Gun debate takes center stage in Ill. house race

CBS/iStockphoto

Updated: 5:01 p.m. ET

As the Obama administration continues a national campaign to build public support for more stringent gun laws, the larger debate about gun violence has already begun to seep into one House race, where a pair of super PACs have spent hundreds of thousands of dollars in an effort to keep pro-gun candidates out of office.

Early voting starts today in the primary contest for Illinois' 2nd congressional district seat, which was vacated recently by former Rep. Jesse Jackson Jr., D-Ill. But in what looks so far to be a relatively close contest, several candidates have been targeted for their pro-gun records, and at least one super PAC is funneling upwards of a million dollars into getting its message on the air.

According to a spokesperson for New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg's Independence USA PAC, the super PAC will have spent more than $1 million by the end of next week in ads targeting former Rep. Debbie Halvorson, D-Ill., who is vying for Jackson's old seat.

"Throughout her years in Washington and Springfield, Debbie Halvorson's record on gun safety has been entirely devoid of any semblance of the kind of common-sense reforms that will keep Americans safer from the scourge of gun violence," said Stefan Friedman, spokesman for Independence USA PAC, in a recent statement. The ad particularly targets Halvorson's "A" rating from the National Rifle Association, and past opposition to an assault weapons ban, a ban on high-capacity magazine clips, and universal background checks.

"Halvorson even co-sponsored a bill that would allow some criminals to carry loaded, hidden guns across state lines," the ad warns. "Debbie Halvorson: When it comes to preventing gun violence, she gets an F."

Progressive Kick, a liberal super PAC that focuses on elections and incumbent accountability, has also focused its energies on defeating Toi Hutchinson, a Democratic candidate for the seat who also got an "A" rating from the NRA. That group started airing an ad last weekend targeting Hutchinson and Halvorson, according to a spokesman for the group, and are also releasing cookie-based web ads targeted to Democratic primary voters.

In the wake of the December massacre in Newtown, Conn., a handful of super PACs and pro-gun control groups have pledged to counterbalance the lobbying power of the NRA, the organizing and fundraising prowess of which have long been feared by candidates in states with large populations of gun owners. Among those groups include Independence USA PAC, as well Americans for Responsible Solutions, a super PAC founded by former Rep. Gabby Giffords, D-Ariz., and her husband, former astronaut Mark Kelly. Giffords survived a gunshot to the head in a mass shooting in Tucson, Arizona two years ago during which six people were killed.

Americans for Responsible Solutions unveiled its first television ad this morning, which according to the PAC will air during President Obama's state of the union speech tomorrow night. The ad features Giffords, whose speech is halting as a result of her injuries, urging Congress to act.

"Let's get this done," she says in the ad.

According to the Chicago Sun-Times, Halvorson was initially targeted by these super PACs due to what looked like a lead in the polls. But Rep. Bobby Rush, D-Ill., recently endorsed a different Democratic contender, former State Rep. Robin Kelly. The Hill newspaper also reports that Kelly's internal polling shows her jumping ahead of Halvorson in recent days,  though that polling had a relatively large (4.9 percent) margin of error.

"Robin supports common sense gun control measures such as a comprehensive ban on assault weapons, the elimination of gun show loopholes and a ban on high capacity ammunition magazines. Her voice will be welcomed on this issue as Congress looks to pass meaningful legislation that will help remove guns from our streets and violence from communities," said Rush, in a statement. "I look forward to working with Robin to address the issue of gun violence that is prevalent in far too many of our communities."

Throughout the recent debates over gun control, the Obama administration has repeatedly cited Chicago as having an inordinately high rate of gun violence. According to the Chicago Tribune, the city saw 506 homicides last year, which was a 17 percent jump from 2011. The Tribune also reports that President Obama will address the city's gun violence when he visits Chicago this Friday. 

