Cross posted to the MRC's NewsBusters blog
In the aftermath of the deadly mass shooting in Maine, CNN This Morning on Friday spent time touting a moderate Democrat congressman who has now switched to the liberal side on gun control as the show also took time to single out the only five congressional Democrats who voted against an "assault weapon" ban last year.
Left-leaning CNN analyst Natasha Alford declared that Congressman Jared Golden (D-ME) had "moral courage" in switching sides on the issue after the shootings in his state while CNN Republican Alyssa Farah Griffin lauded the move as "fairly bold."
Co-host Poppy Harlow first touched on the subject in the first hour as she interviewed Congresswoman Chellie Pingree (D-ME) about the murder spree. Harlow alluded to "strong gun culture" in Maine as she set up the segment:
This mass shooting has torn apart a town and a state with some of the least restrictive gun laws in the nation -- one that has often prided itself on a strong gun culture of gun rights while still being a very safe place to live. But, as the editorial board for the Portland Press Herald writes, that illusion is now shattered. Quote, "Gone is the idea that Maine is unusually safe or otherwise somehow immune from the rampant disease that is gun violence and mass shooting. And, even in our grief, we have to ask again, why we are not doing more to keep public places safe from senseless massacre."
In her second question, Harlow followed up: "I was struck by the Boston Globe headline, 'Gun Violence Invades a State of Grace,' because that's one thing that just made Maine so unique. I wonder what you make of your fellow Democrat in Congress, Jared Golden, saying this yesterday."
Then came a clip of Congressman Golden declaring that he has changed his view of gun laws:
I have opposed efforts to ban deadly weapons of war like the assault rifle used to carry out this crime. The time has now come for me to take responsibility for this failure, which is why I now call on the United States Congress to ban assault rifles like the one used by the sick perpetrator of this mass killing in my hometown of Lewiston, Maine.
After getting her Democrat guest's reaction to her colleague moving left on guns, Harlow concluded the segment by talking up the possibility of Maine passing a red flag law.
A couple of hours later during a panel discussion, the issue of moderate Democrats voting against gun control was brought up again, with co-host Phil Mattingly calling Democrats who support gun control "mainstream" instead of more accurately calling them liberal. Here's Mattingly:
That was Democratic Congressman Jared Golden of Maine reversing his long-held stance against the federal assault weapons ban after the shooting that left 18 people dead and 23 injured in his hometown of Lewiston. Now, Golden is one of only five Democrats to oppose a federal ban last July when it passed the House.
The images and names of five House Democrats who voted against an assault weapon ban last year were shown on screen for a few seconds so viewers could see exactly who they were. It was not mentioned that two are no longer in Congress.
He soon added:
Jared Golden is someone who is a frontline Democratic members, doesn't really ever listen to what Democratic leadership says -- does his own thing, which is in part why he continues to get reelected but can be often frustrating to kind of mainstream Democrats. That's a big deal even if it doesn't mean that it's a kind of sea change for everyone.
Alford suggested that Second Amendment supporters are not thinking of what's best for their constituents as she also took a jab at newly elected Speaker Mike Johnson:
I think it shows the power of when pain hits your constituency, right? And so it's one thing to talk about theoretically protecting the Second Amendment. It's a different thing when you have to look at those families in the eye and say that it was my stance -- my legislative stance that kept change from happening. So it may not be a sea change, but I think it's an excellent example of having the moral courage to say, "I was wrong," and that we can do something differently, which is very different from Mike Johnson who's saying, "Thoughts and prayers -- it's going to be faith that changes this nation." It can be faith and legislation which makes a difference.
Then, Griffin -- the kind of Republican analyst the liberal media like best -- went along with the premise of the discussion that there needs to be more gun control and speculated about what might pass in spite of Republicans usually opposing more gun laws.
This lobbying for more gun control was sponsored in part by DirecTV. Their contact information is linked.
