There is no doubt that widespread voter turnout by American gun owners influenced the outcome of this years elections, most notably in the race for the White House, but in the House of Representatives as well.
Despite Vice President Al Gore reportedly winning the overall popular vote due to his margins in major metropolitan areas like New York City, Los Angeles and Chicago, he ultimately lost because he failed to win the electoral vote in such key swing states as Arkansas, Kentucky, Missouri, Ohio and his home state of Tennessee, all targeted by the NRA and the NSSF for major voter registration and turnout drives to reach hunters and shooting sports enthusiasts.
The NRAs effort was specifically cited by President Bill Clinton in a recent interview with Dan Rather on CBSs Sixty Minutes, where the President said that in at least five states I can think of, the NRA had a decisive influence… Theyve probably had more to do than anyone else in the fact that we didnt win the House this time. And, they hurt Al Gore.
NICS BACKGROUND CHECKS DOWN IN 2000: Through December 27, 2000, the FBI ran 8.4 million NICS background checks, compared to 9.2 million in 1999-nearly a 9% decrease.
NSSF SUSPENDS HUD SUIT: The NSSF and seven major law-enforcement firearms manufacturers have suspended their lawsuit against Housing and Urban Development Secretary Andrew Cuomo, New York State Attorney General Eliot Spitzer, and 38 other government officials and municipalities, citing the imminent departure of Secretary Cuomo and the lawsuits success in halting an illegal government conspiracy against responsible firearms manufacturers.
The lawsuit, charging a violation of the Commerce Clause of the United States Constitution, sought an injunction to halt efforts by Cuomo and others to impose arbitrary regulations on the design, manufacture, distribution and sale of firearms.
We filed this lawsuit to stop an illegal conspiracy among certain government officials that sought to abuse and cause economic harm to a responsible and law-abiding industry. It is now clear to us, based on legal documents filed by the defendants, that our lawsuit has achieved its primary objective, said Robert T. Delfay, president and chief executive officer of the National Shooting Sports Foundation.
-Todd Woodard
