NRCC Hits Several Democrats After Gun Ruling

The National Republican Congressional Committee is already attacking several vulnerable House Democrats over their positions on gun control in light of today’s Supreme Court’s ruling that overturned the ban on handguns in Washington, D.C.

The committee issued releases targeting eight Democrats, including Rep. Carol Shea-Porter (D-N.H.), Patrick J. Murphy (D-Pa.), Jerry McNerney (D-Calif.) and John Yarmuth (D-Ky.), all first-term members who are facing competitive reelection bids this fall.

“Shea-Porter’s opposition to the Second Amendment puts her at odds with not only members of her own party, but the overwhelming majority her New Hampshire constituents,” the committee said in its release against Shea-Porter.

Shea-Porter, for her part, said she didn’t sign the amicus brief because she held the belief that the lower court’s ruling against the ban was overly broad — the official position of the Bush administration. Vice President Cheney, however, signed the brief and was joined by a majority of lawmakers.

“While I have always supported individual gun rights, I agreed with the Bush administration that there should be some standards,” Shea-Porter said in a statement. “The Supreme Court, however, sided with Vice President Cheney and others.”

In February, 68 House Democrats signed onto the amicus brief in support of overturning the ban, reflecting the broad political opposition to gun control nationwide. A February 2008 Gallup poll shows 73 percent of Americans said they believe the Second Amendment “guarantees the rights of Americans to own guns.”
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