by Dave Workman
Senior Editor

In less time than it took to start picking up the campaign trash, gun control lobbyists were gloating over the election of Illinois Sen. Barack Obama as president, with perennial anti-gunner Joe Biden of Delaware as his vice president.

The election landslide—fueled largely by public anger over the economy—also ignited a furious buying panic in gun shops across the country (see related story) as gunowners, fearing a quick renewal of the ban on so-called assault weapons began buying semi-automatic sport-utility rifles, pistols and shotguns, and stockpiling ammunition and magazines.

Just how bad gunowners might fare with Obama in the White House, Biden as president of the Senate and liberal California Congresswoman Nancy Pelosi as House Speaker was signaled a day after the election when Obama announced his pick for White House Chief of Staff: Rep. Rahm Emanuel (D-IL). Emanuel was point man on gun control issues for the Clinton Administration.

Emanuel is an advocate of so-called smart gun technology and he voted against a law that bans junk lawsuits against gun manufacturers during his time in the House of Representatives. He is considered a Democrat pit bull.

His departure will leave a vacancy to be filled in the Illinois Congressional delegation.

Paul Helmke, president of the Brady Campaign to Prevent Gun Violence, was quick to issue a statement on video.

“The election of Barack Obama and Joe Biden as president and vice president is a major victory for common sense gun laws,” Helmke said. “Both of these individuals have been long time supports and leaders in the fight to prevent gun violence…we look forward to working with the new administration and newly elected officials to pass common sense gun laws.”

Eight years ago, the Brady Campaign was having fits over a similar statement made at the time by then-National Rifle Association Vice President Kayne Robinson, about being able to work with a George W. Bush Administration.

In his video statement, Helmke asserted that “The gun issue has clearly lost its status as a ‘wedge’ issue in most places and most races.”

He portrayed election results as a rout for the NRA, which issued a brief statement quoted by CNS News: “Just look at a couple of the things Obama has proposed: a 500 percent increase on excise taxes for guns and ammunition, and a ban on gun stores within five miles of a school or a park,” said the NRA’s Wayne LaPierre. “Those two measures wouldn’t just decimate the firearms industry, they would kill it. That, in turn, would have a drastic effect on our military, because the same companies that sell guns to civilians are also the ones selling guns to the government. I wonder how Obama would feel about a multi-billion dollar bailout of the firearms industry, because that’s what just two of his proposals would require.”

However, not all is gloom and doom, according to preliminary observations posted by scholar David Kopel on the Volokh Conspiracy website. He suggested that with pro-gun Democrats joining Republicans, there will be a pro-Second Amendment majority in the House of Representatives, on “a normal vote.”

“The Pelosi-Hoyer leadership will certainly not be pro-Second Amendment,” Kopel wrote, “but that leadership has recognized that its majority is precarious without pro-gun Democrats. However, a generally sympathetic majority does not guarantee victory for the pro-rights side if the President invests major political capital, as President Clinton did in 1994 to pass the ban on so-called assault weapons by a single vote.”

On the other hand, Daniel White, writing on the website of Ohioans For Concealed Carry (OFCC), offered this observation: “We all know…that Barack Obama has won the presidency. As did The Brady Campaign, AHSA, Nancy Pelosi, Joe Biden, Chuck Schumer, Dianne Feinstein, George Soros, and every other anti-gun pundit who ever wanted to take your Second Amendment rights away from you.

“As I said in the Firearms Freedom Podcast…there is a clear and present danger to your rights, and the change that’s coming might not be what people hoped it would be.

“In order to preserve our rights and not lose too much ground,” he continued, “we must remain vigilant, and we must remain active in our grassroots activism. It is likely to be a difficult road ahead for gunowners. However, if we send a clear message that we will not fade quietly into the night, perhaps the potential negative political consequences of pursuing an anti-gun agenda will dissuade the Obama administration from acting too heavy handedly.”

Yet, OFCC declared a pretty good election result at the state level, claiming a “clean sweep” in the Ohio Senate races, and slightly better than a 72% victory tally in House races.

Twelve of OFCC’s 18 congressional picks won election.

In Oregon, veteran Republican US Senator Gordon Smith was ousted by Democrat challenger Jeff Merkley, riding the Obama wave that also had a stunning effect in neighboring Washington State. There, Democrat Gov. Christine Gregoire won over pro-gun Republican challenger Dino Rossi, whom she defeated four years ago in the narrowest of victories following three recounts. Observers had predicted Rossi would beat Gregoire due to a looming $3.2 billion budget deficit, but Washington’s heavy turnout of voters in the lopsided liberal Seattle area tilted the ballot.

The one race in Washington that did not tilt for a Democrat was in the 8th Congressional District, where perennial challenger Darcy Burner, on her second attempt to become a member of Congress by ousting incumbent Republican Dave Reichert, appeared headed for another loss at press time. Reichert was creeping farther ahead in a tedious ballot count. The former King County sheriff who is heading for a third term, Reichert has held “Shoot With the Sheriff” fund raisers during each campaign, where he joins followers at a Bellevue gun range east of Seattle for a loud evening of target shooting.

In Colorado, Second Amendment stalwart Rep. Marilyn Musgrave was trounced by Democrat Betsy Markey in a race that saw the Defenders of Wildlife Action Fund, an anti-hunting lobby, spend a reported $1.6 million to oust Musgrave.

Other Races
Counting coup in other races was the new Americans United for Safe Streets, partly funded by anti-gun New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg. They targeted Rep. Tom Feeney in Florida, Rep. Steve Chabot in Ohio and Michigan’s Congressman Joe Knollenberg with a series of advertising mailers and got them all. The slick advertising portrayed all three congressmen as ignoring police and public safety as they voted against gun control legislation.

In New York State, the Brady Campaign was touting victories in state legislative races. They claim to have defeated Sen. Serphin Maltese in Queens and Sen. Caeser Trunzo on Long Island, and reported 14 victories overall in the State Assembly. The Brady Campaign promised to work with the new State Senate leadership, including Sen. Malcolm Smith, current Minority leader.

The loss of those two Republican seats will give the Democrats the first majority in the New York state Senate in 70 years—32-30—and will give the Democrats control of both houses of the state legislature plus the governor’s mansion.

On the flip side, in a key New York congressional race to fill the vacant 26th District seat of retiring pro-gun Republican Rep. Tom Reynolds, the Brady Campaign came up short. They were backing Democrat Alice Kryzan against the NRA “A”-rated Republican Chris Lee who was the victor.

In the 29th District, the Brady Campaign claimed success in the defeat of incumbent Republican Rep. Randy Kuhl, also “A”-rated by NRA. However, the victory by the “C”-rated Eric Massa had more to do with the enormous anti-Kuhl advertising campaign by the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee which didn’t involve guns at all.

And the Bradys, while finding many successes, also failed to oust another target, incumbent state Sen. Joseph Robach (R) in the 56st District.

Wisconsin gun control lobbyists were bragging about knocking off Rep. Frank Lasee, who advocated armed teachers on school grounds. Jeri Bonavia, executive director of Wisconsin Anti-Violence Effort, boasted that the “big loser” on election day “was the pro-gun lobby.”