[uiuopiplkhyyy]

"When guns are outlawed, only outlaws will have guns."Laws that forbid the carrying of arms . . . disarm only those who are neither inclined nor determined to commit crimes . . . . Such laws make things worse for the assaulted and better for the assailants; they serve rather to encourage than to prevent homicides, for an unarmed man may be attacked with greater confidence than an armed man. -Thomas Jefferson.

[MakeSenseNow]

What did (insert name of any criminal here - Lanza, Holms, Cho, Manson, Dahmer, etc) do that was not already a violation of an existing law when they did it? Nothing. They all broke dozens if not hundreds of existing laws during the commission of the acts which made them famous.

Why then do we believe that another law would have stopped them or even slowed them down? If you believe making it harder for them to get firearms is the answer and that laws will help do that, how is the ban on meth, cocaine, heroin or murder working out?

Enforce existing laws. Adding new ones will have zero positive impact in altering the behavior of criminals.

[amenablepolemic]

Guns allowed all of these criminals to carry out horribly destructive acts and earn themselves a Wikipedia page. If Lanza had only knives instead of guns he wouldn't have even been able to get into the school building, at least not without much more added effort.

[Rocket_USA]

@Amnea - Wouldn't have been able to get into the school?? What a load of crap. Why couldn't he have driven his car right throught the glass doors? Were their barriers, like at the Whitehouse? No. Could he put a chain on the door and ripped it off like SWAT does with his car? Could he have made a pipe bomb or 99 like he columbine kids and simply blown the door open?

You live in a simplistic world that doesn't exist.

[THGdriver2]

It's been shown that 9 people drown every day most of them children. Any new laws against bath tubs, swimming pools, lakes, rivers, oceans etc.

just asking.

If a drunk driver kills 10 people crossing a street do we have the same raging debate about alcoholic beverages?

If the mentally Ill person stole his mothers car and not her gun and ran down 20 children waiting for a school bus Would we have the same raging debate about cars?

Just asking.

[Blkwdw86]

Apparently their definition of "common-sense" differs from normal peoples'. The original assault weapons ban did nothing at all, in large part because the weapons are nearly NEVER used in crimes, "common-sense" says we don't need another one. According to the FBI, only 1.9% of criminals who use guns get them at gun shows or private sales. "Common-sense" would say it's not a problem, it's skirting around the edges, that the 39% of criminals who get their guns from family and friends is where the effort needs to be put. And a "high-capacity" magazine ban? "Common-sense" tells normal people that limiting millions of peoples' capacity to interrupt a VERY rare mass shooter a little earlier in his rampage for a second, maybe two, so MAYBE a bystander can stop him is a complete waste of time. "Common-sense". Psh. It's "common-sense" that THESE people have NONE at all.

[MTPennies]

It is gun control - why do all you gun advocates say eliminate the problem or assure the criminals dont get the guns. It is about CONTROL, and YES it is worth it to reduce gun violence by just one incident like Newtown.

Chicago homicide rate 1990-1995 avg = 889.2/yr... 2007-2012 = 466.2/yr so I would say the gun control measures DID reduce the number of gun related deaths over time.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Crime_in_Chicago

dont let the math and logic scare you

[RickB2400]

So, you are advocating allowing criminals to dictate policy and infringe on American's right to keep and bear arms ?

[MTPennies]

No, I am advocating for math and logic. Keep your wonderful guns - just keep them yours, and guarantee me that all guns sold are sold to responsible people.

