Bloomberg Asks Donors to Shut Wallets Over Senators’ Gun Votes
Source: New York Times
Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg, in a sharp escalation in the battle over gun control, is seeking to punish Democratic senators by taking away the one thing they most need from New Yorkers: money. On Wednesday, Mr. Bloomberg will send a personal letter to hundreds of the biggest Democratic donors in New York urging them to cut off contributions to the four Democratic senators who helped block a bill in April that would have strengthened background checks on gun purchasers.
The move could inflame tensions that have simmered for weeks between Mr. Bloomberg, who blames the four Democrats for the defeat of the bill, and Democratic Senate leaders, who have privately told City Hall that the attacks can serve only to empower a Republican majority openly hostile to Mr. Bloomberg’s priorities. By appealing to the Democrats’ financial base, Mr. Bloomberg is exploiting his relationships and prestige among wealthy New Yorkers to disrupt the flow of campaign money to key Democrats whose re-election next year will help determine whether the party retains control of the Senate. No state is more essential to the party’s fund-raising: Sitting Democratic senators and the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee raised $30.4 million from New York donors in 2012, according to the Center for Responsive Politics, more than in any other state.
And the four Democratic senators who sided with Republicans filibustering the background check bill — Mark Pryor of Arkansas, Max Baucus of Montana, Mark Begich of Alaska and Heidi Heitkamp of North Dakota — have raised more than $2.2 million from New York. In an interview, Mr. Bloomberg said he believed gun deaths had reached such a state of crisis that he needed to force the issue. “If they come and ask for the money, you say to them, ‘What do you stand for?’ ” he said. “I want to tell people what these four stand for. And then people can make up their own minds.”
Mr. Bloomberg’s strategy creates a tricky situation for Senate Democrats. They do not wish to alienate the billionaire mayor, who has become increasingly aggressive and outspoken on the issue. But they say he should be more sympathetic, given that their party, with its fragile majority, has tried to take on the difficult subject of increasing restrictions on guns in the face of hostility from Republicans.
Read more: http://www.nytimes.com/2013/06/12/nyregion/bloomberg-urges-no-gifts-to-democrats-who-blocked-gun-bill.html
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These states are not going to elect pro gun control reps., what will happen is that they'll probably re-elect these Senators, with the exception of Max Baucus who's retiring, just to poke a stick in Bloomberg's eye.
Here in Nevada, Bloomberg's gun control ads are creating a big backlash against SB. 221, the calls and e-mails to Gov. Sandoval to veto it is running 3-1, so, because of Bloomberg's interference in Nevada politics, we're not going to get a universal background check law, which I happen to support.
Thanks Mikey for all you do. 
I guess we just ought to give up all hope of ever enacting sane gun laws in this country, fold our tents, and slink quietly away under cover of darkness. Woe is us......
