With no-votes on the recent background check bill facing intense media scrutiny and plummeting poll numbers, there's increased talk of bring a
new bill to the floor.
As Manchin works to revise his bill, with an eye toward trying to get it back on the floor next month following Senate action on immigration reform, Pryor said he is open to looking at the legislation again.
“If someone wants to put something together, I will look at it and I’ll make a judgment based on what they put together,” Pryor said on Friday, according to KLRT-TV in Little Rock.
Arizona Republican Jeff Flake, who is now less popular than pond scum, is also talking about possibly
coming around. New Hampshire Republican Kelly Ayotte isn't
far behind.
With that in mind, the only legislation that should be re-introduced is strengthened legislation, not the watered-down "compromise" to a bill already watered down to the point of irrelevancy. That's what's crazy about this whole ordeal—Manchin/Toomey was a nothing burger, unable to do much of anything to stem the tide of gun violence. The gun lobby could've embraced it, pretending to be reasonable and a good-faith partner in the search for a solution to the gun epidemic. This thing would've passed, not much would've changed, but the impetus for tougher restrictions would've waned. But the gun lobby and its allies inexplicably decided to fight, and now they're suffering the consequences. Good.
So why should Democrats bail out those assholes who voted the wrong way? They're flailing. Throw them an anchor. Hang this shit around their necks for the rest of their terms, be it two, four, or six years. Introduce tougher legislation and dare them to vote against it. AGAIN. And if they do, introduce even tougher legislation. Then take it to the voters.
The last thing Dems need to do is further water down near-useless legislation in order to bail out the NRA's most loyal flunkies.
But of course, the Senate leadership will be looking to bail out Mark Pryor from his own stupidity. Who cares if it eliminates a key 2014 electoral bludgeon? Though if we're looking for silver linings, seeing House Republicans reject whatever piece of shit the Senate passed would be a pretty big one. Given the difficult task of picking up the gerrymandered House, it might even make a Senate capitulation worth it.