[curtis41]

Chicago and New York have very high gun murder rates, even though they have among the strictest gun control laws. San Francisco also pretty much ignored the Bill of Rights and 2nd amendment by prohibiting firearms by residents of public housing. Constitutional rights do not depend on age, sex, race or zip code. Washington, D.C. also had a similar problem until D.C. v Heller in favor of Heller, et al. Even then, they refused at first, to register a Colt .45 pistol because it was 2-tone, and was not on the accepted CALIFORNIA list. You will seldom see a balance report on guns and gun control, in almost any medium. Here in Georgia, a woman and her daughter were saved by their .38 pistol, and even after 5 shots in the home invasion, the criminal STILL managed to get outside the house. You just won't hear mucbh objective and balanced reporting on guns and gun crimes, just the party line. That is most egregious, because effective self-defense, constititional rights and personal libery ARE important, especially in a constitutional republic. The Bill of Rights were to protect rights of the minority, so government, nor any person could take away our basic freedoms. I have never seen various politicians and legislators be so willing to dispense with the Bill of Rights and Constitution when it fit their own, mostly left, and far left biases. The only gun control legislation so far that makes sense is a mental patient registry and prosecuting more than a couple of percent of felons doing gun crimes, or trying to buy guns by false statements and straw sales. THOSE laws would work. Trying to ban "assault weapons" and magazines over 10 shots would never work. There are millions of both already available, and criminals are notorious for not following U.S. gun laws. As usual in this debate, there is more emotion and heat than light, to the detriment of the vast majority of Americans who have committed no crimes.

[hawkman1001-2009]

Curtis41 states "You will seldom see a balance report on guns and gun control, in almost any medium."

You are absolutely right. The NRA, as apologists for gun manufacturers, will say anything to try and have more guns out there. The NRA lives in a Rambo-inspired fantasy land made up of "good" guys and "bad" guys with no in between.

What about the guy in Delaware who killed 2 woman this morning? Was he a "bad" guy before this? The fact is that it is the easy availability of guns in the U.S. that makes them such convenient problem solvers for so many people. Common sense gun control can't come soon enough.

[RickB2400]

Why do you care what the NRA thinks or believes ? The NRA does not make laws, enforce laws, or dictate policy.

[billclinton696]

Liberals oppose guns, meanwhile many anti gun celebrities promote violence in their films. Feinstein would ban guns if she could, but wants to carry one. Rosie Odonnell hates guns, but her security carries them. So many double standards going on here. I will not give any of my rights up, we are already being punished by the rising ammo prices.

[Bojax39]

It's called hypocrisy and it's a hallmark politicians and religious zealots everywhere.

[Non-Political]

"...will keep Americans safer from the scourge of gun violence,..."

Just when in the hell will these supposedly educated, intelligent(?), "I care about America and Americans" politicians get their collective heads out from between their buttcheeks and realize that laws will NOT curb gun violence, PERIOD!

People always state: "Guns kill" and "Guns don't kill, people kill". Well I'm here to tell you that BOTH views are wrong. What needs to be realized is "Stupidity kills". Stupidity in thinking that a or any law will work to solve this local and national problem. (I prefer infestation to problem.) Nowhere is there any other solution being thought of much less acted upon. I personally don't think politicians have the ability or intelligence to find a workable real-world solution.

So politicians and sheeple - keep doing the same stupid thing to solve the same problem. Yes sir, THAT is the answer!

[kcreligion]

Most the shootings in Chicago are been done by gangs with illegal and stolen guns. Where is the push to take the guns away from the gangs? Why is Chicago,New York and L.A not busting down on gangs and removing their weapons? Are they scared f the gangs? Or od they just want the votes of the gangs?

[billclinton696]

SLOW, How are you going to take the 300 million firearms out of existence? Not to mention the xxxxxx number of firearms that are not even recorded.

[BuckeyeChuck]

I suppose that the gang got their guns from law obeying citizens. No they get them from NRA sponsored gun shows with no back ground checks.
The NRA wants every crook in America to have a gun, they are nothing but a gun trafficking organization.

[CarsonCitySteve]

We've become a nation that no longer wants to be in charge. To take personal responsibility for our own lives. We want someone else to tell us what's right and what's wrong. No trans fats. No soda. No animal ownership. No gun ownership. No tobacco. No food. No alcohol. Don't walk on the grass. Stand here. Okay, Big Brother. I'll be good.

[Bojax39]

It's called a "Nanny State" and it's a long standing liberal wet dream.