Rather than get into the usual heated rhetoric on this subject, let's just take a cold hard look at what GWB has done pro/neutral/anti on RKBA issues during his term:

PRO:

1. UN Small Arms Restrictions blocked by US

2. Attorney General declares Second Amendment is individual right - reverses 35 years of previous Justice Department doctrine on the matter.

3. Attorney General refuses to allow legitimate purchase of NICS data to be used for fishing expedition - Ashcroft stops grabbers from sifting through NICS data of legitimate purchasers to look for "terrorists".

4. Ashcroft changes NICS data holding from 90 days to 1 day - NICS data on legitimate purchases will now be purged from the system in a single day as the law intended rather than being held onto for 90 days per Clinton policy

5. Bush supports and will sign lawsuit preemption bill

6. Bush ends taxpayer funding of useless HUD gun buybacks

7. Signs bill closing loophole that prevented cargo pilots from being armed

NEUTRAL:

1. Claims to be against original bill arming air line pilots but signs bill authorizing it.

2. Partially repeals Clinton ban on import of some semi-auto firearm parts instituted in Summer of 2000 to allow import of parts for repair purposes. Doesn't repeal any Executive Orders relating to guns instituted by previous Presidents.

CON:

1. Continues his support (stated in 2000) of the notoriously useless semi-auto ban.

[sarcasm] Why he's no better than the democrats, I'm not voting for him next year![/sarcasm]

There is also a con that goes along with #2.  While Ashcroft declared the Second Amendment an individual right, he has routinely refused to take that stance when it has come to court cases.

I just hope, that GW is being a sly old fox, and that behind closed doors, he is telling certain congressional members on certain committees, that certain bills had better not ever make it to his desk. I dont care what he says. I care about what he does, and, what does or does not happen with regard to certain issues.

Since the Judiciary is the only branch that matters, he hasn't appointed any communist judges (yet)

Of the 7 republican nominated supreme court judges, 3 are commies and 4 aren't.

BR,
You make a very good point.  If he would only see the light on the AWB.
#1 is very important in so many different ways.

You are correct.  I firmly believe that if George and I were sitting on his porch in Crawford, I could explain to him why the AWB is bad law.

But I also believe that with all the things going on in the world today, there is no one in his administration that will understand and bring this up to him.  I am afraid it is seen as a "no-win" situation.  His best hope is that it quitely dies without being renewed.

Those of us that understand these issues know that it is important.  But the average soccer mom thinks, "What does anyone need an assault weapon for?"

And, we need to remember that many of our neighbors do not understand this issue.  They aren't against the Second Amendment, but they don't understand why "anyone needs assault weapons and machine guns".

George knows that if he vetos a renewal, these people will not understand why he did it, especially with the "terrorists" issue on the front pages.

It is critical that we educate others about this issue.  And it is most important that our congressmen know what to do....let it die without renewal even coming up for a vote.

What is RKBA??

... and for those 2nd amendment Bush bashers, maybe they should ask themselves, "What has GWB NOT done with RKBA?"

If any democrat were in office, rest assured they'd be doing a lot for RKBA, a lot of BAD stuff.  I'd rather have nothing done than BAD stuff.

And pending some HUGE development in the world, bigger bigger bigger than 9/11, a new party will never take the Presidency, so I choose... Bush.

Well, to be clear - Ashcroft takes the same position as the Emerson decision. The Second Amendment is an individual right subject to "reasonable restriction" and every one of the idiotic restrictions we currently suffer under are reasonable.

I certainly don't agree with his ideas on "reasonable restrictions" but given the political climate and the apathy of most gun owners, it is a step in the right direction. Compare this to the Justice Department view on the Second just four years ago:



A good decision in the pending CATO Washington DC case and a few good judges appointed and what is considered a "reasonable" restriction now; might be a lot less reasonable in the future.

Amen to that!

Right to Keep and Bear Arms

Yes, this is exactly what is going on, especially concerning the AWB. And it's so obvious that even the Dumbocrats have figured it out and have commented on it.

Bush's record on RKBA is a small part of the total picture in my mind. Forget the fact that he and his administration are shaping the face of the world.

The RKBA issue probably isn't first thing on his mind these days. [rolleyes]

Dirk

If Bush really wanted the AWB passed, it would have been voted on by now. He would have pressured Congress to bring it up for at least a vote.

Just like Medicare, his "Healthy Forests" initative, Iraq aid, AIDS funding, ect.

CRC