From USA Toady 5/15/03

White House won’t lobby for gun ban

The White House repeated Wednesday its support for extending the ban on assault weapons but stopped short of saying it would lobby Congress for n extension.

"If Congress passes it, (President Bush) will sign it," White House spokesman Ari Fleischer said.

On Tuesday, House Majority Leader Tom DeLay, R.Texas, said there aren't enough votes in the Republican-controlled House of Representatives to renew the legislation, which is opposed by gun rights groups. Democrats have begun a campaign to renew the 1994 ban, which outlaws the sale of military-style assault weapons such as the AK-47 and the Uzi. It expires next year. “We don’t think the White House is sincere about” its support for extending the ban, said Michael Barnes of the Brady Center to Prevent Gun Violence, A gun control group. – Andrea Stone

I like DeLay's comments however I hope it never makes it to the floor of the House.

Mike

Don't get too excited.  The Republicans have already backed tracked on Delay's comments.

It's covered in this thread.
[url]http://www.jobrelatedstuff.com/forums/topic.html?b=1&f=5&t=186603[/url]

                                    The Most Sweeping Gun Ban Ever Introduced in Congress Clinton Gun Ban "Reenactment" Bans
                                                                                               Millions More Guns  NRA JUST IN

[url]http://www.nraila.org/FactSheets.asp?FormMode=Detail&ID=143&EID=65730-5132003[/url]

[url=http://www.whitehouse.gov/news/releases/2003/05/20030514-5.html] From yesterdays press briefing.[/url]

"Q Ari, can I briefly follow up Ken's question on the assault weapons ban? Please dispel my cynical notion that the President is delighted that Tom DeLay took the assault weapons ban off the table and saved  him the trouble of getting into a fight with the NRA.

MR. FLEISCHER: Whatever position the President holds, people across America know it and they'll form their judgments about what the President thinks based on their knowledge of the President's position. So if anybody takes umbrage to the fact that the President supports the current assault weapons ban, that is
known and stated. If people support him for doing it, it is known and stated -- regardless of what happens in the Congress.

Q We're not to expect that the President is actually going to go out and campaign for this, are we?

MR. FLEISCHER: -- I think you have every opportunity to ask the President questions about it, and he'll tell you today exactly what he told you when he was asked about it in 2000, which is just what I've shared with you here. His position on it is taken because he thinks it's reasonable.

Q Responding to questions on it is one thing, and actually campaigning for it is another. You do not expect a campaign for the assault weapons ban, do you?

MR. FLEISCHER: Well, you're talking about the reelection campaign? The President hasn't even declared reelection.

Thanks for the links.

I would like to think that it will not be renewed. But, we still have to keep the pressure on our representatives.

Mike

Mark my words....the ban will be extended or something worse will soon replace it. I pray I'm wrong, but I feel strongly that there will be a HUGE uproar in favor of the ban by the "general public". They will have been "educated" by the media via 30 second sound bites and will not understand how anyone in their "right mind" could want to put "machine guns" back on the streets. The ban will not be allowed to sunset and if it does a much harsher bill will quickly be introduced and passed. I hope with all my heart I'm wrong but I'll believe it when I see it.

Owing to the Congressional bloodbath that ensued from the election cycles following the enactment of the '94 ban (over 60 people LOST their re-election bids, most of them had voted for the the ban and most were democrats, and there is no other obvious common thread between them), this HEAVILY REPUBLICAN Congress won't touch a new ban (or an extension of an old one) with a hundred foot stick.

Only those who are SURE they live in a heavily [s]socialist[/s] anti-gun state will vote for the ban, thinking they'll keep their jobs that way.


Now is the time for the NRA, GOA, and all the other gun rights groups to dig into their war chests and start preparing simply written, effective ads for use in all media, including internet media.   We will need them to show the average person what LIES the anti's are using, and show them the truth, which is that no gun is evil but some people are.  We need the laws to be better enforced and judges have to stop the revolving door that puts criminals back on the street without punishing them hard enough to make an impression.

We don't have to be saddled with this ban again. And we won't, IF we do our jobs right!

CJ

Since I was not into rifles in 1994, was there this much news media coverage going into the debate over the ban? Or about the same?

When the first assault rifle ban (the importation ban Under Pres Bush Sr.) was voted on it was done in the middle of the night...
Passed like wild fire and signed the next day

I thought that what Bush Sr. did was by executive order not be legislative action.

Mike

Nope.  A regular bill, passed by the Senate with a reasonable majority and a ONE vote edge in the House.  The last vote cast that passed the bill was cast by none other than Tom Ridge, currently [s]der obersturmfuhrer of ze American Gestapo[/s]the Chief of Homeland Security.

CJ