The 90% Solution

The US Senate at work.

Polls show around 90% of Americans approve of background checks for weapons purchases.

The Senate "defeated" a bill to - quite literally - do the least they could do to put in the least restrictive registry possible.  I put quotes around "defeated" because the vote was 54-46 (really 55-45 because Reid had to switch his vote for procedural reasons).

The NRA is a paper tiger, but their reputation won them another battle.  My hope is that people who care enough to keep weapons out of the hands of felons and the mentally ill will stay organized and defeat those who stood against this bill.  In particular, Kelly Ayotte of New Hampshire and Rob Portman of Ohio.  Those are not rural majority states where kow-towing to every burp and hiccup from the NRA should be a job requirement.

As for the predictable Democrats who voted against it, good luck raising money here in the northeast.  I hope Jon Tester wins, because he's better than the best Republican.  But I'll be damned if I write him a check like I did six years ago. Tester voted for cloture.  My bad.  Again.

(Edit: first version had Susan Collins voting against it.  She voted for it.)