So they're saying today that the solution to the "Fiscal Cliff" brouhaha will have to come from Mitch McConnell over in the Senate. Isn't this like expecting Larry Flynt to clean up the porn business? First off, the Senate isn't the problem. Democrats control the Senate and they won't have much problem coming up with a bill President Obama would sign. Secondly, McConnell is up for re-election in two years and if he winds up being responsible for any deal that Obama likes, the Tea Party folks will savage him and run someone against him for the Republican nomination. He's the last guy with a vested interest in compromise. The problem is over in the House where even John Boehner can't pass a bill Obama would sign.
Then Republican pollster Frank Luntz is out there saying…
I don't think the N.R.A. is listening [to the American people]. I don't think they understand most Americans would protect the Second Amendment rights and yet agree with the idea that not every human being should own a gun, not every gun should be available at any time, anywhere, for anyone. At gun shows, you should not be able to buy something there without any kind of check whatsoever.
Okay but since when does the N.R.A. even pretend to listen to the American people? It seems to me the N.R.A. prides itself on listening only to its interpretation of the Constitution and in blocking any legislation that infringes on that view. If 98% of America felt otherwise, then Wayne LaPierre would just say, "Well, 98% of America is wrong" and redouble (or retriple or requadruple…) their efforts to convince them and to stop any legislation to the contrary.
Methinks Mr. Luntz is angling for a highly-paid consulting deal to tell the N.R.A. catch-phrases they can use to seem more reasonable. I've never gotten that that organization cares a whole lot about appearing reasonable.
And in still other news: Police in Washington, D.C. are investigating Meet the Press host David Gregory for displaying what appeared to be a high-capacity ammunition magazine during last Sunday's program. Yeah, that figures. There's thousands of people around, many of them with criminal records and/or mental instability, who have those. Sure! Let's investigate the one guy who's got one but doesn't have a gun to put it in.