Your Senators voted for the person who will end hunting

[Ray Hammond]

Tonight the U.S. Senate voted to end debate on the nomination of one of the most outspoken animal rights, anti-hunting, and anti- Second Amendment individuals to a high government position.  By a 63-35 vote, cloture was invoked and debate stopped on the nomination of Cass Sunstein to serve as the head of the Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs (OIRA).  
Of the 63 senators that voted in favor of Sunstein, an anti-hunter, 22 were members of the Congressional Sportsmen’s Caucus, or 42 percent.  

The vote was held despite the efforts of Senator Johnny Isakson (R- GA) to place a “hold” on the nomination of Sunstein.  

The U.S. Sportsmen’s Alliance (USSA) and the National Wild Turkey Federation (NWTF) made this confirmation fight a top priority.  These efforts were also aided by many conservation groups from around the nation such as: National Shooting Sports Foundation, Masters of Foxhounds Association of North America, Fur Takers of America, National Trappers’ Association, Conservation Force, Shikar Safari Club, Mule Deer Foundation, Delta Water Fowl Foundation, Pope and Young Club, Dallas Safari Club, Whitetails Unlimited, Inc., Houston Safari Club, Texas Wildlife Association, and the Wild Sheep Foundation.

The efforts of those groups and many others were instrumental in persuading Sen. Isakson to attempt placing a “hold” on Sunstein.

 “We are disappointed with the outcome of tonight’s vote, especially that so many members of the Senate claiming to be pro-sportsman voted in favor of a nominee who has expressed that recreational hunting could be banned,” stated USSA President and CEO Bud Pidgeon.  “Nonetheless, the USSA and our partners had an obligation to fight this appointment. Sportsmen all across America will clearly be able to see which senators, along with Sen. Isakson, were willing to stand up for them.”

The USSA and others argued for weeks that Sunstein’s views on giving animals standing in court and banning recreational hunting would pose an intolerable threat to sportsmen given the critical position the OIRA has in the implementation of all federal rules.

If it says CSC they are also members of the Congressional Sportsmens' Caucus


Akaka- Hawaii

Baucus- Montana CSC

Bayh- Indiana

Begich- Alaska CSC

Bennett- Colorado

Bennett- Utah CSC

Bingaman- New Mexico

Boxer- California

Brown- Ohio

Burris- Illinois

Byrd- W Virginia

Cantwell- Washington

Cardin- Maryland

Carper- Deleware

Casey- Pennsylvania  CSC

Collins- Maine  CSC

Conrad- N Dakota  CSC

Dodd- Connecticutt

Dorgan- N Dakota  CSC

Durbin- Illinois  CSC

Feingold- WI

Gillibrand- NY  CSC

Gregg- NH  CSC

Hagan- NC  CSC

Harkin- Iowa  CSC

Hatch- Utah  CSC

Inouye- Hawaii
 
Johnson-South Dakota CSC

Kaufman- Deleware

Kerry- Massachusetts

Kohl-Wisconsin

Landrieu- Louisiana CSC

Lautenberg- New Jersey

Leahy- Vermont

Levin- Michigan

Lieberman- Conn

Lugar- Indiana

McCaskill- Missouri

Menendez- N Jersey

Merkley- Oregon

Mikulski- Maryland

Murray- Washington

Nelson- Florida

Nelson- Nebraska CSC

Reed- Rhode Island
 
Reid-Nevada

Rockefeller- WV CSC

Sanders- Vermont CSC

Schumer- New York

Shaheen- N Hampshire

Snowe- Maine CSC

Specter- Pennsylvania

Stebenow- Michigan CSC

Tester- Montana CSC

Udall- Colorado CSC

Udall- N Mexico CSC

Voinovich- Ohio

Warner- Virginia
 
Whitehouse- Rhode Island
 
Wyden- Oregon

I'm telling you boys and girls...I know most of you haven't voted very much if at all in your lifetime. You never thought it was important.

Well, you are reaping what you've sown now.

The people above, who say they are members of the Sportsmens' Caucus, have lied. They were members of the Sportsmens' Caucus when it could get them something- but when the chips are down they're just selling us out for whatever reason.

Whatever your politics- don't misunderstand me, this isn't about left or right. They're both bad...just plain bad.

