The timing could not have been coincidental. The amount offered? Extremely insignificant—especially from the NRA.
But the message was loud and clear.
In the immediate aftermath of the worst shooting massacre in our nation’s history, the GOP wanted the congressman from the Orlando ‘burbs to loudly confirm to their base that they still owned him.
He did just that.
Republican Rep. John Mica is an NRA, Trump-supporting, right-wing politician who has been in office since the early 90s. He has been around a long time—long enough to know how it would look accepting a lousy $1K from the NRA just two days after the Pulse bloodbath. Some of the victims even hailed from his district, FL-07.
But that was exactly why the NRA offered their blood money to you in the first place, wasn’t it, John?
I looked through www.fec.gov, and although I could find other donations from the NRA to other GOP congress people, the Central Florida congressman was the only one I found that took money right after the Pulse shooting.
It was this same amount of time after the shooting that details emerged. Emergency crews recounted the nonstop ringing of the phones on the blood-coated floor. Witnesses described people collapsing on top of each other from the rapid bullet fire. I was horrified. Keep in mind that most of us in this state are already numb from the violence caused by the NRA’s Stand Your Ground law, but this shooting rocked us to our core.
The NRA, on the other hand, looked at the carnage and, instead of being shocked into any sort of self-reflection, immediately went into damage-control mode. They looked at who they owned closest to the massacre—and apparently had him deliver a message that they were still in charge here.
Clearly, they are. Rep. Mica and his House GOP colleagues refused to consider even the most sensible of legislation regarding guns. Even extra background checks for those on terror watch lists were a bridge too far.
To add insult to injury, Rep. Mica co-sponsored hate legislation against the LGBT community a few weeks later as well.
If this was a previous year, I’d just give up. He always won re-election comfortably. He always campaigned as being a friend to veterans, and even after he stabbed them in the back, he still would win easily.
But this year, things have changed.
Mica is running a campaign as if this district was still a Louie Gohmert redwing haven. It isn’t. Florida’s Supreme Court redistricting has finally made this race competitive—with more minorities and more young people than ever before. On top of that, he is facing the most talented newcomer I’ve ever met in a candidate. Once this district flips blue, the GOP is not ever going to get it back. If you are as angry as I am, make sure it happens this year.
www.stephaniemurphyforcongress.com
On behalf of all of us: Screw you, John.