How extreme and out of touch are Virginia Republicans when it comes to gun violence prevention? Case in point: this morning, Donald Trump’s own 2016 Virginia co-chair (and then Chairman), John Fredericks — definitely not a lefty or even a moderate! — has the following to say about the Virginia GOP and the gun lobby. Fredericks is absolutely right on this, of course, but I’d say there is ZERO chance that Virginia Republicans will listen. Which is fine with me, as it increases the chances of a Democratic takeover of the Virginia General Assembly this November, followed by a slew of excellent legislation on a wide variety of issues, including gun violence prevention. In other words: Virginia GOP, don’t ever change! LOL
- “Well listen, right now Republicans in Virginia are at the altar of the [Virginia Citizens Defense League – VCDL], Van Cleave’s group, and the NRA…when you look [at] the bump stock law, which I was a favor of, I got blasted for that. I mean it makes no sense.”
- “And for the people that say, well you know that’s incrementalism and if you take that away then you’re gonna take away everything else, then you’re gonna confiscate my guns and I need a bumpstock to protect myself from a tyrannical government, I mean the argument becomes asinine. And that’s that’s really where we are now…”
- “This idea that somehow it’s an infringement upon your rights there’s; there’s nothing in the Constitution that says sell guns to crazy people. Is there? And if you believe in a representative form of government and a judicial system, you either believe in judges or you don’t. And this country is run on judges some you agree with some you don’t pisses you off I get it…but it’s a better system than anybody else has.”
- “Here’s my message to Republicans; if you don’t do something here [on guns] you’re gonna get annihilated in the suburbs in 2019. Kirk Cox is out. Tommy Norment is out. Saslawis gonna be the majority leader…[Eileen Filler-Corn] is gonna run the show, they’re gonna have a five- or seven-seat majority. And that’s the end the Republicans in Virginia for a generation.”
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