I missed his 11:45 gun policy speech.  What did he say?  Anything infuriating/promising?

Taken from Yahoo! News at http://dailynews.yahoo.com/h/nm/20010514/pl/bush_guns_dc.html

[b]Bush Proposes Hiring Scores of Gun Prosecutors [/b]

PHILADELPHIA (Reuters) - Wading into the contentious issue of guns in America, President Bush (news - web sites) announced a plan on Monday to hire scores of new federal, state and local attorneys to boost prosecution of gun crimes.

The program, called Project Safe Neighborhoods, would cost more than $550 million over two years. A portion of the money has already been budgeted, while some would have to be approved by Congress.

``We're going to reduce gun violence in America, and those who commit crimes with guns will find a determined adversary in my administration,'' Bush said in making the announcement in Philadelphia to an audience made up largely of police officers and associations.

The program would carry through on a Bush campaign pledge to enforce existing gun laws, the typical Republican answer to appeals from Democrats for more gun control in the country.

Gun control advocates called for expanded prevention, stressing that prosecution alone was not ``a cure-all.''

``We think this is a good first step, but prosecution alone will not make our communities safer from gun violence,'' said Michael Barnes, president of Handgun Control. ``Punishment after the fact is no panacea for gun crimes.''

In advance of the Nov. 7 election, Republican candidate Bush blasted President Bill Clinton for failing to enforce current gun laws and said there had been a 46 percent decline in prosecutions under his Democratic administration.

SUPPORTS INSTANT BACKGROUND CHECKS

As Bush made his visit, an anti-gun group called Americans for Gun Safety ran a 60-second radio ad attacking Bush for not doing more to require background checks at gun shows, where criminals can go to buy guns when blocked by doing so due to the background system in place at licensed gun stores.

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``No one may buy a gun at a Pennsylvania gun show without a background check,'' the ad said. ``But felons in 32 states can get guns at gun shows with no questions asked and resell them on the street.''

Bush supports requiring unlicensed gun dealers to conduct instant background checks at gun shows but opposes the extended check of up to three days allowed under the Brady handgun law.

Nineteen senators, guardedly hopeful of congressional passage but uncertain about whether Bush will sign it, introduced a bill last month to plug the so-called gun-show loophole. A similar version died in Congress last year.

The program Bush announced is based on Project Exile, which originated in Richmond, Virginia, in 1997 and has spread statewide as well as to Colorado, Pennsylvania, South Carolina and Texas, Bush's home state, and to about a dozen local communities, including Philadelphia.

Under details of the plan announced by Bush and Attorney General John Ashcroft (news - web sites), the program will include the hiring of 113 new federal prosecutors at a cost of $15.3 to work full time on gun cases.

Some $75 million will fund 600 new state and local gun prosecutors. That money is in the Justice Department (news - web sites) budget.

IMPROVE RECORD KEEPING

The new attorneys will form teams that will include federal and local officials to review and prepare gun cases for prosecution, Ashcroft said. They will also work to increase awareness of gun issues in local communities.

And $44 million would go to improve state criminal record keeping, and another $28.8 million would expand and integrate federal computerized ballistic testing. Another $19.1 million would expand a program by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms aimed at preventing youths from obtaining guns.

Project Exile is supported by the National Rifle Association, one of the most powerful lobbies in the United States and a major contributor to Republican candidates. The NRA opposes stricter gun control legislation saying it contravenes the constitutional right to bear arms.

Bush was introduced by Philadelphia's Democratic Mayor John Street. He and Bush have developed an unlikely friendship based on Street's support for faith-based programs and Street's backing of Bush's education plans.

``He has shown an unusual sensitivity and an unusual understanding of our challenges and he has made a commitment that is unusual in my memory in making sure that we feel good and are served by our government,'' Street said of Bush.

Before returning to Washington, Bush had a private meeting with the Archbishop of Philadelphia, Cardinal Anthony Bevilacqua.

"...those who commit crimes with guns will find a determined adversary in my administration,'' Bush said

Woo hoo!

They ain't just goin' after criminals who commit VIOLENT crimes. Da feds is gonna get ya for having a flash suppressor on a post ban AR!

We can just hope he won't support that.

I thought about that too. Gun crime prosecutions based solely on the violation of feature bans could be a problem. And I suspect C&R holders may come under scrutiny as well.

I don't see how they could persecute soley on that though.  That would be a very tedious operation...searching for all illegally modified guns.  It can be used as a "pile-on" charge, but nothing more...or at least I hope.