When CNN acknowledges that a Biden nominee is having serious problems lining up Democrats to vote for him, you know the administration has real problems. That’s the between-the-lines takeaway from today’s report from the jernalists at CNN on the increasingly imperiled nomination of David Chipman to run the ATF.
It’s so hard to figure why Chipman’s nomination is controversial. After all, he’s only a paid anti-gun mouthpiece for the civilian disarmament industry (he’s still on Giffords’ payroll and previously worked for Everytown). And he’s openly advocated for banning AR-15 rifles (“no one is coming to take your guns!). As for whether he lost his duty gun while working at ATF or made racist comments about his fellow employees, who’s to say? Nothing has been proven yet. Move along.
Yes, that was sarcasm. It’s not at all hard to understand why Democrats are having to work so hard to salvage this dumpster fire of a nomination. GOP squish Susan Collins has even come out against him, for God’s sake.
Chipman has privately been holding one-on-one meetings with wayward senators to assure them he respects the Second Amendment, planning a meeting with GOP Sen. Lisa Murkowski of Alaska on Wednesday, meeting with independent Sen. Angus King of Maine on Monday and even meeting with pro-gun groups in West Virginia and GOP Gov. Jim Justice at Sen. Joe Manchin’s request.
Some are still not sold.
You don’t say. As for the votes that shouldn’t even be a problem . . .
Democratic Sens. John Hickenlooper of Colorado, Jeanne Shaheen of New Hampshire and Kyrsten Sinema of Arizona said they are still reviewing the nomination. Sen. Gary Peters, a Democrat from Michigan, told CNN he has not spent time yet deciding whether he would vote for Chipman.
“I haven’t made a determination yet,” Tester said.
Uh oh.
This should surprise no one at all. David Chipman is literally the most incendiary nominee Biden could have come up with for the ATF job (OK, he’s at least on the Mount Rushmore of the worst).
In fact, nominating Chipman to run the federal firearms regulatory agency was a deliberate middle finger raised directly at America’s gun owners and the firearms industry. That was clear to everyone paying attention.
So no, it really isn’t that hard to grok why the BidenHarris drones are having so much trouble ramming this nomination through the Senate.
“The issue is whether he’s the right guy for the job,” King, who caucuses with Democrats, told CNN on Tuesday. “My question is whether he can be an effective director. I haven’t decided yet.”
Hickenlooper, King and Shaheen. Three Dems (King is a de facto Dem) that President Klain had to figure were comfortably in the ‘yes’ column when they announced Chipman’s nomination. The fact that all three are still officially uncommitted this late in the game has to be causing the White House some sleepless nights. And that’s a real shame.
