NRA ally Pat Toomey’s gun control moment.

Sen. Pat Toomey (R-Pa.) rose to prominence as a conservative firebrand: He ran to the right of then-Republican Sen. Arlen Specter in a 2004 primary, headed the Club for Growth and has an “A” rating from the National Rifle Association, which spent almost $1.5 million getting him elected in 2010.

Now he’s emerged as the possible savior of gun control efforts in Congress, calling expanded background checks a matter of common sense during a news conference Wednesday with his Democratic ally, West Virginia Sen. Joe Manchin. . .

Pennsylvania GOP Chairman Rob Gleason released a statement Wednesday afternoon saying that Toomey “has our support to protect Pennsylvanians’ constitutional rights” on ownership.

“Obviously, there will be some people who are upset about any kind of new regulation, but Sen. Toomey’s argument is one that I happen to believe — this isn’t gun control; this is expanding background checks,” Zaborney said. . .

Still, as Rendell pointed out, it’s unlikely that the NRA will abandon him over the background checks compromise.

“There’s no way the NRA will support a Democrat,” he said. “The NRA can voice its displeasure and disagreement, but in the end, the NRA will stick with Pat Toomey over any Democrat.”
Remember that we know that the NRA has "been consulted" all along in Toomey's "negotiations." They must think -- and have given Toomey reason to think -- that they have to give up something, which has always been a featured excuse of NRA crawfishing throughout history. The thing is, did NRA tell him he would lose his "A" rating? Did they tell him they would back an opponent in the primary three years hence? I doubt it.

Two more Politico stories to help you understand the inside baseball of Mordor-on-the-Potomac as it applies to the current disarmament craze:

Where's Mitch McConnell?

John Boehner on hot seat as Senate acts.

Dead elephant party traitors