From the New York Times are Michael Varvara. This is the date today. For years, Republicans have campaigned on gone rights, while Democrats running for office have avoided the on issue altogether. This year's mid fine only be about gone control. It's Wednesday February. Twenty. TIM was a gun owner. He grew up, hunting and spent. De for years in the army. National guard tomb walls is a house Democrat from

How was the Minnesota pretty rural district that he was that for the classic archetypal the world Democrat, I'm TIM walls, you know going up, hunting taught me a lot about responsibility and respect lessons. I hope to pass on to make it ran for I rest with programmes credentials. Jonathan Martin covers national politics for the times got money from an array and an urgent, a rating from the and our aid, and so when you're in that district, this is a resume that really works pretty well, I'm proud to stand with the end, our aim to protect the rights of sportsmen and gun owners. That's why I approve this message. Tim was he works for us paid for by walls for Congress. Now bow he's gonna together, I imagined doth, and that this is the kind of candidate that Democrats are looking for right now in this moment, particularly in red states and purpose

yeah Democrats who lost the presidency because they fell short and a series of states and industrial met. Alas, are now looking for a political, come back, a sort of path, backed her relevance and you ve had somebody with military credentials. Programme credentials sounds like a pretty strong statewide here, four Minnesota, which, by the way Hilary only narrowly carried twenty sixty, so that all sounds quite good. So why are we talking about this? Guy. Well because, on the way to being the ideal King Lear Ruddy for governor and a purplish state, TIM walls has come up against a challenge one of the credentials that made him so appealing to at least round in the boredom his support for gun right

is now increasingly unacceptable to activists in the democratic party. The people around us failed us and if they can t it's a fail us they will no longer be in office because soon we will be given the ability to vote and we will vote them out and the people around us will vote them out in the wake of the horrible shooting and forward up. He is facing a real challenges from his laughed ass. He runs for the democratic combination forgotten, so he quickly has moved to attach himself from any connection to Vienna re. He posted something over our Gian Facebook. Talking about how his views have changed on guns. I will not, and I've taken no money indiscriminate, toil campaign. I will not take any. I fully expect the opposite will have in a lot of in our money will be spent against me. He is basically cutting all

eyes to the and our aim and embracing gun control after the shooting, because he recognizes that this has created is clear- present danger in his march to the nomination for government so that it should be expected that are legit. If leaders should follow the will of the people is, and if you have a walk in a coffee shop over the last weekend at fifteen conversations on how this must end. You're not get now, and I'm out, I'm here so wise. Was just now doing this. Why would you have ever been campaigning as a gun, loving Democrat if it would push away democratic voters yeah? I think this was the challenge for Democrats in the recent past. The gun issue was not the motivating force for gun control. Advocates like it was for gun rights

activists and why not well pic. I think that in the universe of the most ardent gun rights activists, that was their top issue and they voted the energy as a political force in american politics because they have an ability to galvanise their supporters and a drive them through the polls in state after stay and election after election in Democrats, even if they are supportive of gun law. Didn't necessarily show up in the vote on the issue. In the same way, it was not the sort of central force for a lot of democratic voters in general. Elections could also be Jonathan that, because it is a motivating factor for Republicans Democrats just haven't had any success with uncontrolled republicans have been winning fight. So it's not really an issue worth campaigning on or voting on, because no one is really expecting. The Democrats think anything gonna yeah. It's a great point. You make your bed, the party had effectively wave

white flag, especially in the Senate. It pretty topper Democrats to retain a Senate majority if they are not winning and holding a lot of rural state So what are we seeing Johnson from Republicans? They ve so effectively blocked, gun control for so many years now and mass shootings haven't seem to effect. Any of that. If anything, the narrative has been that the mass shootings have strengthened the unarmed and therefore the gun lobby and made the possibility of gun control seem even less likely. Yeah that's right, what's different now is that the party is facing deep challenges in the mid terms, across a lot of suburban house districts in facing challenges and allow a governor of races in states that have large swaths of cities and suburbs, you add to that fact a president who is uniquely unpopular in modern american hiss.

We are aware he's. Hunt popular Michael is the issue for the republic and right he's not unpopular in some of the more rural reaches of the country where a gun raised our treasured he's deeply unpopular in cities and suburbs, and so, if you're, a republic in- and you are trying to figure out a way that you can create some distance between yourself and Donald Trump with suburban voters. Then you can criticise, but you can also create space on policy issues. Where is one obvious policy issue, or you can say, look I'm a different kind of republican. I support common sense gun restrictions. Can you give us an example, republican dealing with this post parkland massacre, yes, Brian Mast candidate for Congress, your implored is eighteen congressional district. There are some in Florida and near where the shooting happening looting. Brian masters and combat veteran who lost both of his legs, who is a junior house republican facing a potentially difficult reelection,

I think most people who know me know that the second amendment is something that is very important to me. Mass was a supporter of gun right, and I would encourage our law makers, who are out there calling for gun confiscation to take a look at some of the horrific events occurring around the world. They all could have been prevented where their people present, who are prepared to defend themselves, be opposed. Restriction ongoing work on almost all lifelong at our re member, I know the pride of. Owning a weapon of collecting of going out there and hunt In here you know, shooting with family, doing clays going out there and putting rounds on to steal my kids. I do it all the time, but we gotta look at keep our community safe and protecting our children of protecting our schools. After this massacre, though, he's had a change of heart, my community, my country not safer with this unfettered access of anybody. That's eighteen years are older. Having access to

to this platform and is now calling for not just expanded background checks are raising the age of those who can buy weapons. He actually is calling for the banning of some automatic sales. That's pretty significant from a report. Again seeking office. It sure is an especially somebody who's taking office in a state where most, the Republicans are pretty supportive of gone right. You don't see a lot of floor Republicans deviating from the general line and in whose masked facing pressure from well the pressure masters facing is from his constituents, because he is looking at a potentially competitive reelection. This fall and had a district that straddles the Atlantic Coast in Florida, and this is middle class. Upper middle class Floridians allowed them who have moved this district from parts of the northeast. They just don't support that gun rights, orthodoxy, dead, folks and and more rural districts,

parts of south do so the kind of suburban district you are talking about where There is some scepticism about the President and gun control might be the sort of thing that would win voters over that's exactly right. So this the cod district, where the president's numbers were already unsteady because the demographics there. And if you're someone like Brian Mast, you don't want this gun issued to be the final brick in the wall that walls you off. If you well from those voters who are from sceptics so as to take away of what's happening to walls and masked a Democrat and a Republican who are now both walking back, their positions on gun right is to take a look at the whole Tree is now leaning toward gun control. Now I that's not destroy what's happening. I do think it is clear that if you take any suburb or city across this

country. I think you're going to sea and increasing openness, if not a demand for action on guns, and I think that that's the same water, that's Brower, County Florida, Philadelphia, Seattle. What have you heard? What has also certain is that if you are a Democrat running in a democratic primary elfish, they went off. Is it doesnt matter anymore? What state you're lookin to represent party activists are going to demand that you support, gun control it's not gonna, be a sweeping nation, wife and alma, but it's gonna be a phenomenon that happens and politically crucial regions. So let's talk about how this might actually play out in the elections returning to walls, the inner re supporting Democrat walking that support for the energy back, how our voters in Minnesota responding to him doing it. Well so far, he was foreseen as the likely nominee for Democrats,

going into their primary and he is now under fire date, auditor Rebecca Otto who finnish second, two walls in this month's carcasses, blasted walls new stand. Some his rivals for the nomination are swiftly trying who used against him saying too little too late too little too late I've been leading in this he's following the lorries needs, changing his mind is for raw political reasons. He take money from entering in two thousand eight ten twelve fourteen sixteen June also anger, you're old allies among gun right support. Me, though, walls is now catching heat from the supporters of gun rights who see? I want him ally, abandoning the amateur artists, and I'm not gonna, forget that so I walls, A really interesting test for just how damaging pass ties, even ties that are recanted to the and our aid could be in a dominating process.

So if walls is any indication and turning against guns upsets those trump leaning, moderates and Republicans, he was hoping to appeal to dozen all of this sort of threatened democratic candidates. Like walls, were building their campaigns around appealing to more moderate and republican voters. Yeah. I think this is the risk is that by moving the left on guns to fend off challenge his in his democratic primary for governor has walls Inter crew, He added new difficulties in the general election. By shutting his ties to the energy, and the losing what had been a political asset that he had among rural voters, the ability to say I'm a Democrat on Madeira

kind of Democrats on the consumer, credit union support for governor, and what about for these republican candidates like mast? What's the risk for them of walking back their support for Gunnar it's? Well, they don't want a necessarily rule out additional gun control because they think maybe this time His dear friend will perhaps this is the moment where we are forced to act on this issue in a more sweeping away, but at the same time there also loathe to embrace gun controls because They don't want to be on the wrong side of Vienna at right. If a week from now like we have in the past, we have of moved on to the next big story, and it's not necessarily clear, Michael Bit, you gained as many or more political allies by doing this, because the people that maybe most

pre. She ate the fact that you ve moved on the issue, and I am Ryan Mass still might vote against you because you want to send a message gets trop right or they may not believe that transformation is sincere, genuine exactly. It feels like whether its walls or Master Democratic Republic and the candidates were talking about are now calculating that that's something meaningful has changed, in the politics of the gun debate end their bedding, that advocates of gun control are now as animated and likely to vote as a block as gun rights. Voters have been in the past is that the thinking about the brick take away from this is: is this far and away the big one? Is this the gun? Violence moment the has wreak calibrated the politics of this issue,

