After Republican congressional candidate Martha McSally announced today that she supported changing federal gun laws to include those who are convicted of misdemeanor stalking on the list of prohibited possessors, Gabby Giffords’ political action committee, Americans for Responsible Solutions, said it would be ending the run of a controversial TV ad one day early.
Pia Carusone, a senior adviser to Americans for Responsible Solutions, said she was pleased that McSally was moving away from her blanket opposition to expanding background checks.
“We’re happy to see Martha McSally has changed her position on making it illegal for convicted stalkers to legally acquire firearms,” Carusone said. “We hope her evolution on this issue continues.”
But McSally spokesman Patrick Ptak said that McSally has always supported closing the so-called “stalker gap,” although she had never addressed the issue before.
“Ron Barber’s political allies never asked Martha’s stance on the ‘stalking gap’ before running their disgraceful and false ad, and Martha’s position has never changed on the issue,” Ptak said.
The ad was the latest flashpoint in the tight race between McSally and Congressman Ron Barber (D-CD2).
McSally objected to the ad, entitled “Stalker Gap,” after it launched last week because she herself had been the victim of stalking.
“Stalker Gap.”, which was backed by a six-figure media buy on local and cable stations, is undeniably hard-hitting: It features Vicki Walker, a woman whose husband Daniel Walker and daughter Kara Walker were gunned down by Kara’s ex-boyfriend, Daniel Renwick, in 2000.
Renwick had made threats to kill Kara and her family just months earlier. There were plenty of signs of trouble: Renwick had beat Kara up and roared off while drunk with their child. After he was stopped by police, he eluded an officer who attempted to take him into custody and sped away, sometimes reaching speeds of 70 mph while the baby was in the back seat, according to a Tucson Citizen account.
In the ad, a tearful Vicki recalls that “My daughter was just 19 when she told her boyfriend their relationship was over, and he got a gun and he shot her and my husband. He had threatened her before. I knew—I just knew.”
A narrator then says: “Martha McSally opposes making it harder for stalkers to get a gun.”
After the ad aired, McSally cried foul, saying the ad was “personally offensive” because she herself was the victim of stalking.
“As someone who’s experienced being stalked, I know what it feels like to worry constantly about when and where your stalker will appear next and what he’ll do,” McSally said in a prepared statement. “I’ve had threats made against me and wasn’t even safe in my own home or my car where my stalker broke in and held me in a hostage-like situation.”
McSally added that the ad was “degrading to all women and victims who have experienced this pain.”
Giffords’ husband, retired astronaut and U.S. Navy captain Mark Kelly, told the Weekly that he and Giffords stood by the ad.
“As a former elected official, Gabby understands that if you’re running to represent your community at any level, it’s essential that you make your positions clear on the big policy questions—and that includes the question of who in our country should have access to firearms,” Kelly said via email. “Undeniably, one category of people that should be denied access to guns is stalkers. This is about changing the law to protect lives.”
There is a gap in the law that allows people who are convicted of stalking to buy firearms. As it now stands, those convicted of felony stalking at the state level have their names added to the federal “prohibited possessor” list that is used for background checks when licensed firearm dealers sell guns.
But those convicted of misdemeanor stalking do not have their names added to the list.
Stalking laws vary from state to state (and federal law only addresses stalking if someone a state line while harassing a victim). In Arizona, stalking is a felony and anyone convicted of the crime is prohibited from buying a gun from a licensed dealer until their rights are restored, although they can still purchase a firearm from a second-hand dealer. But many other states treat stalking as a misdemeanor, which means those convicted of the crime do not have their names added to the list of prohibited possessors.
Sen. Amy Klobucher (D-Minn.) last year introduced the Protecting Domestic Violence and Stalking Victims Act of 2013, which would add the names of those convicted of misdemeanor stalking or of abusing someone they are dating to the list of those who are prohibited from possessing a firearm, but the legislation went nowhere.
McSally spokesman Patrick Ptak declined to discuss the details of McSally’s stalking episode, so it’s unclear whether police were involved or if her stalker was convicted of any crime.
McSally has previously said that she opposes changes in the law that would put more people on the list of prohibited possessors. In April, Team McSally deputy campaign manager Kristen Douglas told ABC News that McSally is “pro Second Amendment and believes our focus for preventing shootings should be on strengthening our mental health system and enforcing background check laws already on the books, not expanding those laws that will do little to prevent violence and infringe on the rights of law abiding citizens.”
