Is Tarkanian a Closet Gun-Grabber?

(Chuck Muth) – A huge brouhaha has erupted in the Nevada GOP U.S. senate primary race over the discovery by Washington Times blogger Amanda Carpenter of this automated phone call which was delivered to Nevada voters back in 2006….

SCRIPT: “Hi, this is Sarah Brady from the Brady Campaign to prevent gun violence. We want assault weapons off streets. Ross Miller, who is running for secretary of state, opposes that even though one was used to kill a Las Vegas policeman in February. I’m asking you to vote for Danny Tarkanian for secretary of state. He supports common sense gun laws like the ban on military-style assault weapons. Thanks for your time.”

Hatchie, matchie!

Tarkanian is campaigning as a solidly pro-gun candidate, so this revelation would seem to be pretty incendiary stuff.

But to be fair to the Tarkanian campaign – which is more than we can say for how Tark’s California-based campaign consultant, James Fisfis, has been handling a similar matter in which they only put out part of the whole story on an opponent’s pro-life position – those calls were requested by Danny Tarkanian’s MOTHER and arranged for by former Nevada GOP executive director Dan Burdish who, at the time, was a volunteer on the Tarkanian campaign.

Burdish is now working for the U.S. senate campaign of Tarkanian opponent Sue Lowden. However, he opted not to take advantage of an opportunity to take a cheap political shot over this matter and told Carpenter flat out: “Lois Tarkanian, who is Danny’s mother, came up with everything. Danny, as far as I know, knew nothing about it.”

Truth in campaigning? How refreshing.

But that didn’t stop Fisfis from taking a cheap shot at Burdish. He reportedly told Carpenter that Burdish had “freelanced” the robo-calls – as if working with a candidate’s mom to help her son is akin to “going rogue” or something.

But how would Fisfis know about any of this anyway? I mean, it’s not like the guy’s a Nevadan who has been active in Nevada politics. He’s an out-of-state hired gun – kinda like Stockburn’s deputies in Clint Eastwood’s “Pale Rider.”

In any event, Danny Tarkanian, despite the Brady phone calls in 2006, says he’s solidly pro-gun and we take him at his word on that.

But just in case some voters still have their doubts, Carpenter reports that former Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin’s father, Charles R. Heath, has “agreed to take him moose hunting as a way of burnishing Mr. Tarkanian’s commitment to gun rights.”

After all, nothing says “I LUV 2A” like plugging Bullwinkle right between the eyes!

(Disclaimer: Dan Burdish is a longtime friend, my son’s godfather and member of Citizen Outreach’s board of directors. Make of that what you will.)