Sunday, April 12, 2009

MSM Beats It's Chest and Moans Pitiously

NEWSWEEK bemoans the fact that the Dems are terrified of gun control, while ignoring the other fact that they only people in the entire country who favor gun control are a few looney Dems and the MSM: 
In the past, national political leaders might have raised troubling questions about how such an unstable character could obtain easy access to high-powered weapons. They might have been even more motivated given that Poplawski's cop-killing spree was part of a near epidemic of mass homicides that have left 58 people dead over the past month. Or given that Mexico's insanely violent drug cartels are arming themselves with high-powered assault weapons purchased at U.S. gun stores and later smuggled south of the border. Yet many past champions of stricter gun-control measures are silent. These include top Obama White House officials who have squelched any talk within the administration about pushing further gun-control measures."It's weird," says Peter Hamm, the communications director for the Brady Campaign to Prevent Gun Violence. "When you see people like [Attorney General] Eric Holder or Hillary Clinton or [White House chief of staff] Rahm Emanuel become muted on this issue, you feel like you want to call up a friend and say, 'What's up?' "

Running for president in last year's Democratic primaries, Barack Obama promised to restore a federal ban on certain semiautomatic assault guns—a position that's still on the White House Web site. The ban was originally passed by the Democratic-controlled Congress in 1994 and lapsed five years ago. In recent years the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives has also lifted virtually all restrictions on imports of foreign-made assault weapons, permitting a flood of cheap Romanian, Bulgarian and other Eastern European AK-47s to enter the country, according to gun-control groups. "There's been an absolute deluge of these weapons," says Kristen Rand of the Violence Policy Center.

But Obama and top White House aides have all but abandoned the issue. Emanuel helped orchestrate passage of the original assault-weapons ban when he worked in the Clinton White House. Now he and other White House strategists have decided they can't afford to tangle with the National Rifle Association at a time when they're pushing other priorities, like economic renewal and health-care reform, say congressional officials who have raised the matter. (According to his office, Emanuel couldn't be reached for comment because he was observing the Passover holiday.) A White House official, who asked not to be identified discussing internal strategy, says, "There isn't support in Congress for such a ban at this time." Ben LaBolt, a White House spokesman, says, "The president supports the Second Amendment, respects the tradition of gun ownership in this country, and he believes we can take common-sense steps to keep our streets safe," pointing to $2 billion in new funding for state and local law enforcement in the stimulus package.

8 comments:

George said...

Michael,
I know you realize this, but Senator Feinstein's comments on 60 Minutes were very telling. She will wait for the right time to push for the restrictions she wants......

Now we have the high ground and we have them at a tactical disadvantage. However, all it may take is another terrorist attack, and the mood of the American public could change.

The mantra of "join the NRA" is still sound. But the NRA is not equipped, in my opinion, to do what has been done for 1A rights. We need a "hearts and minds" campaign to inculcate into the American public's conscience that gun ownership is as sacred and personal as the freedom religion, the freedom of speech, and the freedom of the press.

Anonymous said...

Why battle the supreme court? Until Obama puts 1 or 2 new justices in place, any ban will be challenged and likely overturn. They'll keep quiet about it until they know they can win in the supreme court.

Anonymous said...

The only folks that Obama can put on the Court would be replacing the liberal judges that would be leaving. He won't gain political advantage any time soon, thankfully...

Overload in Colorado said...

On the other hand, I feel Bush did the same thing to Gun Rights people in 2000. We all expected the Republican President plus Republican controled Congress would mean great things for the Gun Rights movement.

Anonymous said...

Obama doesn't want to spend the political capital right now, especially with so many of us on watch. They will wait for 2nd ammendment activists to begin to feel complacent, then bring out a new AWB. There is no change of heart in this administration. They are smart, and will strategically move at their own pace.

Gun Shy Tourist said...

They never say what they really mean, as they have demonstrated time and time again, and all the media does is suck up and parrot their "facts". The Brady Bunch, Ms Pelosi, Ms Feinstein, and all of their cohorts need to watch the video that I linked to in this commentary:

http://aroundotown.blogspot.com/2009/04/i-refuse-to-be-victim-of-violent-crime.html

Anonymous said...

The Mexican reasoning and the latest round of shootings in the US (rumor has it the shooters were all taking psychiatric drugs i.e. Ridalin) are just excuses to ram another AWB down our throats. DON'T BELIEVE THEIR LIES.

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