that there's gonna be something close to parody when it comes to people who vote on guns voting because they support gun control rather than voting on guns because they support Key Lista posed. Right ever question. You're you're, asking in Kansas, are asking is, is gone, control, finally, an issue that voters will vote on rather than just gun rights. Yes, that's the issue we didn't have we now guns at the moment where it is. It is as safe or perhaps even safer in some parts of the country to run and calling for gun control, because you know that people are gonna, show up and vote on. The issue of gun control is that now the safer political that then, what we do in the ass witches, assuming that only the advocates of guns are gonna, be the ones to chop and vote on the issue. When was the last time.

That we were in this position somewhere out their lurking in the darkness. Thinking unfathomable twisted thoughts is the next puberty preparing to slaughter a roomful of innocent on armed men, women and children, and when that day comes as tragically and surely it must, the nation will turn to us the gun owners and say you were an accomplice in this

That is what we must work to counter the last time the guns was a major issue in an election was ninety. Ninety four democratic politicians set at one time. They are well done, but allowed themselves to be corrupted by the wicked Clinton administration. When President Clinton has signed the assault weapons ban as part of the crime, Milon Alot of Democrats, specially rural parts of the country lost their seats, not a single republican incumbent lost a race for the House sentence or governorship in Tuesdays, mid term elections. The election results, of course, give control of Congress to the Republicans. For the first time in some forty years now they didn't lose their seats entirely because of the gun issue that there was a larger discontent with Clinton, Anti Democratic party driving that, but certainly it somehow seated was one of the major issues. So in that case

The lesson for Democrats was not to push on control now. The opposite lesson seems to be happening for Republicans yap in that the sort of mere image parts of the country, by the way to a lot of the Democrats who lost a ninety, four special in the house were from war world districts and how the Republicans, who fear a solar political backlash on guns, are the ones running in suburban parts of the country. So this is a test essentially of where Moderate America really stands on guns its task. How willing a moderate Americans who are unquestionably in the ranks of gun control, supporters

how willing they are to vote their passion on guns. Are those centrist voters finally going to show up in the in the point place and make guns one of their top items? That's really the question doesnt. Thank you very much like you will be right back. But you can use a snack right about now. How about a toast grill cheese sandwich, just be warned. If you happen to achieve gooey, cheesy perfection, you may be inspired to upgrade your tiny drab kitchen. Only you won't be able to do it alone in this moment of new found passion, the people of. U S. Bank wanna help no matter what your car. Up their dedicated to turning your new inspiration into your next pursuit. U s back

housing under member. If icy, here's, what else you need to know that your chief of staff, general Kelly has recommended ending the practice of granting interim security clearance is to members of the trap administration. If that precedes, would you be willing to grant a waiver to Jared Kirshner wanted Senor advisers, what George done an outstanding job, I think he's been treated very unfairly- is a high quality person. The president's on a chair at commissioner has been stripped of his high level security clearance, limiting his ability to view highly classified information, so that will be up to General Kelly General We respect journalists and General Kelly will make that call. I won't make that call. I will let the general, whose right here make that call like many top lighthouse officials Kirshner had been operating on an inn

Europe's security clearance for months because of delays in completing his FBI. Background check Kelly has begun revoking those clearances after another White House aid who was lying on one port, resigned over allegations of domestic abuse officials. Not said what has held up questioners background check, but the F b I closely scrutinise, is contact with foreign officials and cushions meetings with russian officials have been of interest to special Council Robert Mauler. In his investigation, the interim security clearance had allowed Kirshner to see the presidential daily brief, the top secret summary of intelligence given to the press. And every morning and the? U N reports that North Korea has been secretly shipping supplies to Syria that could be used in the production of chemical weapons. The report comes as the: U S,

repeatedly accuse Syria of using chemical weapons on civilians, including in a recent attack in a suburb of Damascus that killed dozens of people. Their deaths was an affront to humanity. These haters actions by the Assad regime cannot be tolerated. You experts warned that the relationship would facilitate both countries in violating international laws helping Syria maintain its chemical weapons supply, while payments for those supplies would help North Korea Fund its nuclear and missile That's it for the daily Michael Barbaro, suitable.

Do you avoid tough problems and shy away from a debate? Do you think uncertainty limits potential? Neither do we have a university of Chicago Booth, school of business. We believe in asking questions and questioning answers with campuses in Chicago London and Hong Kong. The booth MBA is for people who see challenges as opportunities and want the skills to make positive change in any market anyway, the world ready to find your community search Chicago booth, DOT. Eighty you today to learn more.