Has anyone already done the research on which candidates are pro-gun control and anti-gun control?

[Tejanocrat]

I know Obama's book says "I believe in keeping guns out of our inner cities, and that our leaders must say so in the face of the gun manufacturer’s lobby," and he has steadfastly supported gun control laws.

Has anyone tabulated all of the other Democratic candidates' positions on this issue?

[Wickerman]

1. visit the DU Guns forum

all answers are provided there - albeit with a flavor of bias.

[Tejanocrat]

2. Thanks! The Gun Forum says Obama as most pro-gun control and Richardson as most anti-gun control

Obama (pro-gun control)

Keep guns out of inner cities--but also problem of morality
I believe in keeping guns out of our inner cities, and that our leaders must say so in the face of the gun manfuacturer's lobby. But I also believe that when a gangbanger shoots indiscriminately into a crowd because he feels someone disrespected him, we have a problem of morality. Not only do ew need to punish thatman for his crime, but we need to acknowledge that there's a hole in his heart, one that government programs alone may not be able to repair.
Source: The Audacity of Hope, by Barack Obama, p.215 Oct 1, 2006

Ban semi-automatics, and more possession restrictions

* Principles that Obama supports on gun issues:Ban the sale or transfer of all forms of semi-automatic weapons.
* Increase state restrictions on the purchase and possession of firearms.
* Require manufacturers to provide child-safety locks with firearms.

Source: 1998 IL State Legislative National Political Awareness Test Jul 2, 1998

Voted NO on prohibiting lawsuits against gun manufacturers.
A bill to prohibit civil liability actions from being brought or continued against manufacturers, distributors, dealers, or importers of firearms or ammunition for damages, injunctive or other relief resulting from the misuse of their products by others. Voting YES would:

* Exempt lawsuits brought against individuals who knowingly transfer a firearm that will be used to commit a violent or drug-trafficking crime
* Exempt lawsuits against actions that result in death, physical injury or property damage due solely to a product defect
* Call for the dismissal of all qualified civil liability actions pending on the date of enactment by the court in which the action was brought
* Prohibit the manufacture, import, sale or delivery of armor piercing ammunition, and sets a minimum prison term of 15 years for violations
* Require all licensed importers, manufacturers and dealers who engage in the transfer of handguns to provide secure gun storage or safety devices

Reference: Protection of Lawful Commerce in Arms Act; Bill S 397 ; vote number 2005-219 on Jul 29, 2005 .

http://www.ontheissues.org/celeb/Barack_Obama_Gun_Control.htm

HRC (pro-gun control)

Keep guns away from people who shouldn’t have them
We need to stand firm on behalf of sensible gun control legislation. We have to enact laws that will keep guns out of the hand of children and criminals and mentally unbalanced persons. Congress should have acted before our children started going back to school. I realize the NRA is a formidable political group; but I believe the American people are ready to come together as a nation and do whatever it takes to keep guns away from people who shouldn’t have them.
Source: www.hillary2000.org, “Gun Safety” Sep 9, 2000

Limit access to weapons; look for early warning signs
We have to make sure that our schools are safe. Our schools need more help from parents and from communities, and we also need more social workers and counselors who are trained to see the early warning signs. No school security system or metal detector can keep out the culture of violence that dominates the lives of so many of our children. We have to address issues of culture, and we have to ensure that young people do not have easy access to weapons; not only firearms but bomb making material.
Source: www.hillary2000.org, “Safe Schools” Sep 9, 2000

License and register all handgun sales
Hillary Rodham Clinton offered her support for a legislative proposal to license hand guns. The legislation, sponsored by Sen. Charles Schumer, would require anyone who wants to purchase a gun to obtain a state-issued photo gun license. “I stand in support of this common sense legislation to license everyone who wishes to purchase a gun,” Clinton said. “I also believe that every new handgun sale or transfer should be registered in a national registry, such as Chuck is proposing.”
Source: CNN.com Jun 2, 2000

Tough gun control keeps guns out of wrong hands
I think it does once again urge us to think hard about what we can do to make sure that we keep guns out of the hands of children and criminals and mentally unbalanced people. I hope we will come together as a nation and do whatever it takes to keep guns away from people who have no business with them.
Source: Press Release Jul 31, 1999

Gun control protects our children
We will not make progress on a sensible gun control agenda unless the entire American public gets behind it. It is really important for each of you to make sure you stay away from guns. If you have guns in your home, tell your parents to keep them away from you and your friends and your little brothers and sisters.
Source: Forum at South Side Middle School in Nassau County Jul 15, 1999

Don’t water down sensible gun control legislation
We have to do everything possible to keep guns out of the hands of children, and we need to stand firm on behalf of the sensible gun control legislation that passed the Senate and then was watered down in the House. It does not make sense for us at this point in our history to turn our backs on the reality that there are too many guns and too many children have access to those guns-and we have to act to prevent that.
Source: Remarks to NEA in Orlando, Florida Jul 5, 1999

