David Harmer Disappoints
UPDATED NOV 21 — Alameda County- This past Tuesday, the Alameda County Republican Central Committee held its November monthly meeting in San Leandro at the County Party Headquarters. Over fifty local Republicans attended to conduct official Party business.
At the meeting the committee considered several proposed resolutions. One of the resolutions was in opposition to a recent ammunition restrictions bill (A.B.962) passed in the California State legislature and signed into law by Republican Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger.
Most of the Republicans’ on the committee were not supportive of the Governor’s decision to sign A.B.962 into law. The California National Rifle Association and the California Rifle & Pistol Association have already decided to get behind efforts to repeal the restrictive new law. Republican Assemblyman Curt Hagman [AD-60 Chino Hills] plans to introduce an amended version of his bill (A.B.373) in January that would repeal A.B.962.
If efforts to repeal A.B.962 fail, the new law will take effect in February 2011 and California residents’ looking to purchase or transfer handgun ammunition will be required to submit their right thumb print to gun-retailers along with other detailed identity verifications. The retailer would then be required by the State to keep the information on file and make records available for inspection by the California Department of Justice. The new law bans all mail-order and Internet sales of handgun ammunition as well.
That brings us to Republican David Harmer, the newest Ex-Officio Member of the Alameda County Republican Central Committee byway of receiving the GOP nomination in California’s special election to replace Congresswoman Ellen Tauscher (D). Unable to overcome the large voter-registration disadvantage, Harmer ended up getting pounded on election day by former California Lt. Governor John Garamendi (D). Harmer came up short in three of the four counties that make up Congressional District 10. Alameda County was the only bright spot in the district that Harmer actually received enough votes to beat Garamendi. Harmer won there by 7% of the vote.
How does Harmer return the favor to the volunteers that helped his campaign in Alameda County? Well, Harmer’s first order of business as a committee Member was to appoint an Alternate, Diane Hefner [AD-15 Livermore] to attend the meeting and cast an anti-gun vote against a proposed resolution in opposition to A.B.962. Harmer, and other Ex-Officio Members’ appoint alternates’ to vote on their behalf on matters concerning official Party business when they are unable to attend meetings themselves.
During Harmer’s campaign he claimed to be a Republican that supported gun-rights. He even received an endorsement from Gun Owners of America. However, like many other politicians interested in advancing their political careers’, Harmer found it hard to live up to his own campaign promise of being a strong supporter of gun-rights.
Harmer failed to respond to numerous requests for information about why he supports A.B.962 and what made him decide to vote against the proposed resolution calling for its repeal.
Gun Owners of America (GOA) is known for being “the only no-compromise gun lobby in Washington.” They have consistently held the line when it comes to protecting the 2nd Amendment and have always held candidates to the highest standard when making endorsements.
Turns out that the GOA may have let one slip through the cracks when it comes to David Harmer!
GOA Executive Director Larry Pratt said, “Harmer’s grade was based on an ‘A’ survey” and his “BYU Law Review article titled Securing a Free State: Why the Second Amendment Matters.”
Executive Committee Member David LaTour [AD-18 Hayward] told Halfway to Concord that, “Harmer must have forgotten why the Second Amendment matters from what I saw at the monthly meeting on Tuesday.” LaTour continued, “David Harmer doesn’t deserve an ‘A’ rating from the Gun Owners of America. They should take it back!”
Pratt said, “We [the GOA] certainly would have been content to sit this one out… if this is true. We could not find anything out about it. If this was known before the election maybe we could have done something about Harmer. We’ll certainly keep this on file in case he runs again. Pratt concluded by suggesting, “We [the GOA] can also simply take him off our Political Victory Fund [endorsement] page.”
Now, that would be totally appropriate coming from a group that doesn’t support compromising our gun rights! After all why would the Gun Owners of America want to tarnish their good name supporting a fraud like David J. Harmer?
CONTACT INFO: Gun Owners of America, 8001 Forbes Place, Suite 102, Springfield, VA 22151 Phone: (703) 321-8585
{ 25 comments… read them below or add one }
David Harmer is a solid fiscal and social conservative who believes in the right sized government, getting rid of overbearing regulations that are causing businesses to leave California and holding elected officials accountable to the citizens. He’s a good man that believes in and backs the 2nd Amendment. This blog is a personal attack on a group of respected individuals from the Alameda County Central Committee that saw no value in signing another of Walters self promoting resolutions, who by the way, is no longer on the central committee..
If Harmer jumps into CD-11 the other (R)’s in the race could use his own ad’s against him.
That would be too funny.
I hear David Harmer is thinking about running in CD11 now! HA!!
Think he will look to the G.O.A for an endorsement?
After this little situation I would think they would laugh in his face, and tell him to get lost.
Good job holding him, and his alternate accountable. AB-962 goes too far!
JoAnne,
It’s nice to hear that David Harmer at least responds to somebody out there. I’m still waiting on a response from my first e-mail that was sent almost two-weeks ago. Good for you!
Maybe you should send him a link to this post? Maybe Harmer will be tempted to publicly address this situation by answering for his questionable appointment and his current anti-gun voting record as a Member of the Alameda County Republican Central Committee. This way we might all be able to understand why someone who claims to be “solidly pro-gun” decided to appoint an Alternate to vote against a resolution calling for the repeal of A.B.962.
Actions (and voting records) speak a lot louder than words (e-mails and college term papers) JoAnne!
Great. Let’s see it.