Politics has changed- in my father's time politics was for captains of industry, military heroes, educators of merit- people who'd done something with their lives and wanted to give back to the country they felt they owed so much to for their success.

Now they vote for their own pay raises, make laws that you and I have to live with, but excuse themselves from the same laws- Social Security, Medicare/Medicaid, and Sexual Harrassment and Discrimination Laws- bet you didn't know your congressman or senator can't be sued for that did you?

Politics is now a business- people go to college to get a degree in political science or law- get out and get started on their path to the gravy train.

Serve up through the ranks and get to congress- spend one term and they get retirement at full pay for life, medical coverage- in short, it's a gravy train.

The only problem with that is they've never so much as balanced a checkbook, let alone ever run anything as complicated as a business or a country before.

Now they decide how billions are spent each day- and like the poor fool who thinks if he has checks left over in his checkbook he just CAN'T be out of money, they're spending our future like drunken sailors on everything that gets them reelected but is not in our country's best interest- only their own.

It's time to take our country back gentlemen.. at the ballot box. Vote every one of these people out of office- and let's get candidates in there who will vote for term limits- eliminate the pension for congress, and make them have to live with EVERY law they make for US.

The mods may want to move this to the politics forum, but I'm telling you it's too important now- very few read that and this is the tipping point, boys and girls...we're there.

It's not going to come in ten years- it's not coming in twenty- it's here now. Make up your minds or you'll be too late.

[4runr]

WELL SAID RAY!!

People need to get up off their a  butts and stop this crap that has overtaken our REPUBLIC.

The above listed individuals need to have their phone lines and email boxes filled to overflowing with feedback!

[Doug in MN]

Ray great post, Cass Sunstein has openly stated he will ban recreationl hunting given any kind of a chance.

[3blades]

Nice rant Ray! But I respectfully disagree with you on every point but one and that is people need to vote. But our last election voter turnout was quiet high and we got a good one for a change..And I am a hunter and lover of all that is American. Nice to see some passion Ray maybe it will catch on.    

[ron w]

Ray, its only just begun. The next few years will determine whether you and I....and most of the folks on this site will be able to what we enjoy so much. Join a vocal organization or we will all be golfing!!!!!   And VOTE, do some research and VOTE !!!

[Landshark160]

Though in the end it didn't matter, I'm glad my senators did what's right.

[GMMAT]

I'm telling you boys and girls...I know most of you haven't voted very much if at all in your lifetime. You never thought it was important.
 

I read to right there.

That's a helluva assumption.....

"MY" senator didn't vote in favor.  The one I DIDN'T vote for....did.

Have a good evening.

[jhg]

Extreme positioning by the right will IMO eventually energize the silent 80% that have no strong feelings about hunting to become anti.
Keep up the mantra that demonizes ALL alternative ways of looking at hunting and eventually you will lose that right for all of us. If you look into the history of protecting the right to hunt and our game species you might be surprised by what you find. And its not  fear that drives everything positive regarding hunting policy.

Joshua

[bowhunterfrompast]

Ray..thanks for the heads up..I know who is NOT getting my vote..again.

[Widowbender]

Nobody I voted for is on that list...Yes I DO Vote, never missed one since turning 18 (26 short years ago)...

[Ray Hammond]

Fellas, if you voted, obviously the one little sentence in there about voting doesn't apply to you specifically. I didn't intend for all 21,000 members of TG to read this and say "he's talking about ME!" There's a bunch of people on this site, and in society in general it DOES apply to.

The way you know that is simple- look at your local bow club, or state bowhunting organization and tell me how many vote in those elections?

Voter turnout is low compared to the eligible population.

I disagree with you, Joshua. It's not extreme positioning to try to preserve hunting - It's extreme positioning that causes someone to say animals have the same rights as people and that hunting in all its forms should end.

What course in logic did you take?  

I think the demon just got voted into his position of power- Cass Sunstein is a FREAK with a capital F, Joshua.

You'd better start concentrating on canoeing, rafting, ice hockey and art appreciation- those will soon be your only recreational options.

Patrick- if we got a good one, howcome he's so poor with math? 2 trillion dollars in additional deficit spending just "slipped up on him" - 32 czars appointed in a republic- who have no oversight on their activities and millions of dollars at their disposal for "what"? 210,000 jobs lost in August- 2 million + this year- 9.8 percent unemployment and heading higher- when we were told if we let him spend the money in January we were promised unemployment wouldn't go over 8 percent.

