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A pleasing read
Dennis Henigan, of Brady Campaign, in the Huffington Post. Why is it pleasing? Well, the title is "Obama and the Gun Lobby: A Policy of Appeasement?" Oh, and the content consists of things like
"Is it a stretch to envision President Obama as the Neville Chamberlain of the gun issue? Consider the record so far. The President broke his campaign pledge to seek repeal of a set of Bush-supported appropriations riders (the "Tiahrt Amendments") that have weakened the Brady Act and other federal gun laws. Despite his personal commitment to voting rights for District of Columbia residents, Obama was silent as the NRA held the voting rights bill hostage to its vision of the District with virtually no gun laws. With not a syllable uttered in protest, the President signed credit card reform legislation laden with Senator Coburn's ridiculous amendment to allow loaded guns in national parks. When Attorney General Holder and Secretary of State Clinton suggested that strengthening U.S. gun laws may well help to reduce the arming of Mexican drug cartels with American guns, they were silenced. Then, in surely the most bizarre example, when protesters started showing up near the President's speeches with loaded guns, instead of condemning the practice, the White House responded that it had no problem with it as long as local laws were not being violated."
Hat tip to reader Carl in Chicago...
6 Comments | Leave a comment
Whether Hennigan is right or wrong I like Obama's apparent acquiescence in the matter of gun rights, for now at least.
Dirtcrashr has it right. so far that is.
Bush II banned the importation of barrels, filed amacus with DC in Heller and said three times he'd like to see the AWB renewed.
Obama isn't pro-gun by any stretch, so I'm not saying he's our friend. What I'm saying is all the hysteria over him is - for now - hollow.
So that means you can stop buying AR-15 uppers, and manufacturers can stop gouging us on the prices.
And he writes this as if it's a bad thing . . .?
Seriously, so far the concern over Obama and gun rights has been hollow - SO FAR. That's not a change in ideology, just political expediency. Obama can read the votes of millions voting with their wallets, and he has other higher policy priorities.
I'll take the opportunity to finish my AR upper, thank you. And I'll continue stock up on 5.56, slowly, bit by bit, till the minimum 1000-1500 rounds of basic supply is accumulated. While I'm not hoarding huge numbers of rounds, I have no illusions that the time will not come when the fight will be on again.
Because when it's no longer politically expedient to stay his gun-grabbing allies, they'll be back. With a vengence.
Presidents come and go. Congressional Reps and Senators, it seems, are in office for life or until a better offer comes along. Better to concentrate on keeping anti-gun Bills from being passed, in my view.
So Obama is an equal-opportunity liar. Could be worse.
Hennigan is wrong. Obama is just holding off until the second term (if he gets one), when repercussions won't matter.