Gabby Giffords endorses Toomey over McGinty in tight PA senate race.

[radius777]

"PHILADELPHIA (Reuters) – As he seeks re-election to his U.S. Senate seat this November, Pennsylvania’s Pat Toomey can make an unusual claim. He is the sole Republican nationwide running with the endorsement of top U.S. gun control advocates Gabby Giffords and Michael Bloomberg.

That pair of endorsements could give the first-term senator an edge over Democratic challenger Katie McGinty, a former environmental official in the White House and the Pennsylvania governor’s office. The race is one of a handful of close contests on Nov. 8 that could determine whether Republicans, currently with a 54-46 majority, maintain control of the Senate.
...
Giffords has also endorsed Illinois Senator Mark Kirk, another Republican running for re-election, though Bloomberg has not weighed in on that race."
In Pennsylvania Senate race, unfamiliar battle lines on gun rights

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File this under the "with friends like these" and "missing the forest for the trees" categories - especially the PA race, which is very close.

Hey Gabby, wouldn't Hillary being elected with a Dem senate majority lead to more gun control legislation than a GOP senate? Democrats ARE the party of gun control after all, remember? And the GOP is the party of the NRA, remember?

This kind of stupidity is what's wrong with our side, in a nutshell.

[MBS]

1. WTH?!

Big mistake, Gabby! on both Kirk and Toomey. Just unbelievable, really.

[OnDoutside]

2. That is simply staggering. Better that she didn't endorse at all. Incredible.

[ProudToBeBlueInRhody]

3. Embarrassing

Absolutely unreal. Gabby has really stepped in it.

[Laurian]

4. They made these endorsements a couple of weeks ago. I definitely gave them

my feedback via their website. I know they also got a fair amount of pushback on their Facebook page.

[murielm99]

5. Her organization called me,

asking for money. I am a big Duckworth supporter. They get nothing from me.

[Hortensis]

18. Today's New Morning Call/Muhlenberg College poll shows

Clinton ahead 47 - 38 in PA and McGinty ahead of Toomey 43 - 38, so perhaps this endorsement doesn't matter that much. Assuming the poll's fairly accurate, of course. But there's huge room for movement:

Amid the cacophony of the presidential contest, some voters told Muhlenberg pollsters they still don't have a clear opinion on the candidates battling in the U.S. Senate race that will also be on the Nov. 8 ballot.

Asked their views on the candidates, 28 percent had a favorable view of Toomey, 37 percent reported an unfavorable view of him, and 32 percent weren't sure. For McGinty, 23 percent had a favorable view, 28 percent had an unfavorable one, and 39 percent don't have an opinion of her.

http://www.mcall.com/news/local/elections/mc-pa-trump-clinton-poll-20160917-story.html

[DFW]

6. Gabby blew it big time with this

For someone so careful usually, I can't explain this at all.

[Divine Discontent]

7. When control of the Senate is paramount to passing so much

This smacks of some serious anti-party unity! Oh well, the big dog, and the inspiring president will both have to rally the troops to give Hillary a Senate majority.

[underthematrix]

8. Now that's interesting. I wanna know why she endorsed 2 Republicans.

One in Ill and the other in PA. I think Duckworth will win her seat. Don't know about McGinty

[BumRushDaShow]

9. "could give the first-term senator an edge"

PA is one of the few states allowing straight-ticket voting. If Philly voters stay with the straight D ticket, his ass is gone, regardless of any "endorsement".

[bigdarryl]

10. That is fucked up

Woman voters.are harder on women candidates for some reason.

[BumRushDaShow]

13. I was trying to find where she had any formal contact with Toomey

and both were in the House but not at the same time, and he was just coming into the Senate in his first year when she was shot. The only association might have been when he and Mancin co-sponsored background check legislation and I think she testified at the hearings for that.

Otherwise McGinty has a stronger gun-control rating while Toomey gets an "A" rating from the NRA, and that is finally be called out -

http://www.phillyvoice.com/democratic-pac-hits-toomey-gun-control-issue-web-ad/

In any case, as long as Philly voters hit the straight ticket button, Toomey is toast.

[ananda]

11. Oh God!

Un-fucking-believable!

There are no words for this kind of betrayal.

[GreenPartyVoter]

12. Yikes! Hope the voters ignore her!

[Thrill]

14. WTF?

This must be from the Onion

[radius777]

15. and both McGinty and Duckworth are very pro gun control,

i.e. to the left of their Repub challengers, who are moderates (at best) on gun control.

Years ago you had races where the Dem was to the right (i.e. pro-NRA) of the Repub on this issue, but this is not the case here, so it doesn't make sense, other that Giffords maybe trying to appear "bi-partisan" by endorsing the few Repubs who support some form of gun control.

Of course if Dems lose the senate that is really going to be "great" for the gun control movement.

[Tom Rinaldo]

16. I understand the strategy. I still disagree

Gabby is trying to fracture the 100% Republican blockade of gun safety legislation. No doubt back when Tooney was weighing whether he would support a gun safety package after Sandy Hook he expressed concern that doing so would turn the NRA full force against him, and that it was political suicide for any Republican to support gun safety. Gabby is trying to show that gun safety activists will stand behind Republicans who take a stand against sharp NRA opposition. It is a message and may even have been a pledge.

Having said all that what I think she should have done is issue a public statement applauding both candidates for showing a willingness to stand up to the NRA and then not make any endorsement in that race.

[BumRushDaShow]

17. His only "outreach" was background checks

Meanwhile, Toomey is rated "A" by the NRA and voted against almost every other type of gun-control legislation.

[Freddie]

19. Toomey was only giving lip service to background checks

In an attempt to appear reasonable in this purple state. In every other was he is a typical Tea Party, anti-woman, anti-healthcare RWNJ asswipe.
I no longer admire Gabby Giffords.

[a kennedy]

20. Considered a one issue endorser?? Guns?? is that it???? eom

[ebbie15644]

21. This could actually hurt

toomey. Pa loves there guns like nothing else

[aikoaiko]

22. LOL. Guntrol uber alles.

This is funny.

[wisteria]

23. Well that is a surprise.

[johnp3907]

24. ugh