[Vision2020] The Risk of Daring to Disagree With the NRA

[Scott Dredge]

Democracy is a bitch, ain't it?

-Scott

On Dec 22, 2012, at 12:58 PM, "Tom Hansen" <thansen at moscow.com> wrote:

> Courtesy of CNN at:
> 
> http://tinyurl.com/d5w9myh
>  
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> <image.jpeg>
> 
> By Samuel Burke, CNN
> 
> Tennessee lawmaker Debra Maggart was a lifetime member of America’s most powerful gun lobby, the National Riffle Association.
> 
> She had an A+ rating with the group and even supported allowing guns in bars.
> 
> But when Maggart decided not to back a bill allowing guns in cars – even on properties where the owners did not want guns- the NRA turned against her.
> 
> The group did everything in its power to ensure her election defeat.
> 
> They succeeded.
> 
> “We tried to work out a compromise,” she told CNN’s Christiane Amanpour Wednesday, “after that they came after me because I was the caucus leader and I was the only person in leadership who had a primary.”
> 
> Maggart said the NRA poured money into her small district, attacking her from every angle. She says they created a “Defeat Maggart” website, and used billboards, robocalls, radio ads, YouTube videos and 12 full-page newspaper ads to drive her from office.
> 
> “They convinced the people where I am from that I was for all these things and that I was actually going to put your family in danger because of this bill.”
> 
> They changed her rating on gun legislation from an A+ to a D.
> 
> Maggart believes the NRA’s aggression actually boils down to money.
> 
> “They create phantom issues in order for people to write them a duty check. I am convinced of that. They frighten people and they have to have a bad guy.”
> 
> Maggart never thought she would become the bad guy.
> 
> “I was surprised because I had always been supportive of gun legislation. I am a pro-Second Amendment person,” she told Amanpour. “I had a great record on promoting the Second Amendment, but that didn’t matter to them”
> 
> The NRA on Tuesday made its first statement since the Sandy Hook massacre, saying it is prepared to “offer meaningful contributions to help make sure this never happens again.”
> 
> Maggart is doubtful and had some words of advice for policy makers: “If you are a lawmaker you have to be able to sit down and have a grown up conversation about these things and not be afraid of them using bullying tactics, like they did on me – Using fear and intimidation to stifle the discussion. And that’s what they have done.”
> 
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> 
> Seeya round town, Moscow, because . . .
> 
> "Moscow Cares"
> http://www.MoscowCares.com
>   
> Tom Hansen
> Moscow, Idaho
>  
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> List services made available by First Step Internet,
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>               http://www.fsr.net
>          mailto:Vision2020 at moscow.com
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