Democrats in Senate are the real obstacle to gun control

[hack89]

Last edited Thu Jan 24, 2013, 02:01 PM - Edit history (1)

If there is a path to new gun laws, it has to come through West Virginia and a dozen other states with Democratic senators like Mr. Manchin who are confronting galvanized constituencies that view any effort to tighten gun laws as an infringement.

On Thursday a group of Democratic senators led by Dianne Feinstein of California plans to introduce a bill that would outlaw more than 100 different assault weapons, setting up what promises to be a fraught and divisive debate over gun control in Congress in the coming weeks. But a number of centrist lawmakers like Mr. Manchin have already thrown the measure’s fate into question, saying that all they are willing to support for now is a stronger background check system.

After talking with the group for nearly two hours, Mr. Manchin left the meeting saying he was not at all comfortable with supporting the assault weapons ban favored by many of his colleagues in Congress.

Mr. Manchin is just the beginning of gun control advocates’ worries. Of far greater concern are Democrats who are up for re-election in 2014. Those include senators like Max Baucus of Montana, who was awarded an A+ rating from the N.R.A. Mr. Baucus has worded his comments on the subject carefully, bracketing them with gun rights-friendly language, like saying the “culture of violence” needs to be seriously examined along with any changes to the law.

http://www.nytimes.com/2013/01/24/us/politics/democratic-senators-face-gun-owners-roused-by-talk-of-new-laws.html?pagewanted=all

The House republicans don't have to do anything but wait until the Senate acts.

[madville]

1. Stronger background checks and mental illness monitoring

Are likely to pass. I personally believe that any firearm restrictions should be handled at the state level, there isn't a one size fits all solution, what New York wants is going to be different from what Wyoming wants.

[riverbendviewgal]

3. true

But ammo should tracked.

[Lurks Often]

4. Why? n/t

[riverbendviewgal]

6. it should be tracked like some meds

We don't want the patient to have too much or pass it on to someone whose should not have, do we?,

[Lurks Often]

8. Nonsense

I will routinely go through a 100+ rounds at a pistol match. Many shooters find it convenient to order in bulk, it saves money and since ammo only really goes bad under extreme humidity, it enables one to buy extra when a really good deal comes along.

[hack89]

9. One bullet is too many

when you consider that suicides make up more than half of gun deaths. And most criminals don't walk around with huge amounts of ammo - just what's in the gun most of the time.


You are not going to be able to track individual bullets - that is like saying you are going to track every single cigarette sold in America.

[riverbendviewgal]

12. how is meds like percodan tracked?

prescriptions are needed

[hack89]

13. And if I gave half of my pills to my friends

how would anyone know? You can't track individual pills. You can't track individual bullets.

What would you be looking for? A certain amount of ammo triggers an investigation?

[JustABozoOnThisBus]

2. So, Senators who represent their constituents are the problem?

Even the Democratic Senate leader is lukewarm on these issues.

[hack89]

5. There are many here that think gun control legislation is a slam dunk

just pointing out that it will be much harder than they thought. I also thought it important to point out that it is more complex then Democrats versus the NRA and repukes.

[JustABozoOnThisBus]

7. Well, that's true

And the Senators' constituencies are more complex than just 100% platform followers. Guns are getting a lot of recent press. But it seems like economy, jobs, rights, peace, healthcare, any of those may be more important than the current 2d amendment kerfuffle.

Senators (and Representatives) need to listen to their constituents, if they want to be re-elected (I assume most do).

[DonRedwood]

10. So Republicans would pass that pesky gun control if the Dems were out of the picture

I think I might not agree with your headline.

[hack89]

11. No - the point is Republicans will never have to address the issue

because of Democrats in the Senate. Repukes are not going to carry Obama's water for him - they can and will say "send us gun control legislation from the Senate if you are serious."