I don't know where you get your facts, sir...but voter turnout wasn't much different in this election than it was in the last three.

There were many, many millions of people who did not vote in the last election. Obama didn't win by a landslide. A million votes more and things might have turned out completely different.

Like I said, it's not about left or right...it's about bad vs good. Not good for me, or good for you, but good for the US.

Mimicking European socialism isn't good for the US- it's the US that's supposed to lead the world in thought and deed- not duplicate the failed experiments of others.

[tim roberts]

Some boys from Utah will be gettin a call tomorrow, and they won't be gettin a vote come next go around.
Oh and by the way, yes I do vote, and yes I call them bastards on a regular basis letting them know what I think about the job they are doin.
Thanks for the heads up Ray!!!

[John3]

I have NEVER missed a vote... Even local schoolboard special ballots. Me and 58 million others indeed got it right last November. Our grandkids, grandkids will never be able to pay back all this money.    

Too many died for my right to walk in and punch a hole in the card.  


Hunting will never end.  Maybe legal hunting will...?

[caleb7mm]

Im glad this was posted. And I am proud to say I use my power and I vote!

EVERYONE SHOULD.

[jhg]

The logic course I took is the one that tells me when you choose to vilify someone who shares the same interests as you, and therefore wants to protect them just like you do, you have a serious perspective problem.
I'm talking about you Ray.
 I just have an opinion  that differs from yours. Throwing insults my way only dishonors your own position.  Exactly the attitude that only serves to divide us.

Joshua

[Davo]

I can not beleive that there are those out there that still talk of balance, understanding and tolerance. We are losing our country to that very mantra.  The left only tolerates, understands and balances what they believe in and all other ideals are succesptible to elimination.  At this very moment we have people in Washington that influence the president that think Animals and trees has legal rights in court and I still here sportsmen speak about tolerance and we should avoid going to far to the right.  We get what some have voted for and our rights are being taken away.  Gun ownership is in question, hunting is in jeopardy, liberties are dissappearing and or debt is higher than ever and yet we are supposed to remain forever tolerant.  The group in power now are many of the same group that spit on our Viet Nam vets.  I grow tired of tolerance and understanding and embracing leftist veiw points to bring balance to our country.  But I am little pissed so I guesss I am an extremist right winger.

[Widowbender]

Ray for Prez!!! Do I have a second?      

As a side note I heard on the radio today where they have a bill pending here that says the lawmakers actually have to read and understand a bill before they can vote yes on it!!! That's gonna take a few of'em out of the voting picture...

[2fletch]

Joshua, the extremism is on the left side. (I just removed the rest of what I had to say along that line...too explicit.)

Our Constitution is under attack including the right to bear arms. The right to hunt will be lost soon if we don't start getting involved. These people will not rest until they have everything and everone under government control.

If you didn't vote, then you'd better start voting. Get involved. Write and call your congressman and senators, go to the local wildlife meetings. Join and support your state's bowhunting organization.   I just got back from a family reunion in Kentucky where I had lots of conversation about current politics. Someone said something like, "Well we can't make any difference". Later that day one of the extremist in the administration resigned under heavy pressure from concerned and involved patriots of this country. I hope they saw the connection.

Another thing that is often ignored is that we should support youth groups involved with the outdoors, and for gosh sakes TAKE SOMEONE HUNTING who has never hunted before.

[Wary Buck]

I've never missed a vote, but sorry to say a lot of hunters vote sporadically if at all...or do so without the facts I'm afraid.

It does not surprise me that Ben Nelson of Nebraska, the Democrat who says he votes for Nebraska and not his party, voted for cloture.  I swear every day he comes out of his bunker, wets his finger, and puts it up in the air to see which way the wind's blowing.  Which is not my definition of a leader.

Of course this same guy, who does do some gunhunting, used to share permission on ground years ago that one of my brothers did.  Whenever he wanted to hunt it, all the others who had permission were denied entrance before and during so Nelson could have it to himself.

JHG, respectfully, could you please explain what "alternative ways of looking at hunting" are worth considering?

[2fletch]

Yes David, I seconded it. Ray's done well with starting this thread.