Transcript follows:
CNN This Morning
October 27, 2023
6:36 a.m. Eastern
POPPY HARLOW: This mass shooting has torn apart a town and a state with some of the least restrictive gun laws in the nation -- one that has often prided itself on a strong gun culture of gun rights while still being a very safe place to live. But, as the editorial board for the Portland Press Herald writes, that illusion is now shattered. Quote, "Gone is the idea that Maine is unusually safe or otherwise somehow immune from the rampant disease that is gun violence and mass shooting. And, even in our grief, we have to ask again, why we are not doing more to keep public places safe from senseless massacre."
With us now this morning, Democratic Congresswoman Shelley Pingree. She represents Maine's 1st district, which is south of where the shootings happened. Thank you for being with us this morning. The tragedy is unbearable -- I know -- for all of you. As you think about Maine and the state you love and the people you represent, how do you move forward from this? What do you think needs to change?
(Congresswoman Chellie Pingree starts by recalling the fear people have had during the manhunt for the gunman.)
CONGRESSWOMAN CHELLIE PINGREE (D-ME): ...And, you know, as you said, we've thought of ourselves as immune -- the safest state in the nation. It's almost hunting season in November, and so many people own guns and use them safely. We always thought, "Oh, this doesn't happen in our state," and here we are. It's bringing us face to face with reality.
HARLOW: Yeah, I mean, it certainly is -- I was struck by the Boston Globe headline, "Gun Violence Invades a State of Grace," because that's one thing that just made Maine so unique. I wonder what you make of your fellow Democrat in Congress, Jared Golden, saying this yesterday. Let's play it.
CONGRESSMAN JARED GOLDEN (D-ME): I have opposed efforts to ban deadly weapons of war like the assault rifle used to carry out this crime. The time has now come for me to take responsibility for this failure, which is why I now call on the United States Congress to ban assault rifles like the one used by the sick perpetrator of this mass killing in my hometown of Lewiston, Maine.
HARLOW: What did you think when you heard that?
PINGREE: No, honestly, I think that conversation is happening throughout Maine, and I commend my colleague for stepping forward and saying, "Now is the time." As I said, we have a tradition of a hunting culture in our state and a lot of gun ownership, but Jared Golden -- our colleague in Congress -- knows full well -- he served in the military -- he knows the difference between a military assault weapon designed to kill and something you take out to go hunting and get yourself a dear. So it's a very, very different proposition. It's always been the holy grail in Maine -- "Oh, politicians can't talk about gun laws -- it will upset everybody whether you're in the Maine legislature or in Congress." I think our day has come. I think people -- I already know people are turning to us and saying, "What are you going to do about this? How do you make sure it never happens again?"
HARLOW: And, to that point about things that can be done, do you think that it is time for Maine to have a red flag law? Not a yellow flag law. The yellow flag law makes it harder to take a gun away from someone who is not fit for one, but not as hard as red flags.
PINGREE: Well, absolutely. Sure. And I've always been a supporter of the red flag law, and I think there will be a discussion in the Maine legislature about whether to go further. But that is only one piece of this puzzle -- banning assault weapons, dealing with massive amounts of ammunition that a shooter like this had -- gun registration -- you know, there are so many pieces here -- background checks. I think they all have to be discussed, and we all have to be aware that we cannot continue to go with the status quo that we have now. We have to take responsibility for the public policy. It makes it easier to own a gun to be in a situation like this, and that no state is immune.
HARLOW; Congresswoman from Maine, Chellie Pingree, thank you so much for your time this morning.
(...)
8:26 a.m. Eastern
CONGRESSMAN JARED GOLDEN (D-ME): I have opposed efforts to ban deadly weapons of war like the assault rifle used to carry out this crime. (editing jump) I now call on the United States Congress to ban assault rifles.
