The NRA's $3.5 Million-Dollar Man

Scott Walker at 2012 NRA Convention

Last week, another 17 high school kids were murdered by a crazy person with a gun. Rather than act to end this all-too-common slaughter of innocents, America will do nothing.

The NRA is way too powerful for any meaningful and common-sense regulation of weapons of mass destruction. We will see no restrictions on the purchase of efficient human-killing machines. No increased waiting periods. No universal background checks. No banning of military-type weapons. No restrictions on bump-stocks or trigger cranks. No limits on high capacity magazines. 

Despite all of the new youthful optimism and zeal to address the problem, nothing will be done. Despite all of the marches and listening session and interviews, we will have more massacres. The NRA owns too many politicians for things to change.

With our current leadership, there will be nothing done at a national level to stop the killing. Only in a few progressive regions will anything be done at the state level. We have no hope of a common-sense legislative response in Wisconsin, so long as the NRA-owned Scott Walker and his batshit-crazy GOP legislature are in power.

After the latest tragedy, Governor Walker issued a predictable statement. He spoke of prayers for the victims. He ordered flags to be lowered. But in his 124-word statement, he did not once mention the words "gun", "weapon", or "shooting".

Like many politicians who are fully-owned NRA vassals, Walker blames everything for the mass-murders except the actual problem -the easy availability of rapid-fire guns. In his statement, he spoke of mental health. He gave vague promises of action that will never come, saying, "Here in Wisconsin we will continue to work with legislators and law enforcement on how to best keep our communities safe." 

Walker and the NRA go back a long way. He has been a proud member for years. As Milwaukee County Executive, Walker gave the welcoming speech at the 2006 National Convention held here. In a later interview, Walker gushed about meeting the off-his-rocker rocker and renowned pants-pooper, Ted Nugent at the Convention.

By any measure, Scott Walker is in the pocket of the NRA. He was endorsed by the group during both the 2010 and 2014 gubernatorial elections. The group has propped-up their boy with contributions of over $3.5 million dollars for his elections in 2010, 2012, and 2014.

In their 2014 endorsement, an NRA spokesman expressed their over-the-top love for Walker, "Scott Walker is a battle-tested leader in the fight to preserve Second Amendment rights in Wisconsin. He's never wavered, never backed down and never stood still in the fight to protect our freedoms."

Walker spoke at the national NRA Leadership meeting in 2012 in St. Louis. At that session, he was awarded the gun lobbying-group's highest honor, the Harlan B. Carter Award. Walker was given this dubious award after he signed Wisconsin's Concealed Paranoid-Carry Bill into law.

With the stroke of his pen, Walker had turned our state into the wild West. He made all Wisconsin citizens less safe from stray bullets. During his acceptance speech, Walker bellowed, "It's all about freedom and that's what the NRA is all about ! "

Also adding to Walker's NRA luster was Wisconsin's Castle Doctrine Law "I can Murder a Drunk Kid on my Porch" Law that our governor signed in December 2011.

Walker at 2015 NRA Convention

Walker was unable to attend the 2013 National meeting, but sent a short video to his favorite lobbyist and contributor. He atoned by speaking again at the 2015 convention. In a warm-up for his 2016 presidential run, Walker strutted the stage, crowing about his perfect A+ NRA Score as Governor, "I'm proud of my A+ ranking as governor. I'm proud of that, even though some on the left might say it's a scarlet letter. ....I consider it a badge of honor."

Walker has a long history as a favorite NRA asset. He has consistently defended them, no matter how extreme their position. In turn, the NRA has consistently endorsed and funded Walker. 

We cannot expect Scott Walker to buck his controllers at the NRA. Wisconsin will not get common sense gun laws as long as the NRA's $3.5 Million-dollar Man is our Governor.