From: [EMAIL PROTECTED] http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A44178-2000Oct19.html For Democrats, Gun Issue Is Losing Its Fire From Friday, October 20 MONROEVILLE, Pa.The issue of guns--once seen as a potential winner for Democrats--is now threatening the party's prospects of keeping the White House and regaining control of Congress, according to strategists and officials with both major parties. The problem for Democrats is that gun control is unpopular among many of the swing voters both campaigns are targeting in the final weeks of the campaign, particularly in battleground states--such as Michigan, Missouri, Ohio and Pennsylvania--with a sizable bloc of hunters and other gun enthusiasts. As a result, Vice President Gore has moderated his anti-gun rhetoric in recent weeks, going out of his way in the last two presidential debates to emphasize that he would not take guns away from sportsmen. And many House and Senate Democrats have found that gun control is not resonating in many key contests like other issues, such as prescription drugs. The situation underscores the volatile politics of gun control this election. After the Columbine High School shootings a year and a half ago, anti-gun advocates had political momentum, but politicians and pollsters say the National Rifle Association and others appear to have had some success with the argument that more enforcement, not new laws, is what's needed. "Watch Al Gore on guns and you can see the issue has not had the universal appeal some people had anticipated," said Rep. Thomas M. Davis III (Va.), who chairs the House GOP's campaign arm and supports stricter gun laws. "It's not a national issue. It's a regional one." Fueling the pro-gun forces has been a massive mobilization by the NRA under the banner of "Vote Freedom First," as the group has blanketed the airwaves and billboards in key states with the message that guns alone should be the deciding factor in this year's election. In Pennsylvania, for example, which boasts the second-highest number of gun owners in the nation next to Texas, more than 1,000 NRA supporters jammed a hotel ballroom early Wednesday morning to attend a rally headlined by NRA President Charlton Heston. The former movie star told audience members they were "the direct descendants of America's revolutionary heroes" by working to elect gun control opponents such as Republicans George W. Bush, Sen. Rick Santorum (R-Pa.) and House candidate Melissa Hart. "They won their freedom with bullets so that we could defend our freedom with ballots," Heston told the crowd at Al Monzo's Palace Inn here. "That is the holy war which you in this room help wage and win. But instead of fighting the Redcoats, we're fighting the blue-blood elitists." Several members of the audience said they were not only voting Republican this year, they were also volunteering on behalf of GOP candidates to make sure Congress does not take up gun control legislation next year. Last summer in the wake of Columbine, the House narrowly defeated a measure that would have imposed a three-day background check on firearms purchased at gun shows. "I'm not a gun fanatic, I'm a constitutional fanatic," said Gibsonia resident Michael O'Block, who will be working the polls for Hart in her bid to succeed Rep. Ron Klink (D). Klink is challenging Santorum for his Senate seat. Beth Wineland, a 29-year-old catering manager, said, "If Gore gets elected I'm going to be buying a gun as soon as I can, because I'm going to lose that right." Heston attracted crowds of 5,000 each in Hershey, Pa., later that day and in Flint, Mich., on Tuesday, where union workers made up a sizable portion of the audience. Yesterday, he traveled to Virginia for three more rallies. "You know, if Vice President Gore had the guts of a guppy," Heston said last night to the laughter of several hundred supporters at a Richmond hotel, "he would simply stand up and say, 'Look, I was wrong. . . . I pretended to be in favor of gun rights--I really am not.' But, of course, he's not going to do that." The intensity of the NRA drive has thrown a wrench into AFL-CIO efforts to mobilize on behalf of Democratic candidates, especially in Michigan, West Virginia, Pennsylvania and Washington. In Michigan, state Rep. Valde Garcia attended an NRA rally in the town of DeWitt, and he estimated that at least half the men in the audience wore United Auto Workers jackets. "This [gun control] is a real issue with these guys," he said. Steve Rosenthal, political director of the AFL-CIO, said union members have been bringing their leaders leaflets from pro-gun groups telling members, "Defend your guns, defeat Al Gore." Labor leaders are now countering with a message delivered directly to members that "Al Gore doesn't want to take your gun away, but George Bush wants to take away your union." Rosenthal contended that "the NRA stuff is so strong that is is not really credible." But key officials in the Gore campaign believe that it is a major reason for the erosion of Gore support in such states as Pennsylvania and Michigan. Andrew Kohut, director of the Pew Research Center, said Gore's decision to deemphasize gun control may be based on poll trends that show a reduction in the overall support for gun control, especially among men. Gore had been an ardent gun control advocate during his primary fights with Bill Bradley. Bob Shrum, one of his media advisers, said gun control remains "a continuing issue" in the campaign. He denied that Gore has backed away, noting "in the second debate, we had a whole discussion on that." In fact, in the second debate, Gore chose first to say that he and Bush "agree on some things" and that he "will not do anything to affect the rights of hunters or sportsmen." He did refer to his support for closing a loophole allowing the unregulated sale of guns at gun shows, for restoration of the three-day waiting period and mandatory trigger locks, but he made no mention--as gun critics wanted--of a provision in a Bush-backed Texas law that allows people to carry concealed weapons while in such places as churches. Only when pressed did Gore refer to his support for requiring photo licensing for new gun purchasers. Gore's shift has disappointed gun control advocates such as Cathie Kopecky, who served as the Million Mom March's coordinator for western Pennsylvania. "I'm angry about it," said Kopecky. "Both presidential candidates are pretty silent on the issue. They're trying to say what both sides want to hear." Last year, Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee Chairman Patrick J. Kennedy (R.I.) predicted his party would hang the gun issue around Republicans' "necks on Election Day," but in recent months House Democrats have also scaled back their legislative and rhetorical attacks. Laura Nichols, spokeswoman for House Minority Leader Richard A. Gephardt (D-Mo.), said Republicans have simply stymied the Democrats' attempts to force action on gun control. There are some contests where Democrats are pressing the issue of gun control, including the Virginia and Florida Senate races. Handgun Control political director Joe Sudbay said this demonstrates "there's a big sea change in terms of how this issue is being debated and perceived." But the issue of gun control is also being used to attack Democratic candidates in such states as Michigan, Nevada, Pennsylvania, and Washington. Klink--who had voted consistently with the NRA until he backed the three-day gun show check last summer--said he's well aware he may now have to pay a political price. "If you're not a 100 percent with them, they come at you from both sides," Klink said during a rally in his district Tuesday night. "In this state the gun issue has defeated a lot of people on the state and local level. It's a powerful issue, and there are a lot of single-issue voters here." Cybershooters website: http://www.cybershooters.org List admin: [EMAIL PROTECTED] ___________________________________________________________ T O P I C A The Email You Want. http://www.topica.com/t/16 Newsletters, Tips and Discussions on Your Favorite Topics