PHIL MATTINGLY: That was Democratic Congressman Jared Golden of Maine reversing his long-held stance against the federal assault weapons ban after the shooting that left 18 people dead and 23 injured in his hometown of Lewiston. Now, Golden is one of only five Democrats to oppose a federal ban last July when it passed the House. It, of course, then died in the Senate. Joining us now to discuss, CNN political analyst Natasha Alford as well as CNN political commentator Alyssa Farah Griffin. Natasha, I'm trying to -- I was saying about this last night with the team, putting this into perspective, Jared Golden is someone who is a frontline Democratic members, doesn't really ever listen to what Democratic leadership says -- does his own thing, which is in part why he continues to get reelected but can be often frustrating to kind of mainstream Democrats. That's a big deal even if it doesn't mean that it's a kind of sea change for everyone.
NATASHA ALFORD, CNN POLITICAL ANALYST: Yeah, I mean, I think it shows the power of when pain hits your constituency, right? And so it's one thing to talk about theoretically protecting the Second Amendment. It's a different thing when you have to look at those families in the eye and say that it was my stance -- my legislative stance that kept change from happening. So it may not be a sea change, but I think it's an excellent example of having the moral courage to say, "I was wrong," and that we can do something differently, which is very different from Mike Johnson who's saying, "Thoughts and prayers -- it's going to be faith that changes this nation." It can be faith and legislation which makes a difference.
ALYSSA FARAH GRIFFIN, CNN POLITICAL COMMENTATOR: Keep in mind, the politics of this were fairly bold of him. He -- he sits in a district that was an R plus five district. It's the only district that Donald Trump carried in New England. And it's a very pro-Second Amendment area, this kind of more rural part of Maine in New England. So it is a bold step for him to come out and support this. I do still believe it's dead on arrival in the Senate, but what's interesting is Chris Murphy who -- Democratic Senator who has long been a gun reform champion -- has suggested --
POPPY HARLOW: Since Sandy Hook.
GRIFFIN: Since Sandy Hook. He's suggested something that I could see getting a little bit of steam, which is basically stricter background checks for assault weapons. That's something that's a step away from a full-on ban which is dead on arrival with any Republicans.
HARLOW: I was going to say, let's listen to Susan -- Senator Susan Collins of Maine. She was asked about this yesterday.
SENATOR SUSAN COLLINS (R-ME): I think it is more important that we ban very high capacity magazines. (editing jump) There's always more that we can do.
HARLOW: She was being asked about an assault weapons ban and what she thought -- she focused on high-capacity magazines but also said there's always more we can do, but, I mean, Republicans have been pretty clear -- most of them -- they're not going to go any further than the bipartisan bill that was passed last year on guns.
ALFORD: Yeah. And even that -- that was breaking 30 years of gridlock, right, 30 years -- that's a lifetime of no significant legislation that made a difference. But I do think it's important to listen to those places where politicians are willing to compromise, right? So if not a ban, then let's think about why we're giving the everyday American so much ammunition. Why would you need those things? When you look at the bipartisan Safer Communities Act, there is investment in mental health -- which is what Republicans tend to lean towards as the solution as opposed to Democrats who want to focus on gun control. But there's also a focus on closing certain loops in background checks. So I think that if you really dig into that bipartisan act, there may be places to move the ball a little bit forward with both parties.
GRIFFIN: And President Biden called the Safer Communities Act the most significant bipartisan gun reform in decades. But I tend to think that anytime these mass shootings happen, our hearts break -- we have these same kind of dialogues in Washington -- very little seems to change. I tend to think that state legislatures are where there's going to be more impact. There's always seems to be something that, you know, a caveat of why the laws wouldn't have helped in this state. So I could see that as being something that gets momentum. Is Maine going to look at why some of these, you know, red flags weren't in place. That may be where we're more likely to see change in the Congress.
MATTINGLY: Yeah, it's an interesting point because Maine Democrats had pushed and gotten some of a pretty significant package of gun restrictions to the state house earlier this year, but most of it had been blocked. Obviously, we all know kind of where Maine sits in that.