If you missed Rachel’s rant on the last time Congress tried to pass universal background checks, here it is. Worth watching.
For a reminder of why Joe Manchin has to be treated carefully in spite of the problems he is causing, see Why Joe Manchin Owns Washington Right Now.
See also Is this time different? The latest GOP lunacy on guns demands a tougher response. by Paul Waldman and Greg Sargent at WaPo.
It just so happens that less than two weeks ago the House passed two bills to require background checks on all gun sales transfers and to create an expanded 10-day review of gun sales. Yet both faced nearly lockstep Republican opposition and will inevitably disappear into the black hole of the GOP Senate filibuster.
At a previously scheduled Senate Judiciary Committee hearing on Tuesday on this very subject, Republicans were livid at the mere suggestion that we might do something about the thousands of Americans killed with guns every year.
“Every time there’s a shooting, we play this ridiculous theater where this committee gets together and proposes a bunch of laws that would do nothing to stop these murders,” said Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Tex.).
But the reason it’s theater is the filibuster. Senators don’t need to consider gun legislation in a serious way, because Republicans can and will kill it no matter what it does or doesn’t do.
We’ve reached the point at which Republicans don’t have to seriously do anything except suppress votes, but that’s another rant. Waldman and Sargent go on to quote several Democrats saying that this time feels different, especially with the NRA on the ropes. We’ll see.
Also: Today my seven year old PC is having issues, so I’m getting this post in before I have to start fiddling with it. Wish me luck. It may be time to let this one go to PC heaven and get a new one. Good thing I just got my stimulus money.