This article in CQ politics, about the Sotomayor confirmation, has some more fun quotes from gun control advocates:
“Gun rights groups have exploited the fact that Obama has an agenda that he wants to move quickly,†Helmke said, citing the president’s plans for the economy, health care and energy while prosecuting two wars. “Until the president weighs in, it’s going to be tough to advance any [gun control] agenda. It’s not the issue they want to take up right now.â€
What Helmke is hoping for is Obama to do what Bill Clinton did in 1994. In the 103rd Congress, it looked like the votes wouldn’t be there to pass an assault weapons ban either, until Clinton started twisting arms and promising Congressmen the moon if they’d just go along with his agenda.
I don’t think Obama will have it as easy, because the gains the Democrats have made are largely on the backs of pro-gun candidates who remember what Clinton’s promises were worth when the 1994 elections came around. Again, I think Helmke is barking up the wrong tree with Obama. If they don’t change Congress, it’s probably not going to happen.
“I don’t think Obama will have it as easy, because the gains the Democrats have made are largely on the backs of pro-gun candidates who remember what Clinton’s promises were worth when the 1994 elections came around.”
Not to mention the fact that this ain’t 1994. How many ban-affected semiautos have been purchased and valued by Americans since 1994? How many of those new gun owners have changed their views on the “evilness” of those kinds of firearms? How many of their non-gun owning friends have they taken to the range, and allowed their perceptions to change? How successful and prevalent have right-to-carry laws been since 1994? How many more people carry protective arms on a daily basis, or at least been authorized to do so since 1994? In 1993, there were only 16 shall-issue states, and 14 no-issue. Today?
And what does the huge spike of gun and ammo sales, and the huge spike of carry licenses say about the mood of the nation?
What does Heller tell us and how does that influence the congress?
The backlash against any substantial federal level gun control laws would be swift and severe.
While I believe we need to remain vigilant, at this point I would be very surprised if an “assault weapons” bill even got a vote with the current make up in congress. I did find it interesting that Feinstein inferred in the article she might try the same tactic the pro-rights supporters have been using – attaching measures to “must pass” legislation.
I do think that Jim Geraghty was on to something a while back on Cam’s program when he said Obama is likely to throw some type of bone to the anti’s in the fall – a year out from the election, knowning that American’s have short memories. What that bone is I don’t know at this time.
We have to make sure that’s a very expensive bone.
This administration is not the Clintons. They’re not going to waste time on gun control when for the same investment of political capital they can seize control of entire industries. Gun control gives them power, but that’s chicken feed compared to owning Wall Street and Detroit.
What the Obama administration has done so far is vastly worse for the country than a new AWB would’ve been, and much harder to fix — and they’re just getting started. We underestimated these guys. They’re not the usual fools breaking things at random for silly ideological reasons. They’re actually competent at grabbing power. We’ve been guarding the front gate while they quietly made off with the house and the barn.
If we get to a point where the government can directly micromanage every employer in the country, they’ll be able to do anything they want about gun control or anything else.
Oops, I wrote the above not having read this. So, yeah.
I dunno – I thought the Brady’s &c changed congress in 1994 :P