I tuned in to see Melissa Harris-Perry yesterday subbing for Rachel Maddow. Melissa showed clips from a town hall event hosted by Senator Kelly Ayotte of New Hampshire.
It looked she had a packed room and there were questions about her vote to filibuster the recent Toomey-Manchin legislation to introduce (watered down) universal background checks.
Of course, it's now perfectly acceptable for politicians to lie without significant repercussions or consequences. You only need to look at how RMoney ran his presidential campaign to see that lying seems to not faze or trouble the media or members of his party.
And Ayotte trotted out a blatant falsehood which was, of course, captured on video. She clalimed that she could not support the Toomey-Manchin bill because of her concern that this would potentially lead to the creation of a national gun registry. The Toomey-Manchin compromise explicitely forbids the creation of a national gun registry. Now that she has stated her rationale for her vote, this would either demonstrate incompetence of the highest order or she is lying through her teeth.
Which option do you think is more likely? I wrote a note to Senator Ayotte and you can see my text below the fold
In a recent town hall, you defended your opposition to Universal Background Checks due to your concern that this would lead to creation of a national gun registry. Of course, this is a blatant falsehood. The Toomy-Manchin bill explicitely prohibits the formation of a national gun registry.
We don't know your true motivations for voting against comnmonsense gun safety legislation that is supported by 80%+ of the nation and a majority of gun owners and the vast majority of your constituents, but at least have the decency to not lie to the American people. You're sitting in one of the highest offices of the land and the institution deserves better that what you displayed.