New York mayor Michael Bloomberg is angry.
Bloomberg, the billionaire mayor, has said he would tap his personal fortune to finance television ad campaigns defending lawmakers who vote for gun-control measures and attacking those who do not.
Earlier this year, Bloomberg spent more than $2 million on an ad blitz for a special primary election in an Illinois congressional district to deny the seat to NRA-backed former congresswoman Debbie Halvorson, a Democrat. …WaPo
…Sounds modest enough,so far. But we’re talking a very determined group of politicians backed by a sponsor with an almost limitless bank account.
Mayors Against Illegal Guns, the nonprofit group financed by Bloomberg (I), will unveil a scoring system Tuesday to award lawmakers grades of A through F, much like the National Rifle Association, which has derived much of its power by deploying letter rankings against politicians at election time. ...WaPo
Their first targets have been decided. It’s an equal-opportunity list, aiming at individual legislators influenced by the NRA, regardless of party affiliation.
The group is targeting Sens. Saxby Chambliss (R-Ga.), Daniel Coats (R-Ind.), Joe Donnelly (D-Ind.), Jeff Flake (R-Ariz.), Kay Hagan (D-N.C.), Heidi Heitkamp (D-N.D.), Dean Heller (R-Nev.), Johnny Isakson (R-Ga.), Mary Landrieu (D-La.), Rob Portman (R-Ohio), Mark Pryor (D-Ark.) and Patrick J. Toomey (R-Pa.). …WaPo