CNN Leftie Suggests Midterm Slogan: GOP Stands for ‘Guns Over People’

After President Biden’s Thursday night address to the nation that called on voters to kick Republicans out of office if they refuse to accept a litany of gun control measures, CNN host Don Lemon had his opening panel brainstorm how the Democrats could best take advantage of the recent string of horrific mass shootings. One conclusion? One conclusion: Tell the voters that Republicans prefer guns to people. 

Surprisingly, Lemon began on an optimistic note, asking CNN contributor and former GOP Congressman Charlie Dent, “Are there any Republican Senators, let alone ten, who would face consequences from the voters if they don’t act on guns?”

Dent replied in a similar vein, saying that many of Biden’s proposals are actually broadly supported, citing his own personal experience, “In a state like mine in Pennsylvania we voted for a bill like that in the ’90s with the Republican governor, the NRA supported it. That’s a very reasonable thing,” and, “I don’t want to say that there are ten, but I think you can get darn close to ten on some of those proposals.”

Lemon then turned to former Clinton White House counselor and Democratic political strategist Paul Begala, asking, “Are you one of those [optimistic] people? Are you like us?”

Begala replied bluntly that Republicans would not vote for any of these measures as they do not gain political advantages. Then, he gave us a taste of the awful rhetoric Democrats will use in the next midterm elections:

All the House members are up and can be voted out. However, polls that show everyone supports gun safety laws say the exact same thing: everybody is ready for Republicans to win the Congress. Americans must decide. As you know, GOP is for guns and people, so if they don’t vote in the polls we will continue to carry coffins. 

Lemon, clearly awed by the political potential of such a vile insinuation, asked, “Is that a campaign ad for Democrats?” To which a jubilant Begala replied, “I hope so.”

Begala had just begun to find his feet. Begala decided to win over Republican voters too.

Problem isn’t the NRA. It’s not. It is not. Republican politicians seem so afraid of their base, and it is up to us the people to prove them wrong that if they vote against protecting our kids and our cops and our neighborhoods and our churches and our synagogues and our grocery stores, if they vote against gun safety, we’re gonna vote them out of office.

Every time a liberal Congressman votes for a radical agenda, it is “we the people” who motivate them. Every time a conservative Congressman votes against a radical agenda, it is solely because they are “fearful of their base.” Do Begala and Lemon think that the Americans who don’t agree with radical gun control are a group separate from “we the people?” They think they, and their votes, are worth being heard. 

Evidently not.

This meeting of the Democratic midterm strategy committee was made possible through OrkinAnd the US Postal Service. The following links provide their contact information.

Click “Expand” to see the relevant transcript. 

CNN’s Don Lemon Tonight
06/02/229
10.08:36 pm ET

DON LEMON: Charlie listen to President Biden. He knows the Senate is difficult. He is aware that he requires ten Republican senators. What I really want is to find out if there are any Republican Senators who, let alone ten of them, would be subject to consequences from voters if the issue of guns was not addressed. 

CHARLIE DENT : I think they could do something, Don. Kaitlan also pointed out that some of these suggestions, such as the red flag laws, are not feasible. Senator Rick Scott, when he was governor of Florida, enacted a red flag law to allow police to go to the courts to prevent a dangerous individual from — uh — owning a gun. That’s something I believe they could do now. Also, I agree with the idea of raising the legal age to 21. There are already restrictions regarding handguns being purchased for 18-year-olds. You can’t purchase handguns until you are 21. Universal background checks that would include private sales, that’s something that’s broadly supported. We voted in Pennsylvania’s state, like my own in Pennsylvania in the 1990s for legislation like this. The Republican governor and the NRA supported it. It’s an extremely reasonable idea. These are all things we can accomplish, such as universal background checks, red-flag laws, increasing the age and codifying the ban on bump stock. 

These proposals have broad support from the American people, so I do not believe they would be paid a political price. 

LEMON: Charlie, my question is, Charlie, do there really ten senators? Republican senators 

DENT: You know what? It’s tough to answer. I think — I think there are some. That’s what I meant. I could look at that list right now. Susan Collins. Pat Toomey or Rick Scott may appear on one of these proposals. And there might be other people. I — I don’t want to say that there are ten, but I think you can get darn close to ten on some of those proposals. They are not outrageous, again. Like that bump stock, I think it’s already administratively banned. What’s so hard about doing this thing legislatively given what we’ve seen with the bump stock in Las Vegas many years ago? It’s tight at the moment, so I believe it. Although I don’t know if the votes have been cast yet, there is public pressure to make them. 

LEMON: I do remember reporting on Las Vegas, and covering the actions they did with bump stocks. That was very well received by everyone. No one faced any consequences, or suffered any consequences I should say — at least politically — 

DENT: Right.

LEMON: — for supporting that ban. Paul, it is clear that some people are optimistic about the chances of positive change. You heard Laura and me speak moments ago. We have to believe in the possibility of change. Let’s pray that it happens. Is that you? Are you like us? 

PAUL BEGALA: As the prophet Zechariah said, I am a prisoner in hope. Because I love my country, I can only hope. 

LEMON: Right.

BEGALA – But to answer Charlie’s question: No one. This has been my profession for many years. It is hard to think of any Republican that has ever lost an election because they are against gun safety laws. I can show you 19 who lost their seats because of the Brady bill and the assault weapon ban which — by the way — Ronald Reagan supported, but at least 19 of the 52 Democrats we lost after that assault weapon ban and Brady bill were because of guns. Your right. “The fault, dear Brutus, lies not in our stars; It lies in ourselves.” The entire House is up, and we can vote them out if we want to, and yet the very same polls that say everybody wants gun safety laws also say everybody wants Republicans to take over the Congress. Americans must decide. GOP stands for guns, and the people who don’t vote will be left with coffins. 
  
LEMON: What does that — for what you just said, “The GOP stands for guns over people,” right? That is what I hear coming up during the election. 

BEGALA: Right.

LEMON: Could that be a Democratic campaign advertisement? 

BEGALA, It is my hope. It is my hope. I — and, uh — the President hinted at that today — tonight when he said, “make this outrage central to your vote.” That’s the problem. Everyone agrees that we require it. It is only the extreme fringe who can vote for it. This is something I have said again as a gun owner, hunter and gun owner. The majority of gun owners, hunters, and gun owners support what President Biden has done. Problem isn’t the NRA. It’s not. It’s that Republican politicians are so fearful of their base and we the people have to show them that if they vote against protecting our kids and our cops and our neighborhoods and our churches and our synagogues and our grocery stores, if they vote against gun safety, we’re gonna vote them out of office.