the bistro off broadway

Mail Magazine 24
Republican Congressman From Virginia Joins Democrats In Calling for Gun Control
by Eric Odom 

The nation is quickly beginning to find out what Virginia Governor Bob McDonnell is all about. McDonnell campaigned on promises to hold strong on taxes, only to turn around and provoke the largest tax hike in Virginia history. Now McDonnell is seeking an internet tax as well, adding salt to a deep wound across his home state. The betrayal doesn’t stop at the Governor’s office, though. In fact, Virginia Beach area Congressman Scott Rigell is in on the game as well. 

Here’s a good rundown of the situation via Washington Post. 

On Tuesday afternoon, Rep. Scott Rigell did what relatively few fellow Republicans are willing to do: He stood on stage next to a pair of liberal Democrats.

The Virginia Beach lawmaker joined Reps. Elijah E. Cummings (D-Md.) and Carolyn B. Maloney (D-N.Y.) as well as Rep. Patrick Meehan (R-Pa.) at a Capitol Hill news conference to introduce a bill aimed at outlawing straw purchases of guns. 

Amid the polarization in Congress and the emotion surrounding gun issues, Rigell said in an interview that “the real challenge is to find the folks in the middle” willing to keep an open mind and find room for agreement.

In a little more than two years in Congress, Rigell has become one of the rare Republicans eager to work across the aisle. He has broken with party orthodoxy on taxes and has advocated a broad range of reforms in the way Congress does business. Rigell was also one of only two Republicans to vote against holding Attorney General Eric H. Holder in contempt of Congress in June over the “Fast and Furious” gunrunning operation. 

Rigell’s willingness to strike his own path has started to draw notice. 

Bold emphasis mine… 

Scott Rigell recently struck a nerve among conservatives when he fed into Obama’s request for a photo opportunity, joining Obama on Air Force One just days before the sequester kicked in. Rigell called for a “balanced approach” to avoid the alleged devastating outcome of sequestration, apparently perfectly willing to entertain new “revenues.” 

On the matter of guns, Rigell is just 1 of 5 Republicans joining 27 liberal Democrats in co-sponsoring H.R. 452. According to GovTrack, the bill only has a 6% chance of getting past committee and only 1% chance of being enacted. So why is Rigell giving gun grabbing Democrats talking points for their campaigns? Why is he playing in to their narratives on gun control? 

Scott Rigell is being played like a pawn as of late. From being Obama’s lap dog on Air Force One, to throwing his name into a bill that has no chance of passing, and allows Democrats to say they’re teaming up “with the other side” to control guns… Rigell seems to be missing the memo sent his way by conservatives. 

Stop being played, Congressman. 

Of course, Rigell is desperately trying to defend his move here. As seen on Twitter. 

HR 452 increases the penalty 4 straw purchasing. It has NOTHING to do w/ a fed registry & does not violate 2nd Amendment. #GunTrafficking

— Rep. Scott Rigell (@RepScottRigell) March 1, 2013 

But this misses the point. Rigell claims to be opposed to gun trafficking, but voted against holding Eric Holder in contempt? Eric Holder’s office WAS OPENLY trafficking guns to murderers, and doing it on our dime! We don’t want to see new laws. We’re tired of Washington, D.C. acting like a law factory. We need accountability for those doing harm and honesty on spending. 

We need leadership, and Scott Rigell is showing he’s completely void of it. 

Source: LibertyNews 

Read this and other articles at Mail Magazine 24


 
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