in the eastern part of
Pennsylvania. And that's what they said before he accrued a gigantic
lead in the polls over a sitting Senator this year, forcing Specter to
jump parties.
It was Pat Toomey who forced Specter to jump to the Democrat Party.
Toomey -- who was backed by Gun Owners of America Political Victory Fund
-- was leading Specter in polls by an overwhelming margin.
That's also what they said about Ronald Reagan -- who was supposedly too
conservative to win a national election. (By the way, Reagan also won
Pennsylvania.)
Bottom line: We need to put these squishy politicians on alert. Their
internal party politics is their business. But when party leaders start
pushing noted gun banners -- using the money contributed by millions of
gun owners around the country -- we're not going to remain silent.
Texas Senator John Cornyn is the head of the National Republican
Senatorial Committee. Michael Steele heads the Republican National
Committee. The decision to support an anti-gunner over a defender of
the Second Amendment rests largely in their hands.
ACTION: Please urge Senator John Cornyn and Chairman Michael Steele not
to interfere in Pennsylvania's primary. There is already a pro-gun,
electable conservative running in the primary who deserves their
support.
You can contact NRSC's Sen. Cornyn at info@nrsc.org or by phone at (202)
675-6000.
You can contact RNC Chairman Michael Steele at chairman@gop.com or by
phone at (202) 863-8700.
