You turncoats who want to rebel against your own Commander in Chief had better realize you are losing support. I applaud Senator Licoln Chafee for having the guts to help the leader of this great democracy in this time of crisis!

Senators look to extend ban of assault weapons
By DAVID WHITNEY
McClatchy Newspapers
May 08, 2003

WASHINGTON - California's two Democratic senators, Dianne Feinstein and Barbara Boxer, joined five other senators Thursday in legislation to permanently extend the ban on the manufacture and sale of assault weapons, kicking off a battle with gun advocates that they hope to win with the support of President Bush.

Bush proclaimed his support of the ban during the 2000 presidential campaign.

The White House said Thursday that the president intends to keep that pledge.

But Feinstein and other backers of the reauthorization said they will need more than just the president's endorsement to block the House leadership from bottling up the legislation. The National Rifle Association's chief lobbyist, Chris Cox, said he expected the battle to be played out in Congress without reaching the president.

"The president is going to have to tell House leaders to bring this to the floor," said Sen. Chuck Shumer, D-NY. "Then we can get this done."

Ari Fleischer, the president's spokesman, reiterated Bush's support for extending the ban but stopped short of saying he was prepared to take on the NRA by actively lobbying for its passage.

"Often the president will agree, of course, with the National Rifle Association," Fleischer said. "On this he does not."

The current ban, which Feinstein wrote 10 years ago and whose enactment contributed to the Republican revolt that cost Democrats the leadership of the House in 1994, will expire next year.

The fight the bill's advocates face is not just with the NRA and other gun-rights advocates, however. Many Democrats think the current ban has been ineffective and they want something much stronger.

Rep. John Conyers, D-Mich., and Carolyn McCarthy, D-NY, introduced legislation in the House that approximates California's stiffer law. Whereas the Feinstein bill bans 19 specific assault weapons and copycat weapons that have at least two distingushing features, like pistol grips or threaded barrels, the California law bans any rifle with just one such feature.

Feinstein said she believes the California law is headed for the U.S. Supreme Court. Anything to codify it in federal law should await a decision there rather than to jeopardize losing the president's support and the termination of the existing ban, she said.

"A stronger bill isn't in the cards right now," Feinstein said. "To insist upon it could bring about the death of this bill. You can do things to send messages, or you can do things to get them done."

As proof that the current law is working, Feinstein said that the percentage of assault weapons used in the commission of crimes fell from 8.2 percent in 1993 to 3.2 percent in 1996, the last year for which she was able to get statistics from the Federal Bureau of Investigation.

Feinstein introduced the first ban on July 1, 1993, after a gunman carrying an assault rifle walked into a building on California Street in San Francisco and started shooting. Eight people were killed in that attack, and six others were wounded.

Among those killed was a close friend of Boxer's son, Doug.

"The pain doesn't go away," Boxer said. "What does go away is this law. Whatever it takes, we'll (pass this) again. The only reason to have an assault weapon is to kill as many people as you can in the shortest period you can."

Feinstein said the legislation would tighten up on one loophole. While the law prohibits the manufacture and sale of large capacity ammunition magazines, it does not ban the importation of foreign-made products.

"The result is that the Bureau of Alcohol. Tobacco and Firearms has approved 50 million high-capacity magazines since 1994," Feinstein said.

Also cosponsoring the ban were Sens. Edward M. Kennedy, D-Mass., Dick Durbin, D-Ill., Frank Lautenberg, D-N.J., and [size=5]Lincoln Chafee, R-RI[/size=5].

Zell Miller.

"A stronger bill isn't in the cards right now," Feinstein said. "To insist upon it could bring about the death of this bill.[b] You can do things to send messages, or you can do things to get them done."[/b]


Sounds like the window breaking in Unintended Consequences.  All's fair.......

My gaydar is about to overload with this guy...

Glad to see you're back on the case. [rolleyes]

Tell those folks that the "assualt weapons" ban is also working in Calif., murder by gangbangers is up more than 20% from the previous year. Where do the antis dream up these statistics?

They keep forgetting that the reason for the second ammendment is so that the general population has the ability to stand up against the forces of the government.  This means having the same firepower as the military.  It is for reasons of self protection that this was included in the bill of rights.  Unfortunately it seems that the tyranical government is appearing.   It is growing like a plague coming from Commiefornia.