Gun Safety Is Likely To Play A Part In The Florida Gubernatorial Primary

Nan Rich and Good Time Charlie

Debbie Wasserman Schultz, whose roots are on Long Island, is like South Florida's Tammy Boss. She inserts herself into every detail of the Florida Democratic Party, which goes a long way towards explaining what a pathetically failed organization it is. One of the most corrupt politicians in America, Wasserman Schultz recently steamrolled a worthless hack, Allison Tant, into the state party chairmanship. And when Tant pukes out a controversial decision, she's simply annunciating what Wasserman Schultz wants her to say. They're blocking former state Senate Democratic leader Nan Rich, a gubernatorial candidate, from speaking at the party's annual Jefferson-Jackson Dinner on June 15. Wasserman Schultz, always more comfortable with Republicans than with actual Democrats, has promised to deliver the Democratic gubernatorial nomination to Charlie Crist, probably the only way Gov. Rick Scott can be re-elected.

The Democratic Progressive Caucus of Florida issued a report Friday that compares the gun safety records of Nan Rich, Charlie Crist and Alex Sink. It's the first in a series of reports on where the candidates stand on key issues.

Senator Rich served in the state House of Representatives from 2000-2004 and the state Senate from 2005-2012, serving as minority leader from 2010-2012. She has opposed the gun lobby and as a result has consistently received “F” ratings from the NRA during her legislative tenure. Senator Rich announced her candidacy for governor in April 2012.

“America is the world’s greatest democracy-- a representative democracy. We, the people, elect men and women to represent our interests-- to serve our needs-- to stand up for what’s right. But…the United States Senate failed to do any of these things... Let me be crystal clear-- I support expanding background checks on firearms sales. In fact, I sponsored such legislation when I was in the State House of Representatives. But then, as now, the specter of political reprisals from the NRA was enough to derail that bill.

As your governor, I will make the passage of common sense gun control laws a priority. It will save lives-- and we all know it will.  – Nan Rich, Facebook post, April 19, 2013 in response to Senate vote on Manchin-Toomey background check amendment

Crist, who claims he's suddenly a "Democrat" is an opportunist with no principles. He's been an NRA shill his entire political career and now claims he's "evolving." The NRA has always graded him an "A."

“The Second Amendment is very important, I understand there are competing interests … but people being protected is most important to me.”-- Crist on signing the bill to allow weapons in vehicles-- Sun Sentinel, April 10, 2008

“Gov. Crist has never wavered in his support of the Second Amendment, the right to bear arms.”-- Crist for U.S. Senate campaign website (2010)

“[Crist] has…never voted against us, always voted with us as governor. He signed every piece of legislation gun owners asked him to sign and vetoed every piece of legislation negatively impacting gun owners and sportsmen that gun owners asked him to veto. He has an outstanding record of support.” – Former NRA president and lobbyist Marion Hammer – St. Petersburg Times (2010)

“We need to have some restrictions, that’s pretty obvious to most people.”-- Crist, in the weeks after the December 2012 Sandy Hook massacre

One of Crist’s first high-profile gun battles came in 1998 when, according to Politifact Florida (July 14, 2010), “Crist blasted then Gov. Lawton Chiles’ last-minute effort to require criminal background checks and a waiting period for purchases made at gun shows in 1998.”

...In 2010, Crist was clear in his views on his Senate campaign website: “Governor Crist has never wavered in his support of the Second Amendment, the right to bear arms.”

In September 2012, when MSNBC correspondent Chuck Todd asked Crist if he still characterized himself a “pro-life, pro-gun conservative,” he responded, “Yes, I would.”

"Crist’s record contrasts starkly with those of Rich and Sink. It’s alarming that Governor Crist walked in lockstep with the NRA, even as their positions became more and more extreme," said Susan Smith, president of the Progressive Caucus. "He routinely picked up an A rating from the NRA and accused political rivals of being soft on Second Amendment gun rights... It’s not enough for him to say he’s in favor of some restrictions, as he told the Tampa Bay Times in December. We need to know what he thinks about assault weapons and Stand Your Ground laws. We need a full rundown from A to Z." Crist is trying to talk as little as possible about controversial issues-- and counting on Wasserman Schultz to shiv any actual Democrat who tries to run for the nomination.