Filibuster of Gun Bill Could Derail GOP Rebranding

If Sens. Pat Toomey (R-PA) and Joe Manchin (D-WV) “can’t come to a deal on expanded background checks sometime in the next few days, President Obama’s proposed gun legislation seems likely to be headed toward a filibuster led by some of its most conservative members,” the Washington Post reports.

“Politically speaking, such a move could have short-term benefits for Republicans but also creates real risks for further damage to the party’s already tarnished brand in the long(er) term… What’s good politics for Republicans in South Dakota or Nebraska or Mississippi is not necessarily a good thing for the GOP’s attempts to rebrand itself. Remember that expanded background checks have the support of roughly nine in ten Americans – a sort of no-brainer issue that typically guarantees congressional action of some sort.”