CALL THEIR DISTRICT OFFICES: Are Congressional Republicans Getting Ready To Cave On Gun Control? “Any Republicans entertaining ideas of going along with any Democrat ban should realize that they’re being played by the Democrats and the media, again. . . . Republicans should realize that caving in to the Democrats’ ban demand amounts to party suicide. By that point they have have already caved on tax hikes and may have taken part in slashing our national defense. If they also cave on the Second Amendment, what’s left for them to stand on?”

UPDATE: Reader Ray Conatser writes: “I have heard some talk that passage of new gun control would be a good thing for the Republicans, as it would lead to a repeat of the 1994 midterm elections. I am of the mind that it will only cause more voters that should rightly be in the GOP column to disengage. Reference the voters that stayed home instead of voting for Romney. If the Republicans don’t want to spend another 30 years wandering in the desert on a national level, they need to stand for something other than tax cuts. Maybe they could start with individual liberty and protecting the rights of law abiding Americans.” Yes, it would be a good way to jumpstart a third party, which might be the end of the GOP.

ANOTHER UPDATE: On, 1994, a reader emails: “What happened in 1994? The voters *punished those who had voted against gun rights*. So if the House votes against gun rights, what can we expect to happen? I mean, really, what are these people thinking?”

MORE: Another reader writes:

The Republicans need to understand if they allow something like a mag ban (or worse) to come to a vote, they are dead as a party. This will either make the Tea Party a real third party or cause massive defection to the Libertarian Party.

We know they control the Judicary Committee and they can easily keep anything of this nature bottled-up indefinitely. IN FACT, WE EXPECT THEM TO DO EXACTLY THAT!!! Protecting the Second Amendment is all they have to distinguish themselves right now and if they throw it away, they will pay a terrible price for that disloyalty.

I agree. With control of the House they can’t do a lot to score, but they can be the goalie. If not, what’s the point?