Gun control supporters facing recall bids in Colo.

[Omaha Steve]

Source: AP-Excite

By KRISTEN WYATT

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. (AP) - A Democratic campaign office here usually would be quiet this time of year, a few weeks after the state's legislature wrapped up work and lawmakers headed off to summer vacations.

But even though it's not an election year, the office is in full campaign mode, with volunteers working the phones and reviewing maps in anticipation of a new front of modern campaigning - the recall phase.

A handful of Democratic state lawmakers in Colorado face recall petition efforts in what looks to be the first wave of fallout over legislative votes to limit gun rights. In an era in which recall efforts are booming, from governor's offices down to town councils and school boards, the Colorado efforts will serve as the first test of gun-rights groups' ability to punish elected officials who expanded gun control laws after last year's Aurora, Colo., and Newtown, Conn., shooting massacres.

In Colorado, gun-rights activists wasted no time seeking recalls to oust state Senate President John Morse and three other Democratic lawmakers. The targeted lawmakers weren't necessarily the main advocates for ratcheting back gun rights, but all come from districts with enough Republicans to give opponents hope they can boot out the Democrats and replace them with lawmakers friendlier to guns. Colorado is the only state outside the East Coast to have adopted significant statewide gun controls this year.

FULL story at link.


Read more: http://apnews.excite.com/article/20130528/DA6I64BG2.html

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In this photo taken May 24, 2013, Paradise Firearms owner Paul Paradis holds a flyer depicting Colorado's State Senate President, Democrat John Morse, together with a petition to recall him, right, at his gun shop in Colorado Springs, Colo. Paradis and other gun-rights activists are seeking the ouster of Morse for his support of new laws that restrict ammunition magazines and expand background checks to include private gun sales. (AP Photo/Ed Andrieski)

[blkmusclmachine]

1. The People vs. The Gun Lobby

Who has the Biggest Purse?

[Mr. David]

6. We, the Colorado voters, do.

NRA can go get fucked.

Speaking as a native Coloradan here. I support GUN CONTROL.

If we haven't learned from Aurora and Columbine, then we have learned NOTHING AT ALL.

The Democratic Senators who are facing recalls will get MASSIVE support, despite NRA money pouring in the state.

We're already tired of the bullshit.

Not only the Democratic Party will win, but the NRA support will grow even weaker as the time goes along.

The voters CAN and should replace their Republican counterparts for more sane Democratic ones. Tea party is starting to stink up the right.

[Hoyt]

2. I feel so sad for these poor pitiful gun lovers and lethal weapons profiteers.

Maybe they ought to find something worthwhile to get upset over besides friggin guns.

Good luck to Senator Morse. Hope this recall effort is a failure like several others the gun lobby in Colorado has pursued.

[graegoyle]

3. 'Ratcheting back gun rights' or "Right to Life"?

How about we start refering to reasonable efforts to put reasonable limitations and responsibilities on gun ownership--which is supported by a large percentage of citizens--as "Right to Life"?

[hack89]

4. Linking gun control with anti-choice may not be the best idea

"Right to Life" means anti-abortion to most Americans.

[graegoyle]

10. I think you are close to seeing the irony.

[Mike Daniels]

5. Weren't recalls once limited to removing people who showed gross negligence in office?

I remember that recalls used to be relatively rare and were basically limited to trying to remove someone from office who showed gross incompetence or had incurred something that made his/her continued presesnce a liability to effective goverment.

Nowadays they seem to be used to overturn the results of elections of officials that vote against a certain group's interest.

Is this something new or have recalls always been used in an attempt to overturn an election result and it just gets more attention now?

[Mr. David]

7. That is why the Republicans, NRA, gun lovers are being exposed for EXACTLY what they are.

And they will fail, MASSIVELY.

Gun control is an hot topic in Colorado. The two tragedies, 1999 and 2012 are still fresh on our minds.

[Jenoch]

9. "Weren't recalls once limited to removing people who showed gross negligence in office?"

That is still the way it works in Minnesota.

[mountain grammy]

8. It's conservatives holding their breaths. Too bad they don't turn blue..

they're too chickenshit to hold their breaths that long, they just stay red and angry. That's Colorado Springs.

[SoulSearcher]

11. Diana DeGette legacy...

I'm guessing her gun gaffe is one of the sparks that
caused the backlash.

[frylock]

12. of course they are. they hate the democratic process.

fuck these crybaby assholes.

[hughee99]

14. Why do they "hate the democratic process"? It seems like they're trying to follow it. n/t

[frylock]

15. so you think we should just recall anyone elected that we don't care for?

is that what you're in favor of doing? wasting MILLIONS of dollars to placate these crybaby motherfuckers? there was an election. they lost.

[hughee99]

16. You're right, fuck those guys in Colorado and Wisconsin!

Who do they think they are?

[frylock]

19. apples

oranges

[hughee99]

20. Yes. It all depends on whose ox is being gored. n/t

[frylock]

21. yes. people's livelihood vs people's ability to stockpile ammo and weaponry..

hmmmmnn... who to side with on this one. such a dilemma.

[hughee99]

22. I don't have a problem figuring out which side to be on in WI or CO.

But then I'm not the one who suggested that a recall was a waste of money since there was an election and they lost... and then had to try to explain why it's different when it's done for reasons I support.

I don't have an issue with having a recall no matter who's doing it. If enough people don't support it, they won't even have one at all.

[ProudToBeBlueInRhody]

17. Did you feel that way about Scott Walker? (n/m)

[frylock]

18. outline the similarities, if you will..

you know, aside from the obvious. how does this legislation compare with Walker's dismantling of collective bargaining?

[ProudToBeBlueInRhody]

23. A Governor proposed a bill and a legislature passed it

And it went through court challenges to it's constitutionality and survived.

The people of Wisconsin went to a recall process as is their right, and got mixed results on the legislative end and a bad one on Walker. The bottom line is recalls are in place and if people have the grounds to do so, that's part of the process.

[Blue_Tires]

24. They've got regular elections for that...

I hope these people have something more substantial in their recall position other than "The state senator didn't vote how I wanted on the gun issue..."

[hughee99]

25. Why do they need more?

If this is all they have, and enough people of the state don't think it's a good reason, they won't have a recall election.

[Blue_Tires]

27. It's still setting a shitty, sour-grapes precedent...

and it cheapens the real, legit reasons to recall an elected official...

Naturally, it didn't escape my notice that the organizer of this recall doesn't even LIVE in Morse's goddamned district (sort of like Walker getting 99.999% of his millions from shady, out-of-state sources)...And even the organizer admits it's as much about getting a Dem out of office as it is about the gun vote...Looks like a circumvention of democracy to me....

[hughee99]

28. It's not really setting a precedent.

There's a pretty established history of special interest groups threatening a recall petition over specific legislation. Usually, though not always, they can't get enough support to even get the question on a ballot.

[bitchkitty]

13. WTF is it with the right and bad toupees?

Don't they sell natural looking hair for men in Colorado? If that was my only choice, I would just shave my head.

[Hoyt]

26. These folks think their guns compensate for a lot of things.