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DISCLOSE ACT DIES: But Fight Isn’t Over, Dems Vow to Bring It Back (Guest in EDT)
Unlike financial reform, this time around Senate Democrats couldn’t lure a single Republican to their side, giving fuel to a GOP filibuster that buried the Chuck-Schumer-sponsored (D-NY) Disclose Act.
Joining the voices of millions of freedom-loving Americans, Larry Pratt, the executive director of the Gun Owners of America (GOA), is celebrating the legislative defeat. But he’s also saving some breath to warn those same Americans that the bill could rear its ugly head again if Senate Majority Leader, Harry Reid (D-NV) (pictured), owns up to his pledge to bring it up for vote again.
Supporters of the bill, which would impose all kinds of restrictions on corporations and nonprofit organizations regarding how they can spend political money, claim it is a necessary measure to prevent “corporate and special interest takeovers of our elections,” in the words of President Obama.
But opponents find it difficult not to laugh at such claims when the Democrats mortgaged their self-righteousness on this issue to get the bill passed, offering exemptions to groups such as the AARP, the Humane Society and, that’s right, even the National Rifle Association (NRA), to win their support.
The built-in framework for a double standard that reeks of corruption and undermines the proclaimed purpose of the bill made it clear to critics that the Disclose Act was nothing more than a ploy by the Dems to control elections. “Some of my colleagues fear the judgment of the American people this November,” said Texas Senator, John Cornyn (R). “So, they are trying to change the rules in the middle of the game.”
Pratt, in particular, had issue with the NRA for selling out its opposition. The NRA claimed it did so for the sake of protecting the 2nd Amendment, but Pratt responded with, “Our Second Amendment rights rely on the First Amendment's right to freely and openly communicate with government officials who at one time were called ‘public servants’.”
For a more revealing look at how critical this victory was, how realistic another vote might be and what it will take to defeat it once and for all, call Special Guests to schedule an interview with Larry Pratt.
THE FOLLOWING ARTICLE MAY BE USEFUL FOR SHOW PREP:
http://politics.usnews.com/news/articles/2010/07/27/senate-republicans-block-disclose-act.html
ABOUT YOUR EXPERT GUEST, LARRY PRATT:
Larry Pratt has been Executive Director of Gun Owners of America for 30 years. GOA is a national membership organization of 300,000 Americans dedicated to promoting their second amendment freedom to keep and bear arms.
GOA lobbies for the pro-gun position in Washington and is involved in firearm issues in the states. GOA’s work includes providing legal assistance to those involved in lawsuits with the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms, the federal firearms law enforcement agency.
Pratt has appeared on numerous national radio and TV programs such as NBC’s Today Show, CBS’ Good Morning America, CNN’s Crossfire and Larry King Live, Fox’s Hannity & Colmes, MSNBC’s Phil Donahue and Dan Abrams show and many others.
Larry Pratt has debated Congressmen James Traficant, Jr. (D-OH), Charles Rangel (D-NY), Rep. Carolyn McCarthy (D-NY), Senator Frank Lautenberg (D-NJ), and Vice President Al Gore, among others.
Larry’s columns have appeared in newspapers across the country.
Pratt published a book, Armed People Victorious, in 1990 and was editor of a book, Safeguarding Liberty: The Constitution & Militias, 1995.
Pratt’s latest book is “On the Firing Line: Essays in the Defense of Liberty.”
Pratt has held elective office in the state legislature of Virginia, serving in the House of Delegates. Pratt directs a number of other public interest organizations and serves as the Vice-Chairman of the American Institute for Cancer Research.
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