Lame duck Ohio Sen.Voinovich shafts gun owners AGAIN; Expect voters to direct anger at other "Taft Republicans"

By Chad D. Baus

For the second time in as many weeks, Ohio's lame duck Senator, Republican George Voinovich, shafted gun owners on a key vote in the United States Senate.

SCOTUSBLOG.com is reporting that, after two days of floor debate, the Senate voted 68-31 to confirm Second Circuit Judge Sonia Sotomayor as a Justice of the Supreme Court. Her first full term will begin Oct. 5.

Sotomayor has been strongly opposed by gun rights advocates during her confirmation hearings, having previously held that the Second Amendment does not apply to individuals. Senator George Voinovich and a handful of other turncoat Republicans voted with Democrats in favor of her confirmation.

Just two weeks ago, Voinovich cast a vote that ensured a Democrat filibuster against nationwide reciprocity would prevent passage of the popular concept.

Before the Sotomayor vote, the NRA-ILA indicated that it would consider Senators' vote on the confirmation when it grades candidates for re-election. But Voinovich, having so disappointed his constituents that he knew he could not win re-election in 2010, recently announced his retirement. And so, now that he knows he doesn't have to answer to voters, he can simply vote how ever he really feels without any worry of retribution.

But I predict retribution will indeed be taken, if not on Voinovich, then on other "Taft Republicans" whose past actions against gun rights will be refreshed in voters' minds by Voinovich's recent actions.

For example, many gun owners recall that when Voinovich was opposing concealed carry as governor of Ohio, his Lt. Governor was Mike DeWine, who recently announced his candidacy for Ohio Attorney General. Gun owners are chomping at the bit to take out their frustrations on traitorous Republicans, and they stand ready and willing to actively oppose DeWine, who has voted for some of the most radical gun control laws in the past two decades, including the failed Clinton Gun Ban. GOP gubernatorial-hopeful John Kasich may also not be immune from the backlash, as he too voted for the 1994 gun ban while serving as an Ohio congressman.

As a lame duck, Voinovich may indeed be free to vote what is in his big government heart, rather than what his oath of office requires or his constituents demand, but the consequences of his actions are going to continue to reverberate in both Washington D.C. and Ohio politics for some time to come.

Chad Baus is a Member of the Fulton County, OH Republican Central Committee and the Buckeye Firearms Association Vice Chairman.