Howdy  everyone, I just received this.  --Scott



--- On Thu, 5/7/09, Gun Owners of America
<Gun_Owners_of_America@...> wrote:

Some Republicans still don't understand why mainstream America is so
upset with their Party.

Now that Sen. Arlen Specter has defected to the Democrat Party, many
prominent Republicans are openly recruiting liberal Republicans to run
against Specter.

And at the top of their list is Tom Ridge.

Ridge is the turncoat Republican whose vote was crucial in passing the
semi-auto ban in 1994.

After having opposed a similar ban in 1991, then-Rep. Tom Ridge
flip-flopped and teamed up with Charles Schumer (D-NY) to
pass the
semi-auto
gun and magazine ban.  The gun ban passed narrowly, 216 to
214, thanks to Tom Ridge.

Later, as Governor of Pennsylvania, Ridge signed one of the most
restrictive gun control laws in the State's history -- the infamous Act
17 which registered and taxed long gun buyers and placed other
restrictions on Keystone State gun owners.

As the head of the
Department of Homeland Security, Tom Ridge opposed
arming pilots.  He asked, sarcastically, if pilots carry guns, then
should we also arm railroad engineers and bus drivers? As DHS Director,
Ridge should have led the charge to arm pilots and people in other
positions that fell under the agency's purview.

Instead, he just repeated the same tired old anti-gun line that we hear
every time a state passes a concealed carry handgun law.

Guess who else opposed the armed pilots program?  Pennsylvania's
"Benedict" Arlen Specter, who was one of only two Republican Senators to
vote against the bill.

The last thing we need is another elitist in Congress who does not trust
law-abiding citizens with firearms.  And yet, wishy-washy Republican
Senators like Utah's Orrin Hatch and South Carolina's Lindsey Graham are
touting Ridge over Specter.  In other words, let's replace one turncoat
with
another.

There is a better option.  His name is Pat Toomey, a Gun Owners of
America "A" rated pro-gunner who served in the U.S. House of
Representatives for three terms, before honoring a self-imposed term
limit and retiring in 2004.

Those who are pushing anti-gunner Tom Ridge claim that Pat Toomey is
unelectable because he's "too conservative" for Pennsylvania.

But that's what self-appointed experts said before Toomey got elected
term after term in a largely Democrat district in the eastern part of
Pennsylvania.  And that's what they said before he accrued a gigantic
lead in the polls over a sitting Senator this year, forcing Specter to
jump parties.

It was Pat Toomey who forced Specter to jump to the Democrat Party.
Toomey -- who was backed by Gun Owners of America Political Victory Fund
-- was leading Specter in polls by an overwhelming margin.

That's also what they said about
Ronald Reagan -- who was supposedly too
conservative to win a national election.  (By the way, Reagan also won
Pennsylvania.)

Bottom line:  We need to put these squishy politicians on alert.  Their
internal party politics is their business.  But when party leaders start
pushing noted gun banners -- using the money contributed by millions of
gun owners around the country -- we're not going to remain silent.

Texas Senator John Cornyn is the head of the National Republican
Senatorial Committee.  Michael Steele heads the Republican National
Committee.  The decision to support an anti-gunner over a defender of
the Second Amendment rests largely in their hands.

ACTION:  Please urge Senator John Cornyn and Chairman Michael Steele not
to interfere in Pennsylvania's primary.  There is already a pro-gun,
electable conservative running in the primary who deserves
their
support.

You can contact NRSC's Sen. Cornyn at info@... or by phone at (202)
675-6000.

You can contact RNC Chairman Michael Steele at chairman@... or by
phone at (202) 863-8700.


----- Pre-written letter -----

Dear Senator Cornyn / Chairman Steele:

Please don't cave in to pressure to support anti-gun candidate Tom Ridge
over pro-gunner Pat Toomey in Pennsylvania's Republican primary.

When in Congress, Ridge provided crucial support to pass the Clinton
semi-auto gun ban.  As Governor of Pennsylvania, Ridge signed one of the
most restrictive gun laws in the State's history.  And as head of the
Department of Homeland Security, Ridge opposed the successful
congressional effort to arm commercial airline
pilots.

The last thing we need is another Senator who does not trust "We the
People" with firearms.

Pat Toomey served three terms in the House before honoring a
self-imposed term limit and retiring.  Rep. Toomey was "A" rated by Gun
Owners of America, and stood firm on conservative principles even though
he was supposedly "too conservative" for his district.

I urge you not to interfere in this race on behalf of an anti-gun
candidate.


****************************

What's Your Current GOA Status?

Obviously, we now face years of invigorated attacks on our gun rights.
Shutting down gun shows, prohibitions on specific calibers, another
semi-auto ban, and the anti-gun extremists' Holy Grail of mandatory
federal licensing and registration of all gun owners -- these are just
some of the horrors that we already know we'll have to defeat head-on.
Meanwhile, we'll take every
opportunity to go on offense and advance the
Second Amendment.

It can't be done without every single voice being counted. That's why we
are asking you to consider making the commitment of becoming a Gun
Owners of America Life Member. By doing so, you put the politicians on
notice that neither you nor GOA is going away -- that no matter who's in
the White House, there is always going to be a solid wall of resistance.

Now is a perfect time to become a Life Member.  And if you aren't a GOA
member at all, isn't it time you became one?

Please go to http://gunowners.org/ordergoamem.htm to upgrade your
participation in GOA.

****************************

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