NRA Finds Gun Nuts To Back On Both Sides Of The Aisle This Cycle

As long as they love their guns, NRA isn't interested, even if they're agents of Communist China like Ron here

During the Feingold-Johnson debate Friday night, while Feingold was wiping the floor with the pathetic and zombie-like Johnson, the NRSC tweeted that the NRA had endorsed Johnson. The NRA is generally thought of as a Republican Party front operation when it comes to electoral politics, although they occasionally endorse a conservative Democrat or two to a- make a case for the claim that they're nonpartisan and b- hold out a carrot to conservative Democrats to support their toxic agenda. Nonetheless, I was shocked that they didn't endorse Feingold, a Second Amendment absolutist.

No politician is ever perfect-- and that includes even someone as good as Feingold. I don't even begrudge him his support for a bunch of Wisconsin yahoos running around the woods shooting deer with AK47s if that's what most people up there want. But in Washington, DC, the only thing that gets hunted walks upright on two legs and when Feingold favored overturning local ordinances controlling guns-- and was willing to deny Washington residents congressional representation over the issue... well it reinforced my overall feeling about people who chose politics as a career. And it didn't save him from a strange non-endorsement.

Now, keep in mind that the NRA has a practice, "what it calls 'an incumbent-friendly' policy, which holds that if two candidates are equally supportive of gun rights, the incumbent gets the nod." And, in fact, the NRA announced endorsements for 58 Democratic incumbents.

The policy is frustrating Republicans who think the group is hurting its own cause and the party's chances next month.

In South Dakota, Rep. Stephanie Herseth Sandlin (D) got the NRA's endorsement even though her opponent, Kristi Noem (R), has made her fondness for hunting a prominent part of her campaign.

Noem's campaign manager, Joshua Shields, said that regardless of Herseth Sandlin's record on gun issues, she would still support House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.), "one of the most anti-gun speakers Congress has ever had."

"We made that argument to the NRA," Shields said. "Obviously it didn't work."

The thumbs-up from the NRA has given Democrats who represent conservative districts, such as Herseth Sandlin, an opportunity to fight back against repeated attacks that they're tied to their party's liberal leaders in Washington. With an NRA endorsement in hand, candidates are able to assert that they are willing to choose their constituents over their leaders when warranted.

Conversely, the NRA is so closely associated with the Republican Party that GOP candidates with impeccable records on gun rights are left to explain why they didn't get the group's backing.

At a gathering of volunteers for Robert Hurt's (R) campaign in Charlottesville last week, a concerned supporter asked the candidate why the NRA nod went to his opponent, freshman Rep. Tom Perriello (D-Va.).

Hurt said he was unhappy with the group's decision and attempted to explain the NRA policy, before also trying to link his opponent to Pelosi. "There is no more anti-Second Amendment vote than a vote for Nancy Pelosi for speaker," Hurt said.

NRA spokesman Andrew Arulanandam said that as a nonpartisan organization, his group does not take party affiliation into account. In most cases, he noted, the seat will be held by a gun-rights supporter regardless of whether the Democrat or Republican wins. "We are, frankly, in a very good and enviable position," Arulanandam said.

Among the most vulnerable Democrats who have won NRA backing are Reps. Betsy Markey (Col.), Harry Teague (N.M.), Chet Edwards (Tex.), Allen Boyd (Fla.), Earl Pomeroy (N.D.), Debbie Halvorson (Ill.), Paul E. Kanjorski (Pa.) and John Boccieri (Ohio).

...Although the NRA's agenda usually aligns with the GOP, having clout with Democrats has also been useful. In early 2009, U.S. Attorney General Eric H. Holder Jr. suggested the Obama administration might try to reinstitute a ban on the sale of assault weapons. Backed by the NRA, several dozen House Democrats sent Holder a letter opposing such a move, and the idea never resurfaced.

"If it hadn't been for those 60 House Democrats.... things would have turned out very differently," Arulanandam said.

But some Republicans in Washington privately grumble that the NRA is taking a short-sighted approach toward a crucial election.

"I think most [Republicans] would agree that [the NRA has] made friends with a lot of Democrats who will be former members of Congress next year, and most would agree they've been ill-advised," said a national GOP strategist who requested anonymity for fear of retribution for criticizing the influential group.

Other conservative Democrats with the NRA stamp of approval include Glenn Nye (Blue Dog-VA), Frank Kratovil (Blue Dog-MD), Zack Space (Blue Dog-OH), Travis Childers (Blue Dog-MS), Bobby Bright (Blue Dog-AL), Mike Ross (Blue Dog-AR), Jason Altmire (Blue Dog-PA), Chris Carney (Blue Dog-PA), Ike Skelton (MO), Dennis Cardoza (Blue Dog-CA), Dan Boren (Blue Dog-OK), Jim Matheson (Blue Dog-UT), Leonard Boswell (Blue Dog-IA), and John Salazar (Blue Dog-CO).

It's trickier in the Senate where the NRA counts a vote to confirm anyone sane to the Supreme Court as a negative. Although they wisely decided not to endorse sociopath Sharron Angle in Nevada, they also refused to endorse Harry Reid, a pro-Second Amendment voter. His vote to confirm Sonia Sotomayor and Elena Kagan helped Johnson win the NRA endorsement over Feingold.

This year the NRA PAC has contributed $169,500 to Democrats in House races and $350,550 to Republicans in House races. In Senate races $15,400 has gone to Democrats and $63,250 to Republicans. The biggest recipients of direct NRA contributions have been:

John Boehner (R-OH)- $9,900
Steve Stivers (R-OH)- $9,900
Steve Chabot (R-OH)- $9,900
Jim DeMint- (R-SC)- $8,450
Brad Ellsworth (D-IN)- $7,950
John Thune (R-SD)- $7,500
Bobby Bright (Blue Dog-AL)- $7,100
Lee Terry (R-NE)- $6,500
Jason Altmire (Blue Dog-PA)- $6,450
John Dingell (D-MI)- $6,000
Ken Calvert (R-CA)- $5,950
John Boozman (R-AR)- $5.950
Pete Olson (R-TX)- $5,500
Charlie Dent (R-PA)- $5,100
Eric Cantor (R-VA)- $5,000
Ben Chandler (Blue Dog-KY)- $5,000
Mike Ross (Blue Dog-AR)- $5,000