by William Skink

Angry and confused. That is probably how many Montana Democrats are feeling this morning as they hear the news that their Senator, Democrat Jon Tester, voted against closing the gun show loophole:

Sen. Jon Tester broke ranks with fellow Democrats on Monday night in opposing a bill that would close the “gun show loophole.”

Tester opposed a Democratic proposal that would require every gun purchaser to undergo a background check, and to expand the background check database.

The Montana Democrat said he opposed the measure because it would have blocked family members and neighbors from buying and selling guns to one another without a background check. Tester favors closing the background check loophole while preserving the family member exemption, which is important in a state like Montana.

Jon Tester wants to be reelected, so why give his opponents any more ammunition than necessary? And we all know Democrats suck at holding their candidates accountable once they get elected. What are you going to do, gun-control Democrats, vote against Tester? Yeah right, and he knows it. So bray and gnash your teeth all you want, Tester doesn’t give a shit about all that noise because you will vote for him in 2018 anyway.

Here is the angering and confusing reality of what happened yesterday, Democrats Tanked Gun Control To Up Their Election Chances:

On Monday evening, Senate Democrats put party over principle in rejecting common-sense, reasonable gun control measures. After the mass murder at Orlando gay club Pulse, Sen. Chris Murphy and his colleagues staged a flashy talk-a-thon in which they demanded that votes be taken on legislation strengthening gun control laws. The Senate Republicans agreed to the Democrats’ demand. Democrats got what they asked for, then blew it.

Senate Republicans agreed to vote on four gun control proposals—two offered by Democrats and two offered by Republicans. The Democratic proposals included Sen. Dianne Feinstein’s bill linking a terrorism watch list to a gun sales ban. On the Republican side, Sen. John Cornyn also offered legislation that would link a terrorism watch list to a gun sales ban, but his version added due process protections for Americans who are put on the list. The other two proposals expanded the National Instant Criminal Background Check System, although the Republican version did not go as far as the Democratic version. For a brief moment it seemed as if the Senate would take some kind of action.

Then all four gun control proposals were voted down because of the Democrats.

Rather than agree to the incremental gun control measures Republicans proposed, the Democrats chose to pass no gun control legislation at all. At some point after loudly demanding legislation for more than a week, Senate Democrats decided it would be better for their reelection prospects that no gun control bills pass the Senate during the election season. Their decision was hypocritical, unprincipled, and pure politics.

You want to win elections, right Democrats? So shut up and take this betrayal like the taken-for-granted voters you are expected to be. That’s what is expected of environmentalists and the anti-war crowd, after all. Maybe they can give you gun-control advocates some pointers on how to process the anger and confusion so as to not negatively impact your ability to darken that bubble for Jon when the time comes.

And you will darken that bubble because you are Democrats and you have no where else to go.