Lock up guns; store ammo separately
If you own a gun... make sure it’s locked up and stored without the ammunition. In fact, make it stored where the ammunition is stored separately. We’ve made some progress in the last several years with the Brady Bill and some of the bans on assault weapons, but we have a lot of work to do.
Source: ABC’s “Good Morning America” Jun 4, 1999

Ban kids’ unsupervised access to guns
Q: What actions can students take to help gun control further? A: Young people, especially teenagers, to not give any child unsupervised access to a firearm; not to go into homes, or let your younger siblings go into homes where you know guns are and are not safely stored and taken care of. You guys are going to a party, make sure there are no guns around. If you own a gun or you know people who do, make sure it’s locked up and stored without the ammunition.
Source: ABC’s “Good Morning America” Jun 4, 1999

Voted NO on prohibiting lawsuits against gun manufacturers.
A bill to prohibit civil liability actions from being brought or continued against manufacturers, distributors, dealers, or importers of firearms or ammunition for damages, injunctive or other relief resulting from the misuse of their products by others. Voting YES would:

* Exempt lawsuits brought against individuals who knowingly transfer a firearm that will be used to commit a violent or drug-trafficking crime
* Exempt lawsuits against actions that result in death, physical injury or property damage due solely to a product defect
* Call for the dismissal of all qualified civil liability actions pending on the date of enactment by the court in which the action was brought
* Prohibit the manufacture, import, sale or delivery of armor piercing ammunition, and sets a minimum prison term of 15 years for violations
* Require all licensed importers, manufacturers and dealers who engage in the transfer of handguns to provide secure gun storage or safety devices

Reference: Protection of Lawful Commerce in Arms Act; Bill S 397 ; vote number 2005-219 on Jul 29, 2005

Voted NO on banning lawsuits against gun manufacturers for gun violence.
Vote to pass a bill that would block certain civil lawsuits against manufacturers, distributors, dealers and importers of firearms and ammunition, mainly those lawsuits aimed at making them liable for gun violence. In this bill, trade groups would also be protected The bill would call for the dismissal of pending lawsuits against the gun industry. The exception would be lawsuits regarding a defect in a weapon or ammunition. It also would provide a 10-year reauthorization of the assault weapons ban which is set to expire in September 2004. The bill would increase the penalties for gun-related violent or drug trafficking crimes which have not resulted in death, to a minimum of 15 years imprisonment. The bill calls for criminal background checks on all firearm transactions at gun shows where at least 75 guns are sold. Exemptions would be made available for dealers selling guns from their homes as well as members-only gun swaps and meets carried out by nonprofit hunting clubs.
Reference: Protection of Lawful Commerce in Arms Act; Bill S.1805/H.R.1036 ; vote number 2004-30 on Mar 2, 2004 .

http://www.ontheissues.org/celeb/Hillary_Clinton_Gun_Control.htm

Edwards (limited gun control)

Right to bear arms protected by Second Amendment, with rules
I believe the right to bear arms is protected by the Second Amendment. I also support reasonable measures to keep guns out of the hands of criminals, including closing the gun show loophole and vigorously enforcing gun laws.
Source: 2004 Presidential National Political Awareness Test Mar 3, 2004

Hunting is fine, but criminals & kids should have limits
Q: How will your gun stance play among Southern voters?

EDWARDS: I grew up in the rural South. Everyone around me hunted, everyone had guns. I respect and believe in people's Second Amendment rights. That does not, however, mean that somebody needs an AK-47 to hunt. It does not mean that somebody who's been convicted of a violent crime should be able to walk out of prison, walk across the street and buy a gun. It does not mean that we shouldn't take every step that we can take to keep guns safe and keep guns out of the hands of kids. So, my belief is, first, I defend people's Second Amendment rights, but I don't think it's without limit.

Q: What federal gun control measures you would propose?

EDWARDS: I think we should extend the Brady Bill, which is set to expire. I think that we need to close forever the gun-show loophole, buying a gun. I think it does make sense to have trigger locks for the purpose of keeping guns safe from children.
Source: Democratic 2004 Primary Debate at St. Anselm College Jan 22, 2004

Leading Dems distance themselves from divisive gun debate
Democratic presidential candidates are distancing themselves from tough gun control, reversing a decade of rhetoric and advocacy by the Democratic Party in favor of federal regulation of firearms.

Howard Dean proudly tells audiences that the NRA endorsed him as governor of Vermont, and that he would leave most gun laws to the states. Dick Gephardt, a longtime gun control advocate, is careful to highlight his support for law-abiding gun owners. John Edwards says, "Guns are about independence. They don't want people messing with that."

