David Michael Miller
Russ Feingold has spent his entire political career portraying himself as a principled straight shooter. Except that he hasn’t shot so straight when it comes to guns.
Feingold has pursued a strategy of keeping the National Rifle Association at bay by splitting his votes on gun safety measures. For example, he voted against extending the assault weapons ban and for a form of national concealed carry, yet voted for enough gun safety measures to earn him a half-hearted “F” from the NRA.
Liberals seem to not know about those votes or not care, or maybe they just see them as forgivably politically expedient. But now Feingold, maybe the smartest politician alive in Wisconsin today, seems to have made a new calculation.
In response to President Obama’s executive actions expanding background checks and bolstering enforcement of existing laws, Feingold came out in support rather than hedging his bets or hiding under a rock.
Feingold issued a statement saying that Obama's proposals "seem reasonable and uphold the individual right to own a gun. In the sad aftermath of the many tragedies American families have suffered across the country, and because of the inaction of a broken Congress, President Obama was right to take action. It is a shame that Congress refuses to act on even a few modest and constitutional steps to address gun violence but instead will spend its time sniping from the sidelines about these reasonable proposals."
This points up the most significant thing about the president’s proposals: They keep the issue front and center. Politicians, even those who would just as soon duck the issue, can’t hide from it now. That means that liberals who love Feingold and who may have in previous years given him a pass on guns, might not this time around. So, Feingold probably figures he needs to support the president or risk a drop in liberal enthusiasm for his campaign.
And he might further calculate that he has nothing to lose. It really doesn’t matter what he says about guns now because his opponent, incumbent Sen. Ron Johnson, stood up for gun insanity by voting against expanded background checks even in the wake of the Newtown gun massacre of little kids and their teachers. With that, Johnson cemented the support of the NRA, which comes with guaranteed viscious attacks on anyone who runs against him.
Feingold, a better political tea leaf reader than anybody, has made the right read again. Those who care about doing something to stem the tide of gun violence in our country can thank President Obama for flushing out his fellow liberals on this issue.
