Hartford, CT – On April 15, 2014, John McKinney went in front of the Quiet Corner Tea Party to discuss his platform. Knowing his audience opposed the smart, strict gun bill, he told them what he thought they wanted to hear. He said he would sign a repeal of Connecticut’s commonsense gun legislation.

In an interview this week, realizing that he had been criticized for making those claims, Mr. McKinney told HAN Radio in the southwestern part of the state, near Newtown, that he regretted pandering, saying to his audience that he wished he hadn’t said what he said.

Confused? Everyone is. Connecticut voters – in all corners of the state – deserve straight answers from John McKinney. Right now, he is trying to be all things to all audiences.

Democratic Party Chairwoman Nancy DiNardo slammed the blatant attempt to pander to different sides of the Republican Party:

“Everyday John McKinney loses credibility, because he’s proving to be a politician that recklessly panders. One day he’s telling the NRA-wing of the Republican party that he would sign a repeal of the commonsense law, while the next he regrets that pandering. Voters are confused – and it’s because John McKinney is a different candidate to each audience.”

Background:

McKinney Voted for Gun Control Reform Package. [SB 1160, Vote #90, 4/3/2013]

McKinney Said He Would Sign A Repeal Of The Gun Control Legislation He Voted For After Newtown. “Sen. John P. McKinney, a Republican who helped pass a bipartisan gun-control law after the Newtown school massacre in his district, tells a conservative audience in a video Democrats posted Wednesday that he would not block the law’s hypothetical repeal if elected governor.” [CT Mirror, 4/16/14]

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