When I talked to the campaign of Illinois Democrat Debbie Halvorson, who's running for Jesse Jackson Jr.'s old seat, the spox suggested that Michael Bloomberg's super PAC would back off on the ad they've been running. As you can see above, that ad calls Halvorson out for being an ally of the NRA and an obstacle to the gun reform Bloomberg seeks.
It turns out the Bloomberg folks say they are not pulling that ad or tweaking it. In fact, they're spending more money to keep it on the air. The Hill reports that Independence USA PAC has put almost $800,000 on the extended ad buy. As of Sunday, the ad will have run 574 times in Halvorson's district.
For Bloomberg, it appears to be money well-spent. Halvorson appears to have gone from being an instant front-runner in this month's crowded Democratic field to polling in second place. If the NRA is supposed to be the big scary monster that chases talk of gun reform out of the public square, then Godzilla just met a new Mothra.
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The 2nd district is in the SE corner of Chicago. I live in a NW suburb.
I've seen this ad a LOT.
Didn't you just have an article about the NRA endorsing candidates and voters being less likely to vote for them? I'm sure that doesn't hold true in the rural areas of the South where gun ownership is the highest, but it sure seems to hold true here.
Congratulations! It really is time for the left to start calling their own out for being corporate toadies. I get it, people love their guns; yet in the wake of massacre after massacre, people dying from stray bullets - WE have to have some common sense gun laws, period! Those politicians choosing to be the water boy/gal for the Oligarchy need not apply to public office!
Halvorsen was hardly "left" on anything, given she's an ally of The Maximum Leader (Rahm Emmanuel)
Isn't this one of the three legs of the GOP platform, guns, gays, and gawd? More, less, and more, I assume.
Voting against gun control being a bad thing,,, who'd a thought?
The district couldn't get any more Democratic. A Republican doesn't have a chance in hell at winning that district. Halvorson is a Democrat.
She's a Rahm Democrat, in other words a RINO.
I suggest that Halvorson isn't a RINO. She's a full fledged repub only she doesn't call herself that.
But I know what you meant to say.
Seems that the Bloomberg PAC has gotten a lot of the facts wrong. Read Halvorson's reply in the Chicago Tribune the other day. The biggest problem in Chicago is that the Mayor and the police chief cannot control their own city. Plus way to lenient prosecuters and judges, way too many plea bargins - they simply are not enforceing the current gun laws to the maximum. They also are not enforcing the straw purchases and going after those purchasers within Illinois. Maybe they should implement some of the combined SWAT tactics that LA uses with unannounced rousting of the gangs and gangbangers ?
Seems like you're ignoring the facts presented in the actual ad Bloomberg's PAC is running with the strawman you want to moan and whine about.
(Spox= spokespersons) To my knowlege, Zachary Quinto and Leonard Nimoy have not expressed any opinion on Bloomberg's initiative other than a preference for pinching people's shoulders as a solution for violent situations.
Illinois has traditionally been a very strong state for gun control. If I'm recalling correctly, Illinois is the only state that doesn't allow any form of conceal carry. Maryland, New York, California and some other states in New England have all been traditionally very pro-gun control.
Hawaii too. All guns must be registered with the local police. Guns may not leave the home or place of business except when being transported to a firing range. No purchase until 2 weeks after permit was issued from the local police. There is a bunch of others.
Clearly the government is allowed to stand its ground on drones...
Liberals are ruining the country. Punish everyone who is successful, believes in God, and who owns a gun. Here is an idea how about you all go to the Russia and see if you like what Communism does to a country. MSNBC is so out there in "left world". Instead of "Lean Forward" it should be "Punish Forward". By the way im not rich. In fact I do not have a job. I do not take Unemployment. I also think that punishing people who are successful is stupid. The top 5% already pay over 50% of the Federal Income Tax. What more do you want? If you taxed them at 100% it still would not pay for the deficit that Obama runs every year! WAKE UP WE HAVE A SPENDING PROBLEM!!!!!
The segment you aired where the spokesman for the NRA was pushing the myth that our Founding Fathers put the Second Amendment in place so that our citizens could defend themselves against a tyrannical government wasn't surprising considering his motivation. What was surprising. however, was hearing Melissa, who was filling in for Rachel, agreeing with the myth. As Liberals, who pride ourselves in fact-based argument, we need to be aware of why this amendment was argued and ratified.
Our Founding Fathers wanted checks in place to protect against three types of tyranny they observed ravaging Europe for centuries: religious, corporate and military. The first was covered by the First Amendment. The second was pushed by Thomas Jefferson in that he wanted no monopolies, but that amendment failed. The third was added to establish no standing armies during times of peace. You can read the supporting arguments for the Second Amendment in Federalist Papers 23 to 26 as well as the minutes of the constitutional convention.
Please let's get the story straight, and stop letting people rewrite history.