When asked how much she supported the goals of the National Rifle Association on a scale from one to 10, McSally told a crowd of Republican supporters earlier this year that she saw herself as a 10.
But today, Ptak told the Weekly that McSally makes an exception to her previous opposition in the case of the stalker gap. McSally, said Ptak, does support expanding gun laws by “adding misdemeanor stalking to the list of criminal offenses that would keep dangerous individuals from obtaining guns in other states where stalking can also be a misdemeanor. Martha strongly believes we need to place a greater emphasis on the cause of gun violence by addressing our broken mental health care system and enhancing our ability to recognize and treat signs of mental illness.”
Ptak has not responded to a question as to whether McSally would support the Protecting Domestic Violence and Stalking Victims Act of 2013, which is opposed by the NRA.
“Stalker Gap” was condemned by the Arizona Republic editorial page, which called it “base and vile” for linking McSally to the killing of Daniel and Kara Walker. But other publications—including the Tucson Weekly and Slate—noted that the ad accurately portrayed the statements that McSally had made prior to today.
Kelly said that pointing out McSally’s statements on laws related to gun violence—and their consequences—is fair game.
“Our goal in founding this organization was to communicate directly, honestly and fairly with voters about where their candidates and elected officials stand on laws that reduce gun violence,” Kelly said. “We won’t be deterred, but will never attack character and we will never veer from fact.”
Giffords, who survived being shot through the head in a Tucson mass shooting that claimed the life of six and wounded a dozen people besides the former congresswoman, formed Americans for Responsible Solutions with Kelly to push for gun-safety measures in the wake of the 2012 Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting massacre, in which 20 children and six adults were killed by a crazed gunman.
Barber, who served as Giffords’ district director, was among those wounded in the Congress on Your Corner shooting on Jan. 8, 2011. He was shot in the face and in the leg.
Team Barber rejected McSally’s calls to condemn the ad.
“Southern Arizonans want to know exactly where both candidates stand on important issues, like keeping guns out of the hands of dangerous criminals and domestic abusers,” Barber spokeswoman Ashley Nash-Hahn said. “Ron Barber supports common sense steps like background checks for gun shows and online sales because stalkers and domestic abusers should not be able to buy guns.”
This article appears in Sep 18-24, 2014.
What-McSally actually made a public statement about anything! Will believe it when I see it in all areas of concern. Seems convenient timing on her part. My vote stays with Barber.
Ad was all Mark and no Gabby. She would have never stooped that low.
My sentiments exactly Michael. She never acted this way before Kelly.
“Wah, wah, wah,” said Miss McSally.
But I didn’t hear her say anything about closing the gunshow loophole which allows anyone to buy a gun without a background check.
There is no gun show loophole. That is a politically-motivated term for private sales. Vendors at gun shows must conduct background checks. However, individuals selling weapons do not; this is considered a private transaction. That being said, private transactions can occur anywhere and outlawing them at gun shows would not preclude them from occurring. (By the way, criminals are not known for obeying the law, so you can pass all the laws in the world and crime will not be eliminated. )
The ad was all Gabby’s staff, particularly her mouthpiece Pia Carusone. She’s the senior advisor to the group and also a partner of the Campaign Group, a political media firm who come up with these ads. Look at the website for the Campaign Group, one of their clients is Americans for Responsible Solutions.
The blame for this ad lies with Carusone. She’s the one doing damage control.
Gabby’s and Mark’s ARS ad was an excellent, effective public service. At least thrice McSally rejected the idea of making any changes in gun loopholes, including for stalkers, and bragged about her self rating of 10 for the NRA.
The closing of the loophole promoted by Gabby’s and Mark’s ARS is a life-saving measure.
McSally’s citing herself being stalked and held in a hostage-like situation was nothing more than an attempt to confuse the issue. She was using that as a kind defense, a sympathy move, and it had little real substance since she chose not elaborate on it at all, not even saying there is or there is not any police records of the case.
