Hey, Heller Has A Backbone After All

From the LVRJ: Nevada Sen. Dean Heller will vote against the Manchin-Toomey amendment on gun control, his office announced Tuesday afternoon.
The announcement potentially seriously complicates Sen. Harry Reid’s efforts to get 60 senators to vote for what many have surmised is the best chance the Senate has to approve expanded background checks, an idea recent polls show has wide support — almost 90 percent — in the general populace.
“I believe very strongly that our current background check system needs strengthening and improving, particularly in areas that could keep guns out of the hands of felons and the mentally ill,” Heller said in his announcement. “At the same time, I cannot support legislation that infringes upon the constitutional right to keep and bear arms.”
Last week, Democratic Sen. Joe Manchin of West Virginia and Republican Sen. Pat Toomey of Pennsylvania struck a deal that would require background checks for all public sales of guns, but exempt private sales between friends and acquaintances. The change would close loopholes in the background checks law, such as that that exists for gun shows, where gun purchasers are not subjected to background checks before they are allowed to purchase firearms.
The compromise seemed to have a better chance of securing votes than the underlying Senate bill, which would have required background checks for inter-family firearm sales as well. Several Democrats — including Manchin — had said they could not vote for the underlying bill, absent the Manchin-Toomey amendment.
Read more: http://www.lasvegassun.com/news/2013/apr/16/hellers-no-background-checks-bill-puts-gun-control/#ixzz2QgrrIgLv
Last week, I had concerns about Heller being squishy about this bill and others, like the immigration bill.
So, thanks Sen. Heller for growing a backbone.