‘Guns Are No Longer The Third Rail’ Of Politics: How The Debate Has Shifted Dramatically In The Past Ten Years
Political strategists say that Democrats used to have to be very careful when talking about guns, but that's not the case anymore as shown by the role the issue played in the recent midterms. “The primary thing that’s shifted in the politics of this issue is voter intensity was on their side. It’s now on ours,” said Peter Ambler, executive director of the gun control group founded by former Rep. Gabby Giffords. Meanwhile, the American Medical Association's push for gun control is getting attention on Capitol Hill.
The Associated Press:
Parkland Anniversary Highlights Democratic Shift On Guns
In the final weeks before the 2008 election, Barack Obama's campaign sent mailers to Florida voters reassuring them that he supported the Second Amendment. In the opening days of the 2020 Democratic primary, it's hard to imagine any candidate feeling the need to make a similar gesture. "Guns are no longer the third rail," said Steve Schale, a political operative who ran Obama's Florida campaign in 2008. "Ten to 12 years ago, Democrats had to — for political necessity — be really careful about how they talked about it. Now, if you don't talk about it, you're not part of the political conversation." (Riccardi, 2/12)
The Hill:
Key Doctors Group Faces Political Risks On Guns
The American Medical Association (AMA), the nation’s most prominent doctors’ group, is putting its muscle behind efforts to pass gun violence legislation in Congress, highlighting their advocacy on one of the country’s most politically divisive issues. This week, with physicians from around the country in Washington for the AMA’s national advocacy conference, the issue is being given a prominent showcase. The group invited Rep. Mike Thompson (D-Calif.), chairman of the House Gun Violence Prevention Task Force, to speak on the push for the Bipartisan Background Checks Act, a House Democratic bill that would institute universal background checks. (Gangitano, 2/13)
And in news from the states —
The New York Times:
F.B.I. Was Told About Tallahassee Gunman Months Before Fatal 2018 Attack At Yoga Studio
About three months before Scott P. Beierle shot two women to death, injured five other people and killed himself at Hot Yoga Tallahassee in November 2018, the F.B.I. received a tip about him, the Tallahassee Police Department said Tuesday. In August 2018, Mr. Beierle shared a link to his website “Path of Defiance” with a childhood friend and his wife, who was so disturbed by the content — it included songs about the rape and torture of women — that she shared it with the Federal Bureau of Investigation. But according to police records, the bureau did not have enough information to pursue the lead. (Rueb, 2/12)
The Washington Post:
Pittsburgh Pushes Strict Gun Laws After The Synagogue Massacre. People Still Don’t Want Them.
How does a city mourn when the debris of national tragedy begins to settle? “There is no one word,” said Rabbi Jeffrey Myers, who survived the October attack at Pittsburgh’s oldest synagogue. The pain still smolders, and communities have not yet come to grips with what happened, he said. While Myers has focused on the harms of hate speech, which he calls the “root” problem, elected officials have drafted gun-control legislation. (Paul, 2/12)
The Associated Press:
Washington Attorney General Calls Out Sheriffs Who Say They Won’t Enforce New Gun Law
Washington Attorney General Bob Ferguson on Tuesday called out sheriffs and police chiefs who have publicly said they won’t enforce Initiative 1639, saying they should follow the new gun law because it is the “will of the people” and because their inaction could cost taxpayers. Several sheriffs across Washington, including those in Lincoln, Grant, Okanogan and Stevens counties, have said they don’t intend to follow Initiative 1639, which was passed by about 60 percent of state voters in November and adds requirements on gun storage and background checks and raises the age limit to purchase semi-automatic “assault” rifles. (Clouse, 2/12)
