Obama aide: Gun legislation in 'near future'

[jimmy olsen]

Dead on arrival in the House so he must be gambling this will help him more with his base then it will hurt him by inspiring NRA fans to turn out against him. This means he's worried about the enthusiasm of his base, otherwise he would never have risked this.

http://content.usatoday.com/communities/theoval/post/2011/07/obama-aide-gun-legislation-in-near-future/1?csp=34news

Obama aide: Gun legislation in 'near future'

By David Jackson, USA TODAY
Updated 1d 14h ago

CAPTION
By Mark Wilson, Getty Images
Six months after the shooting in Tucson that killed six people and wounded Rep. Gabrielle Giffords, D-Ariz., the Obama administration has yet to move on new gun control legislation.

That could change soon.

White House spokesman Jay Carney said a special task force has been "working through these complex issues, and we expect to have some more specific announcements in the near future."

Gun control organizations such as the Brady Campaign to Prevent Gun Violence have pressed the Obama administration since the Giffords shooting and have been critical of what they call a lack of action.

Gun rights advocates such as the National Rifle Association have said the Giffords shooting should not be used as an excuse to infringe on the rights of legitimate gun owners.

Carney said a variety of views are being taken into account as the administration looks at efforts to prevent mass shootings.

"The president directed the attorney general to form working groups with key stakeholders to identify common-sense measures that would improve American safety and security while fully respecting Second Amendment rights," Carney said.

In a March op-ed for the Arizona Daily Star, Obama said he wanted to focus on strengthening background checks so criminals or mentally ill people could not get weapons. He wrote:

    I know that every time we try to talk about guns, it can reinforce stark divides. People shout at one another, which makes it impossible to listen. We mire ourselves in stalemate, which makes it impossible to get to where we need to go as a country.

    However, I believe that if common sense prevails, we can get beyond wedge issues and stale political debates to find a sensible, intelligent way to make the United States of America a safer, stronger place.

    I'm willing to bet that responsible, law-abiding gun owners agree that we should be able to keep an irresponsible, law-breaking few -- dangerous criminals and fugitives, for example -- from getting their hands on a gun in the first place.

    I'm willing to bet they don't think that using a gun and using common sense are incompatible ideas - that we should check someone's criminal record before he can check out at a gun seller; that an unbalanced man shouldn't be able to buy a gun so easily; that there's room for us to have reasonable laws that uphold liberty, ensure citizen safety and are fully compatible with a robust Second Amendment.

    That's why our focus right now should be on sound and effective steps that will actually keep those irresponsible, law-breaking few from getting their hands on a gun in the first place.

[Josquius]

Stupid time to be mentioning it, should wait until his second term is secured.

[Caliga]

Time to go stock up, I guess.

[Eddie Teach]

Stupid time to be mentioning it, should wait until his second term is secured.

Why waste his second term tilting at windmills either?

[mongers]

Dead on arrival in the House so he must be gambling this will help him more with his base then it will hurt him by inspiring NRA fans to turn out against him. This means he's worried about the enthusiasm of his base, otherwise he would never have risked this.

Alternatively he thinks it's the right thing to do. 

[Scipio]

I get the insane feeling that Barry owns stock in firearms and ammunition manufacturers.  They're the only portion of American industry that is booming, and it's all because of this kind of worthless bullshit.

[jimmy olsen]

Dead on arrival in the House so he must be gambling this will help him more with his base then it will hurt him by inspiring NRA fans to turn out against him. This means he's worried about the enthusiasm of his base, otherwise he would never have risked this.

Alternatively he thinks it's the right thing to do. 

[Caliga]

I don't believe Obama does anything because "he thinks it's the right thing to do".  I assume he is in fact utterly amoral, like all modern political figures on both sides of the aisle.

[Josquius]

Stupid time to be mentioning it, should wait until his second term is secured.

Why waste his second term tilting at windmills either?

He can actually get some good done then without having to worry about getting re-elected.

[Eddie Teach]

He can actually get some good done then without having to worry about getting re-elected.

Key words there are get and done. Gun control's about as popular as cuts in Social Security.

[Razgovory]

I don't believe Obama does anything because "he thinks it's the right thing to do".  I assume he is in fact utterly amoral, like all modern political figures on both sides of the aisle.

I've known a fairly large number of politicians (my family is political bunch and I live in a capital city), and most at least try to be moral.  I admit it is odd that I know many politicians, due to me not leaving the house very often but it's true.

[The Brain]

I don't believe Obama does anything because "he thinks it's the right thing to do".  I assume he is in fact utterly amoral, like all modern political figures on both sides of the aisle.

I've known a fairly large number of politicians (my family is political bunch and I live in a capital city), and most at least try to be moral.  I admit it is odd that I know many politicians, due to me not leaving the house very often but it's true.

All those politicians have been linked to the insane though.

[Maximus]

He can actually get some good done then without having to worry about getting re-elected.

Good or evil. Either one is equally possible when you don't have to worry about re-election.

[DGuller]

Well, gun nuts seem to be entrenched in their opinion that Obama will take away their guns, and nothing will change their mind.  Therefore, I see a limited downside to this move.

[Admiral Yi]

I don't believe Obama does anything because "he thinks it's the right thing to do".  I assume he is in fact utterly amoral, like all modern political figures on both sides of the aisle.

I think Obamacare was very much motivated by his conception of "the right thing to do."  It helps that he had a personal connection with his mom going without insurance and getting sick.