Thursday, April 11, 2013

Rob Portman has yet to evolve on gun control










Ohio's hybrid right-wing conservative/NRA Sen.Rob Portman ducked out on the overwhelming mood  of his home state Thursday by joining 30 other senators - all but two, Republicans - to support a potential filibuster that would have blocked a floor vote on background gun checks.

The Columbus Dispatch reported that in a conference call with  Ohio reporters, Portman lamely offered this towering Mt. Rushmore  posture in explaining his vote.   He bizarrely complained that the Senate proposal was strictly a Democratic bill that did not "have bipartisan support and does not exempt family transfers.  It even covers gifts of guns. It doesn't even exempt borrowing a gun."

Oh, c'mon, Rob.  The measure merely opened the way to the floor for debate and then an up or down vote. What's more, a recent Quinnipiac poll reported 90 pct. of Ohioans - Portman's constituents, for heaven's sake  - support universal background checks. Somewhere along the line, when he took office, Portman most certainly must have said that he went to Washington to represent the people of his state.  They always say things like that when you might not be paying attention.

He also once said he favored getting rid of tax "preferences" and "stuff that doesn't make sense."

Unlike his reversal on same-sex marriage in deference to his gay college son, Portman's views on gun control that don't  make sense have yet to evolve.

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