Will Pryor Flip Or Get Another Pass On His Gun Vote? (UPDATE)

Sen. Mark Pryor has a big vote coming up on gun rights with votes beginning on Wednesday.  Pryor has a mixed record on guns, most recently earning a C- from the National Rifle Association – the only member of the Arkansas delegation not to get an A. And in a state where Democrats cling to their Second Amendment credentials to prove they are conservative Democrats, Pryor certainly wants to boost his NRA rating before the upcoming election.

He did vote along with Sen. Boozman against the cloture motion to end debate last week on the Senate bill regarding background checks at gun shows, but this doesn’t mean this will stick through the debate.  He has indicated in interviews that he wants to see what amendments are brought up during the debate to make his decision.

Pryor could have dropped a hint in a statement he released on his Facebook page last week.

“Do you think cousins should be able to share hunting rifles without completing a background check? As the Senate bill is drafted now, that’s not possible. This broad and unworkable requirement is one of the reasons I can’t support the current gun bill package,” posted Pryor in a somewhat odd explanation for his cloture vote.

Odd until you look at one of the key amendments that could be offered on the bill. The Manchin-Toomey Amendment actually addresses that very concern raised by Pryor.  The proposed amendment has an exception to background checks for transfers “between first cousins.”

So is he trying to set himself up for a cave-in or will Majority Leader Harry Reid give him another pass as he did in 2009 over an NRA-backed law regarding state gun legislation.  The Washington Post reported on it this way…

The Democratic senator from pro-gun Arkansas was nowhere to be seen on the Senate floor during Wednesday’s showdown over a proposal, championed by the National Rifle Association, that would have gutted state gun-control laws across the nation.

After a morning of angry speeches, a vote was called at high noon. Toward the end of the vote, Pryor entered the chamber through the back door, took a few steps inside, flashed a thumbs-down to the clerk, and retreated as fast and furtively as somebody dodging gunfire.

Several minutes later, the Democrats had racked up more than enough votes to block the proposal. “Are there any senators in the chamber wishing to vote or wishing to change their vote?” the presiding officer inquired.

Pryor burst back in, this time through a side door. “Mr. President!” he called out. “Mr. President!”  He stopped in the well to consult with Sen. Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.), a gun-control advocate who was keeping the whip sheet. Schumer gave Pryor a nod, and the Arkansan — reassured that his vote was not needed to defeat the proposal — changed his vote to an “aye.”

UPDATE – Pryor’s spokesman Michael Teague tells me that Pryor will vote against the amendment so I guess he got his pass.