New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg is urging donors not to give money to Senators who failed to support background check regulation in gun control legislation.
In a television interview on MSNBC's "Morning Joe" on Wednesday Bloomberg spoke to big donors with deep pockets, telling them not to contribute to the campaigns of the four Democrats who voted against the bill.
Bloomberg was also planning on sending a personal letter to hundreds of donors in the city expressing the same sentiment, reported the New York Times.
The Senators in question include: Sen. Heidi Heitkamp (N.D), Mark Begich (Alaska), Max Baucus (Mont.) and Mark Pryor (Ark.).
According to The Times, pundits speculate the move to take money away from the purses of those four Democrats, punishing them for the bill's failure, can only serve to benefit Bloomberg's old party affiliation, the Republican party.
Many are concerned that the move would put Republicans, who don't vehemently disapprove of his gun control legislation in a favorable position come election season, but Bloomberg denies the accusations. His move to tighten donor purse strings is a work of democracy, and playing the political game, the Huffington Post reported .
"The NRA has defined how you go about getting something done," Bloomberg said on "Morning Joe". "You say... I know your opponent may be worse. This is the issue. We're judging you, not judging your opponent. We'll deal with your opponent at a different time. We want you to vote this way. This is what's right for the country."
Senator Charles E. Schumer told The Times that while he praises the mayor's efforts, the Republican-Turned-Independent city leader should be reminded that the type of gun control he is pushing has a greater chance of survival when there are more Democrats in Senate.
"We should be mindful that pro-gun safety laws have a much better chance of passing under a Democratic Senate majority than a Republican one," Schumer said.
Watch Bloomberg's "Morning Joe" interview (edited by the Huffington Post) here:
