Three months after the Newtown shooting, bipartisan talks aimed at expanding background checks are at a standstill in the Senate. Sen. Tom Coburn (R-OK) quit discussion with Sens. Mark Kirk (R-IL), Chuck Schumer (D-NY) and Joe Manchin (D-WV) earlier this month, and Democrats remain wary of advancing legislation without sufficient Republican partners given the recent collapse of the assault weapons ban.
Chris Matthews, a liberal political commentator on MSNBC, apparently decided to take matters into his own hands on Wednesday when he took to the air and urged the viewers of his show “Hardball” to call their elected representatives and lobby for expanded gun background checks.
“I’m going to be saying by the end of the show, I think I’ll mention it five times,” Matthews said, providing a phone number. “Call your Senator right now. Make some noise.”
