If this plays out as I fear it might, I'm also tempted to write open letters to Senators Duncan and Ogden, copying the state Republican Party leadership (Benkiser, Crocker, Adams, and Opiela) as well as Michael Steele. As Charles says, it is pretty difficult to misconstrue what appears at the top of page 47 of the official platform:
I infer that to mean at least a degree of support on RKBA issues. It certainly does not mean a party member is expected to actively work for the defeat of popular NRA- and TSRA-supported Second Amendment legislations.2008 Republican Platform wrote:Republicans remain the party of vigorous action against crime and the party that empowers the law abiding by protecting their right to keep and bear arms for self-protection.
Van de Putte may have flip-flopped on her TSRA A- rating, but she is not a Republican and is not overtly seeking to quash a bill that is clearly pertinent to her party's core platform. Harder for me to blast her.
But at a time when the Republican Party is striving to reorganize and mount solid campaigns in 2010, having Duncan and Ogden act more like New York Democrats than Texas Republicans is absolutely frustrating.