GOP To NRA: "I Wish I Knew How To Quit You"

But they don't.  The NRA's money is too good, and the GOP is addicted to it.

The latest Congressional Republican spin/fiction on the NRA's blood money goes like this:

"Some people are exaggerating the NRA's political influence.  The NRA is powerful not because they've bribed our party and purchased our loyalty for decades.  Actually, they give us relatively little money.  The NRA is powerful because all their members are so dedicated and vocal."

Oh really?  It's true that the NRA's direct campaign contributions to Republican candidates are somewhat modest, but its "outside spending" on candidate/issue advocacy ads and on federal/state lobbying is much larger.  Since 1998, the NRA has given $3.5 million to candidates while dropping a cool $200 million on outside spending.  That's 2% on candidates, 98% on other stuff.  It's the other stuff that really counts.  (And when you add in the NRA's 501c "affiliates," the organization spent over $54 million on the 2016 election alone.)

https://www.opensecrets.org/outsidespending/detail.php?cmte=National%20Rifle%20Assn&cycle=2016

As for all those dedicated, vocal NRA members, there are 3 to 5 million of them.  The actual number is a secret, but depending on the day, Wayne Lapierre has claimed 3 or 4 or 5 million.  With 326 million people in the U.S., the NRA's membership represents just one percent, give or take.  That few with that much influence???  C'mon! 

This GOP excuse-making is weak, their math is bad, and they are ignoring the wishes of the majority.  To borrow from Parkland's Emma Gonzalez, I call B.S.!  Huge B.S.

The Republicans' balls are caught in the NRA's money clip, and they don't know how to get them out.  I don't believe they really want to.