Hillary Clinton hints at gun control body to counter NRA 'scare-mongering'

[Eugene]

Hillary Clinton hints at gun control body to counter NRA 'scare-mongering'

Ed Pilkington in Keene, New Hampshire
Friday 16 October 2015 20.57 BST

Hillary Clinton has stepped up her attack on the National Rifle Association, describing it as an “absolutist” and “scare-mongering” lobby group that intimidates politicians and hinting that she was working behind the scenes to create a new alternative organization of “responsible gun owners” to lead the fight.

Buoyed by a well-received performance at this week’s first Democratic debate, and by a new opinion poll that narrowly puts her back in front in the critical early primary state of New Hampshire, Clinton moved her campaign against the notoriously aggressive NRA into higher gear. Appearing at her 11th town hall meeting in New Hampshire since the start of her campaign, she said it was time to “take on those who are not in favor of sensible gun safety measures”.

Then she specifically name-checked the NRA, and said “a lot of people in public life today … are intimidated. That’s no longer feasible, it’s no longer right.

The NRA, which acts as the mouthpiece of gun manufacturers and sellers, has held a virtual stranglehold over the debate on gun control in the US over the past 20 years. It exerts its influence by mobilizing activists at local level and by rating politicians according to whether they are, in the NRA’s reckoning, gun-friendly.

Speaking in front of about 1,000 people on the campus of Keene State University, Clinton issued what will undoubtedly be seen by the NRA as a provocative challenge by calling for the creation of a new body to check its power. “The fight against the NRA should be led by a new organization of gun owners,” she said.

[font size=1]-snip-[/font]

Read more: http://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2015/oct/16/hillary-clinton-nra-gun-control-scare-mongering

[tularetom]

1. What she is really complaining about is the influence of money in politics

because whatever influence the NRA has, it has because of the ginormous amount of money it is able to inject into political campaigns.

Which is somewhat hypocritical of her, because the only reason she is where she is, is because of the ginormous amount of money that has been injected into her campaign.

As far as I'm concerned, she can stick her "new organization of gun owners" where the sun don't shine. I'm a gun owner, and no friend of the NRA, but the last thing I'm about to do is sign up for some bogus, trojan horse gang of gun banners established by Hillary Q Clinton. Next thing you know, my name would show up on some advertisement advocating the confiscation of semi automatic rifles, large capacity magazines, or just all firearms completely.

[Eleanors38]

2. "Gun control body" already exists: MSM. nt

[ileus]

3. Just what we need another scare mongering gun ban group.

[virginia mountainman]

4. I thought that.....

"Americans for Responsible solutions" was that?!

[DonP]

7. No, no, it's the American Hunters and Sportsmen's Assn.

Or at least it was for about 20 minutes an election cycle or two ago.

I'm pretty sure we've heard this old song again and again.

They bounce between "the NRA has lost its influence" to "the NRA is the fount of all Evil".

The NRA seems to be the only organization that gets blamed for what it's members don't do, no matter what.

Convenient boogeyman for fund raising though.

I expect one of those "Just $3 can help us fight the NRA" e-mails in the next day or two.

[Straw Man]

5. Will this be a "grassroots" group?

The first step will be to find 5 million people who will pony up $35 each to join.

[Lurks Often]

6. I wonder how many swing states that will cost her if she is the Presidential nominee in 2016?