As a result, Democratic strategists predict the debate over gun laws in this campaign will be less divisive. Democrats might fight for narrow proposals to make guns safer and more difficult for children and criminals to obtain, they said, yet voters are likely to hear as much about enforcing existing gun laws as creating new ones-a position Republicans and the NRA have pushed for years.
Source: Jim VandeHei, Washington Post, p. A1 Oct 26, 2003

Guns are about independence-don't mess with that
"It's very important for us as Democrats to understand that where I come from guns are about a lot more than guns themselves," said John Edwards. "They are about independence. For a lot of people who work hard for a living, one of the few things they feel they have any control over is whether they can buy a gun and hunt. They don't want people messing with that, which I understand."
Source: Jim VandeHei, Washington Post, p. A1 Oct 26, 2003

Voted YES on background checks at gun shows.
Require background checks on all firearm sales at gun shows.
Status: Amdt Agreed to Y)50; N)50; VP decided YES
Reference: Lautenberg Amdt #362; Bill S. 254 ; vote number 1999-134 on May 20, 1999

Voted NO on more penalties for gun & drug violations.
The Hatch amdt would increase mandatory penalties for the illegal transfer or use of firearms, fund additional drug case prosecutors, and require background check on purchasers at gun shows. .
Status: Amdt Agreed to Y)48; N)47; NV)5
Reference: Hatch Amendment #344; Bill S. 254 ; vote number 1999-118 on May 14, 1999

Voted NO on loosening license & background checks at gun shows.
Vote to table or kill a motion to require that all gun sales at gun shows be completed by federally licensed gun dealers. Also requires background checks to be completed on buyers and requires gun show promoters to register with the Treasury.
Reference: Bill S.254 ; vote number 1999-111 on May 11, 1999

http://www.ontheissues.org/2008/John_Edwards_Gun_Control.htm

Richardson (anti-gun control)

"It seems to me that the most gun-friendly candidate from either party at this point is a Democrat," says one pro-gun website. That candidate is "Governor Bill Richardson of New Mexico."

***

Richardson seems to be the choice for pro-gun liberals. He himself plugs his gun record, and his centrist approach, as the reason he is more electable than the other Democrats:

Richardson, the New Mexico governor with the best resume to be president, knows the West. Democrats rightly believe the path to the White House in 2008 runs through the West, where voters like their guns and open space almost as much as they dislike taxes and government intrusion.1

He's described as a down-to-earth guy who doesn't like to wear suits. Instead, he often opts for the western string tie. One former campaign ad explained that Richardson's suits don't fit well. Why not?

Well, suggests one paper in the state, it's probably because of that bulge under his jacket. The Governor owns a concealed carry permit and enjoys packing heat.2

As Governor of New Mexico, Richardson signed a concealed carry bill in 2005 to strengthen the law in the state. So it's clear that he doesn't buy the Sarah Brady line that there are "too many guns" out there in society.

***

Several times, Richardson strayed from the gun owning reservation to join hands with the liberal wing in his party, as evidenced by the following votes:

* Gun owner registration and waiting period. In 1991, Rep. Bill Richardson cast the deciding vote in favor of an early incarnation of the Brady bill -- legislation which passed 205-203. The bill would have imposed a national five day waiting period before gun owners could purchase handguns and would have ordered the Attorney General to establish an instant check system that would record (register) the name of all gun buyers.3

* Clinton ban on semi-automatic firearms. Richardson's support for the Clinton-Feinstein ban on semi-automatic firearms and magazines is a good indication on how he might govern as President. Richardson initially voted against the ban when it came up as a stand-alone bill in May 1994. But after the ban was added to a larger crime bill in August 1994, Rep. Richardson voted to send that bill (which contained the ban) to the President for his signature.4

* Gun ban for millions of law-abiding citizens. The Lautenberg gun ban is yet another example of how Bill Richardson swallowed poison pills which were lurking in larger pieces of legislation.5 The ban (named for its sponsor, Sen. Frank Lautenberg of New Jersey) is one of the most far-reaching gun bans in history. Passed in September 1996, the Lautenberg gun ban has disarmed people for life -- for offenses that include pushing, shoving or, in some cases, even yelling at a family member. The language of this lifetime gun ban is so expansive that unsuspecting parents have been disarmed for simply using legitimate corporal punishment. But much to the chagrin of gun owners, Richardson sided with the majority of Democrats in supporting this ban.

* Gun-free zones. Eighty-five percent of Americans support the right of a school principal or teacher to defend students' lives with a firearm. Despite this overwhelming support for preventing school massacres, Rep. Richardson voted for legislation to ban firearms within 1,000 feet of a school.6 This ban has done nothing to keep criminals from carrying guns onto school grounds, and instead, could very well make criminals out of heroes like Assistant Principal Joel Myrick of Mississippi, who used his firearm in 1997 to stop a student-killer.

http://gunowners.org/pres08/richardson.htm