This article first appeared in the St. Louis Beacon, Dec. 20, 2012 - Fresh off her unexpectedly strong re-election, U.S. Sen. Claire McCaskill is taking on another longtime opponent – the National Rifle Association.
But in the NRA’s case, her quest is not to defeat its objective of protecting gun rights, but to change its approach.
“Respecting the Second Amendment does not mean abandoning common sense,” the senator said in a release sent out Thursday afternoon.
“The right to own guns in this country must remain, while we also must strengthen our laws to prevent mass shootings,” McCaskill wrote. “Now, I'm calling on the NRA to use its considerable political influence to help us accomplish those goals.”
McCaskill noted, for example, that she supports “banning assault weapons and limiting the rounds in magazines.” The NRA traditionally has opposed such proposals, but until Friday it had been largely silent in the wake of last week’s mass killings of 20 children and six educators at a grade school in Newtown, Conn.
The NRA issued a brief statement Wednesday in which it said the organization "is prepared to offer meaningful contributions to help make sure this never happens again."
(Update) On Friday, the NRA proposed armed guards in schools. McCaskill wasn't too keen on the idea, observing on Twitter, "Conservatives preach no federal govt and local control of schools until the NRA wants the federal government to mandate guns in schools?" (End update)
McCaskill and her allies appear to be seeking to keep what they perceive as public momentum for action, in the wake of the school killings.
McCaskill called on the public “to sign my petition, calling on the NRA to come out of hiding, and come to the table” to discuss some gun controll issues.
McCaskill targets NRA 'ratings' of Congress
McCaskill asserted that “too many members of Congress worry about their ‘score’ from the National Rifle Association,” which she noted is based on voted on various issues – some gun-related, and some not. The NRA generally is conservative on other issues besides guns.
McCaskill already gets an “F” rating from the NRA, which may have freed her up to confront the group – since she handily defeated U.S. Rep. Todd Akin, R-Wildwood, who had NRA support.
Her Missouri counterpart, U.S. Sen. Roy Blunt, R-Mo., got an “A” from the NRA in its latest ratings. Since the Connecticut shooting, Blunt generally has focused publicly on mental health issues. He has implied his opposition to a reinstatement of the assault weapons ban, in place from 1994-2004, but has not publicly condemned the idea outright.
Earlier the week, during a Kansas City spot, Blunt predicted there would be no change in the nation’s gun laws following last week’s shootings. But on Wednesday, during a telephone news conference with reporters, he sought to shift the discussion back to mental health.
Not so McCaskill, who has been upfront all week in her endorsement of an assault weapons ban, which is to be sponsored in the Senate by U.S. Sen. Dianne Feinstein, D-Calif.
The petitions circulated by McCaskill and other allies appear aimed to galvanizing voter support, and perhaps outmaneuvering the NRA as it may seeks to persuade Blunt and other NRA allies in Congress to stand firm against proposals to ban assault weapons and gun magazines that can shoot more than 10 bullets without reloading.
