Tennessee: Gun group attacks state House GOP leaders as 'axis of evil' on parking-lot bill

Thursday, March 1, 2012

photo Tennessee House Republican Leader Gerald McCormick
Arkansas-Tennessee Live Blog

NASHVILLE - A gun-rights group is slamming top House Republican leaders as an "axis of evil" because of their attempts to modify legislation that would force businesses to let workers store firearms in vehicles parked on company lots.

"Notice that non [sic] of the House Leadership's 'axis of evil' in the context of the 2nd Amendment - Speaker [Beth] Harwell, [Debra] Maggart or [Gerald] McCormick - support this bill," wrote Tennessee Firearms Association Executive Director John Harris in a legislative alert emailed to supporters.

"Instead, they are working to kill it in order to appease the Big Business - big money investors in House leadership," Harris' email continues. "Sadly for conservatives, this support is apparently based more on Chicago-style influence peddling for dollars rather than supporting bills based on conservative and constitutional principles that directly impact the citizens."

McCormick, who along with House leaders is working on a compromise on the bill between businesses and Second Amendment advocates, laughed at Harris' characterization.

"I heard he called us the axis of evil," McCormick said. "I may post that on my Facebook [page].

Asked whether he objection to the label, McCormick said, "I hope so. I thought that was supposed to be Iraq and Iran and North Korea. I don't think we're that much danger to the nation."