Sen. Manchin: Pro-Gun in 2010, Pro-Gun Control in 2012, Strangely Silent Now

Sen. Manchin: Pro-Gun in 2010, Pro-Gun Control in 2012, Strangely Silent Now

Where does Senator Joe Manchin (D-WV) stand on guns? Depends on when you ask him. 

If you asked in 2010 he was pro-gun. If you asked in Dec. 2012 he was pro-gun control. And if you ask right now, he’d rather not talk about it. 

This latest incarnation of Senator Manchin came to light when Martinsburg, WV’s The Journal ran an interview with him that contained this editor’s note: “This question and answer session was permitted under the condition that The Journal would not ask questions regarding gun control legislation or the Second Amendment, as requested by the Senator’s staff.”

Just think about it:  In Nov. 2010, Manchin won a special Senate election by courting the NRA and taking strong pro-gun stands. Photos of him shooting short and long barrel AR-15s with 30 round clips helped sell his pro-gun stance. 

Then, after the horrendous crime at Sandy Hook Elementary on  Dec. 14, 2012, Manchin gave an unexpected boost to President Obama’s calls for more gun control by speaking out against AR-15s and 30 round clips.

And concerning the “assault weapons” ban Sen. Dianne Feinstein (D-CA) and others were just starting to push at that time, Manchin said he wanted the NRA to “sit down” for a discussion on it. He said he didn’t know why anyone would find such restrictions “objectionable,” because “it sounds very reasonable.”

But now that the 2014 elections are fast approaching, and pro-gun voters are planning to flood voting booths in opposition to gun grabbers, Manchin has fallen strangely silent. 

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