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Senator Pat Toomey (R-PA) was asked why the bill failed, and Toomey frankly admitted:

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In the end it didn’t pass because we’re so politicized. There were some on my side who did not want to be seen helping the president do something he wanted to get done, just because the president wanted to do it

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In other words, Republicans rejected a measure supported by an overwhelming majority of voters because they can’t stand President Barack Obama. Their desire to thwart the president and make him look bad apparently overrides their ability to do what their voters ask and make even the slightest compromises. The GOP hates Obama even more bitterly than the Democrats despise George W. Bush and refuses to recognize him as a legitimate leader.

The Republicans don’t even seem to care that the favorability ratings for four of their senators (plus one Democratic senator) have majorly slumped in the polls since they voted “No” on the bill.

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Five senators - four Republicans and one Democrat - could face voter backlash for opposing President Barack Obama's bid to expand background checks for gun buyers, opinion polls released on Monday showed.

According to the surveys conducted by Public Policy Polling, a private firm based in Raleigh, N.C., respondents said they are more apt to oppose than support these lawmakers for re-election for joining other senators in rejecting a bipartisan background check measure on April 17.

In Arizona, 52 percent of respondents said they are now "less likely" to support Flake for re-election. The poll gave him a disapproval rating of 51 percent.

In Alaska, the poll found Begich and Murkowski with approval ratings of 41 percent and 46 percent, respectively. Thirty-nine percent said they are now "less likely" to vote for Begich for reelection, and the same number said they are "less likely" to vote for Murkowski. Twenty-two percent said they are "more likely" to back Begich; 26 percent said they are "more likely" to back Murkowski.

In Ohio, the poll found Portman with an approval rating of 26 percent. Thirty-six percent said they are "less likely" to support him for a second term; 19 percent said they were "more likely."

In Nevada, Heller has an approval rating of 44 percent. Forty-six percent said they were "less likely" to back him for reelection; 25 percent said "more likely."

"It's very clear that these senators are paying a political price for this vote," said Tom Jensen, director of Public Policy Polling. "Public opinion remains strongly against them."

Geoffrey Garin, president of Hart Research Associates, said many senators had figured that the issue would fade away after the vote, with the public quickly turning to other matters.

"Those assumptions have been proven wrong," Garin said. "There is a stickiness to this issue."

Public Policy Polling released a survey last week that found another senator who opposed the background check measure also in possible trouble with voters.

The poll found the approval rating of Republican Kelly Ayotte of New Hampshire at 44 percent, down 15 points since the last poll conducted of her by the firm in October. More at http://news.yahoo.com/senate-foes-gun-bill-suffer-polls-224158675.html

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The NRA is just a lobbying group...kinda like the teacher or public service employee unions, the NAACP, the ACLU

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