Mayor Bloomberg spouts off for tight gun laws

July 27, 2012
Mayor Bloomberg spouts off for tight gun laws following Colorado movie theater massacre, but records show he's showered thousands of dollards on lawmakers who drew high marks from gun lobby
Mayor will host Aug. 15 fund-raiser for Massachusetts' Scott Brown despite senator's long history of supporting gun rights. Brown, who opposes assault weapons ban, earned 'A' from National Rifle Association
BY KENNETH LOVETT / NEW YORK DAILY NEWS
THURSDAY, JULY 26
ALBANY — Mayor Bloomberg has been all over the airwaves calling for better gun control following the Colorado movie theater massacre — but he doesn’t always put his money where his mouth is.
Even as he’s pushed for tougher gun laws, he has showered thousands of dollars on lawmakers who drew high marks from the gun lobby over the past decade, campaign finance records show.

And, his office announced Thursday that he’ll be hosting an Aug. 15 fund-raiser for Massachusetts Sen. Scott Brown in the Bay State — where Bloomberg is from — despite Brown’s long history of supporting gun rights.
State Conservative Party Chairman Michael Long said the donations show that Bloomberg “is not a purist.”
“If you’re really, really hell-bent on gun control, which he appears to be on the outside, then you wouldn’t give money to people who deviate from your position,” Long said.
Hizzoner gave $2,500 each last year to Sens. Olympia Snow (R-Maine) and Orrin Hatch (R-Utah). Both have strong pro-gun-rights records, with Hatch having received an “A” rating from the National Rifle Association.
In 2007, Bloomberg gave $4,600 to Sen. Susan Collins (R-Maine), who received a B+ mark fromn the NRA.
And he gave to former Staten Island Republican Rep. Vito Fossella, Sen. John McCain (R-Arizona) and Sen. Richard Shelby (R-Alabama) despite each having strong gun-industry backing.
In New York, the mayor is the biggest donor to the state Senate GOP, which in recent years has blocked his push for bullet microstamping, a process that gun manufacturers oppose but law enforcement officials say would help solve gun crimes.
Deputy Mayor Howard Wolfson argued Bloomberg is not a single-issue mayor when it comes to recipients of his political donations. “The issue of guns is one of the most critically important,” Wolfson said. “But there are other issues — including immigration, gay rights, abortion rights, the economy — that the mayor also cares deeply about.”
“Someone may disagree on one issue and be a champion on another issue,” he added.
Wolfson described Collins and Snowe, in particular, as “two of the last moderate Republicans in the Senate on issues like the environment and abortion rights.”
As for Brown, the mayor’s office notes that the Massachusetts senator, who is running in a closely watched race against Harvard law professor Elizabeth Warren, has been a leader in opposing the Concealed Carry Reciprocity Bill; it would allow anyone with a permit in one state to carry a concealed weapon to do so across the country, with few exceptions.
Brown, however, has earned an A rating from the NRA and opposes the federal assault weapons ban.
Jackie Hilly, executive director of New Yorkers Against Gun Violence, said she is aware of Bloomberg’s donations to pro-gun types — but gives him a pass because of the fervency of his anti-gun crusade.
“I am very happy Mr. Bloomberg has made it such an important issue as part of his tenure,” Hilly said.