Sticking to the facts, important facts, McSally championed the maintenance of loopholes for stalkers, for which there is ample evidence that lives are endangered, lives are at stake. It was not until she was confronted by the ARS ad, which was confirmed truthful with four stars by the Arizona Republic’s Fact Check, that she and her RNCC handlers realized she was in a politically untenable position. So McSally caved, and that’s good, because closing the loophole will protect stalking victims and save lives.
ARS bullied McSally into agreeing with them. That is the bottom line.
McSally just lost her core voters!:-)
Stalkers are normally democratic voters. That’s not her core.
I found this ad offensive on many levels. First of all, it was never stated how the assailant got a gun. Did he acquire it illegally? Secondly, after hearing the backstory, this wasn’t exactly a random stalker or a casual boyfriend as the ad would lead you to believe through omission of the facts. They had a child together! And this tragedy happened 14 years ago. It isn’t exactly reflective of the here and now. No disrespect to Mrs. Walker, and my condolences for her loss, but this is pandering and playing on the fears of women in its lowest form.
If anything, this ad galvanized my support for McSally as I hate being played for a fool.
If McSally is so prone to changing her stand on core issues how can she be trusted to stand up for Southern Arizona? Why should anyone vote for her?
I remember Ron Barber saying he would finish Gabby’s term and not run again.
Then he ran again.
History is your friend.
Ron had promised his wife that he wouldn’t run…
“But Mr. Barber, who worked for decades in social service administration, had promised his wife that he would never run for office. He describes himself as a reluctant candidate, cringing when he hears the word “politician.”
Then he told them:
“Mr. Barber has privately told other candidates that he only wants to finish out the remainder of the term. “
This is my favorite:
There is little difference on the issues between Ms. Giffords and Mr. Barber, who says that his top priorities, even if he has only a few months in office, would be border security and care for veterans returning from Iraq and Afghanistan.
http://www.nytimes.com/2012/03/10/us/politics/ron-barber-reluctant-but-loyal-agreed-to-seek-gabrielle-giffordss-seat.html?pagewanted=all&_r=0
The border and concern for Vets care at the VA?
Now ask yourselves HOW did he do?
What the heck is wrong with some of you people? [Ms. Giffords] would have never stooped that low? ARS bullied McSally? Stalkers are democrats? If you folks are representative of McSally supporters, she’s in more trouble than she knows. This is about the importance of keeping guns out of the hands of abusers and stalkers. And, this comment: “If McSally is so prone to changing her stand on core issues . . .” Altho I won’t vote for McSally, I have respect for her for seeing the light and changing her mind on a really important issue. Let’s see now if she can deal with the right-wing gun nuts and the NRA and stand her ground, so to speak.
I don’t know that McSally’s stance has really changed. She’s pretty common sense about the Second Amendment. She knows that there are people who shouldn’t have access to guns; the fact that she’s now backing that misdemeanor stalkers be added to the list of ineligible gun owners supports this. It’s not a black and white issue, though. Think about Jared Loughner. His parents, Pima College, and as I recall, the Pima County Sheriff’s Department were aware that he was emotionally/mentally unstable, but no one ever formalized reports about his behavior, therefore there was nothing to flag him on in his background check. The bottom line is that you can make all the laws that you want, but criminals are not likely to follow them. As one of the “right wing gun nuts” that Deborah refers to, I respect her opinions. I believe in the right to bear arms for law abiding citizens; I do not believe that people with certain criminal behaviors should ever be able to legally purchase guns. Will this stop them? Probably not, which is why I refuse to be low hanging fruit.
Low hanging fruit? Being played for a fool?
If the shoe fits…
Please get this election over so we can get back to our country being destroyed.
And if you don’t think that McSally won’t say anything to get elected, then vote differently afterward, you are being played for a fool…
To further support my point the VA has tried to claim that the Phoenix soldier that died waiting 70+ days for an appointment, had actually cancelled it himself.
One problem: They mixed up the dates and claimed he cancelled it, when he had been dead for four days already.
Mr Barber I am ashamed of what has happened to the VA.
C Note – Based on the way you’re stalking me on this board, you would never pass a background check.
I strongly suggest that the Barber campaign,emphasize the parallels between McSally and Jesse Kelly. Same extremist views,same mean spirited ideology,same trying to run on a military record. McSally’s service is appreciated,but this district already rejected one NAZI,twice,why would we consider another just because she ids female. McSally is no more than Jesse Kelly in a skirt.