Organizing For Action Ad Buy Targets GOP Lawmakers On Background Checks

Organizing for Action, the pro-Obama advocacy group formed last month out of the president's reelection campaign, is launching an online campaign urging Republican lawmakers to support universal background checks for gun purchases.

The Los Angeles Times reports that the ads will target 16 Republican lawmakers who have not publicly committed to stricter background checks, including Sen. Kelly Ayotte (R-N.H.), Sen. Susan Collins (R-Maine), and Rep. Buck McKeon (R-Calif.) in ads on local news outlets' websites starting Friday. The LA Times reports that the group spent close six figures on the ad buy, which is the issue-based nonprofit group's first.

The ad launch coincides with the group's national "Day of Action," which encompasses 100 events in 80 congressional districts. According to the LA Times, Friday's events are aimed at building support for tougher background check standards, but future "action" days will focus on other aspects of the president's gun policy proposals.

"These events range from Letter to the editor writing parties, or rallies and press events, to candle light vigils and petitions for members of Congress," OFA spokeswoman Katie Hogan told The Hill. "These events were tailored by our supporters on what they thought was the best event for their community."

A bipartisan group of senators is currently negotiating background check legislation, which would expand the process for vetting gun buyers.

"It's coming along pretty well," Sen. Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) said last week of the proposal. "We're hopeful."

Recent polls have shown overwhelming public support for expanding the background check system. A Quinnipiac poll released earlier this month found that 92 percent of Americans, including 91 percent of gun-owning households, support universal checks.

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On State Of The Union Voting Commission Proposal, State Lawmakers Divide Along Party Lines

State lawmakers' reactions to President Barack Obama's announcement Tuesday night of a new bipartisan voting commission split along party lines.

The announcement of the election commission during the State of the Union address was greeted positively by Democratic state lawmakers, who see the panel as a way to generate ideas to improve state and local election administration. However, Republicans said the panel violates the 10th Amendment, noting that elections are a function of state government and not a place for federal officials.

Obama announced that the commission, to be co-chaired by top attorneys from his and Mitt Romney's 2012 campaigns, would develop "common-sense, non-partisan solutions" to reduce wait times and improve voting experiences.

"I commend the president for convening a nonpartisan commission to review our election procedures," North Dakota Assistant House Minority Leader Corey Mock (D-Grand Forks) told The Huffington Post. "It is a fine use of time and resources. That is something that all Americans should be proud of."

But Wyoming state Rep. Dan Zwonitzer (R-Cheyenne) told HuffPost that there's no need for such a commission. Standing by the federalism argument, he said the federal government has "enough of their own problems to worry about" and that election policy is a state-level issue.

"Each state is responsible for their voting procedures, and I don't believe a national commission is needed to make recommendations to states," he said.

Zwonitzer noted that each state knows its history of election administration and what works in its environment. Elections in Wyoming have worked well and would not need recommendations from a federal commission, he said. At the same time, states that have had long lines and other problems could develop solutions, he said.

Kansas state Rep. J.R. Claeys (R-Salina) agrees with Zwonitzer on the need for solutions at the state level. Claeys, who unsuccessfully ran for Kansas secretary of state in 2010, noted that he would like to see states share best practices on election administration, but not through an Obama-appointed panel.

"There are a number of ways we can improve voting processes without a blanket solution around the country," Claeys told HuffPost. "There are some states that prefer voter ID and some don't see it as an issue. Personally, I think in Kansas we have a great voter ID law and voter ID did not impede the process. Voter ID makes the process more transparent and free of human error."

Mock and Montana state Rep. Bryce Bennett (D-Missoula) disagree, saying that there are too many stories of people standing in line for hours to vote. Bennett, who led his party's election policy efforts, stressed that there is a role for the federal government in election administration. Obama's commission could help gather ideas from state and county officials nationally in order to develop ideas and help end "voter suppression," he said.

"I would see this as an opportunity for folks at the federal level to work with state leaders and get information from the folks on the ground, including county clerks," Bennett told HuffPost. "We need to take input from everywhere. We need to do something. There are too many roadblocks for people to vote. This is a pressing issue. This is the core of everything we do as a democracy."

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Gun Violence Victims To Attend State Of The Union With Lawmakers

WASHINGTON -- In an effort to keep up pressure for new gun safety laws, nearly a dozen House Democrats are planning to bring victims of gun violence as their guests to the State of the Union later this month.

Members of Congress are each allowed to bring one guest to sit with them in the House gallery during President Barack Obama's address to the nation on Feb. 12. In a letter to Democratic colleagues last month, five House Democrats urged lawmakers to use the occasion to highlight the need for action on gun violence.

"In December, President Obama declared that addressing gun-related violence would be a 'central issue' as he opens his second term. In an effort to continue the discussion and engage our constituents in this important debate, we ask you to join us in inviting a person who has been impacted by gun violence to be your guest at the President's State of the Union address on February 12th," the letter reads. "It is our hope that their presence in the House Gallery will send a strong message that it is long past time to act."

The letter is signed by Democratic Reps. Jim Langevin (R.I.), Carolyn McCarthy (N.Y.), Keith Ellison (Minn.), Rosa DeLauro (Conn.) and David Cicilline (R.I.). All five are part of the Gun Violence Prevention Task Force formed by House Democrats.

At least 10 House Democrats are planning to participate in the effort, with another five to 10 lawmakers considering it, according to a Langevin spokesman. In addition to the five lawmakers pushing the effort, those confirmed to participate include Democratic Reps. Elizabeth Esty (Conn.), Janice Hahn (Calif.), Mike Thompson (Calif.), Ed Perlmutter (Colo.) and Jim Himes (Conn.).

Notably, Esty represents Newtown, Conn., the site of the December shooting massacre at Sandy Hook Elementary School.

"We know all too well that difficult political obstacles continue to threaten the chances of enacting responsible legislation that would better protect our communities and especially our children. However, the vast majority of Americans want us to strengthen gun safety laws," Langevin said in a statement Tuesday. "For our effort to be successful in Congress, it is critical that our elected officials hear their outcry and particularly the stories of those who have been affected by gun violence. They can most powerfully send the message that the status quo is unacceptable."

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