Assault weapons ban back in play; Feinstein tries to get reluctant Congress ...

San Francisco Chronicle ^ | Feb 9, 2004 | by Edward Epstein

[Lazamataz]

Washington -- Gun control hasn't emerged as a leading issue in the 2004 presidential race, but that is likely to change as Democratic California Sen. Dianne Feinstein intensifies her effort to win renewal of the decade-old assault weapons ban, which expires in September.

[Lazamataz]

A lot of people tell me that this bill will never make it to Bush's desk.

I am here to tell you that it will absolutely make it to his desk.

100% guarenteed.

[Yo-Yo]

Bang

[Jim Cane]

A lot of people tell me that this bill will never make it to Bush's desk. I am here to tell you that it will absolutely make it to his desk.

Stroke of the pen, lose the election. "Kinda cool."

[Dane]

Huh Laz, Delay says it won't make it out of the House. I see that you got your orders this morning from the punk, Moby.

One of Sen. John Kerry's celebrity supporters is ready to pull out all the stops to get him elected. Republicans are shrieking over a suggestion by rocker Moby that Democrats spread gossip about President Bush on the Internet. "No one's talking about how to keep the other side home on Election Day," Moby tells us. "It's a lot easier than you think and it doesn't cost that much. This election can be won by 200,000 votes." Moby suggests that it's possible to seed doubt among Bush's far-right supporters on the Web.

"You target his natural constituencies," says the Grammy-nominated techno-wizard. "For example, you can go on all the pro-life chat rooms and say you're an outraged right-wing voter and that you know that George Bush drove an ex-girlfriend to an abortion clinic and paid for her to get an abortion.

"Then you go to an anti-immigration Web site chat room and ask, 'What's all this about George Bush proposing amnesty for illegal aliens?'"

Moby didn't claim that he believed the abortion story.

Last month, Bush did propose reforms to immigration policy. But he insisted, "I oppose amnesty, placing undocumented workers on the automatic path to citizenship [because it] perpetuates illegal immigration."

Republican National Committee spokeswoman Christine Iverson likened Moby's proposal to "dirty campaign tactics we're already seeing from John Kerry."

"His campaign was willing to use these kinds of voter suppression tactics against members of his own party in Iowa and New Hampshire," Iverson says. "John Kerry is a hypocrite. He pledged to run a clean campaign. Then he uses the lowest form of gutter politics to impugn his opponents, Democratic and Republican. It's unfortunate but this is probably just the beginning of the kind of tactics we're going to be seeing from John Kerry in the months to come."

Kerry spokeswoman Stephanie Cutter said, "I doubt that Moby was suggesting anybody suppress the vote. We did not use any dirty tactics against any candidate.

"When it comes to dirty tricks the Republic party wrote the book. We've already seen Republican attacks and we haven't even won the nomination yet. The Republican Party is clearly afraid of John Kerry."

Punk the Prez - Moby's anti-Bush tricks

[Lazamataz]

Huh Laz, Delay says it won't make it out of the House.

I hope you are right. The second amendment is my most important issue.

[Mr. Mojo]

I am here to tell you that it will absolutely make it to his desk. 100% guarenteed.

Yep. It'll be attached to some "must sign" bill. .....and the Prez will sign it, just as he said he'd do.

.....Zero vetos and (not) counting.....

[coloradan]

The guns it covered had to meet a so-called two-characteristic test, meaning the weapon could be banned if it had two features from a long list that included items such as automatic ammunition clips [lie - there's no such thing.], a pistol grip, a barrel shroud or flash suppressor.

To get around the ban, manufacturers simply changed the guns to remove one of the characteristics on the list and kept on producing them. [Another lie - they had to remove all the features except one from the list.] The Bushmaster XM15 used in the 2002 sniper shootings in the Washington, D.C., area, for instance, was one of these weapons, a clone of the banned AR-15 assault rifle. [And with a rate of fire of one shot every three days, any other weapon including muzzle loading cannon could have worked.]

This loophole [LIE!! It's not a loophole, it's a specific legal exemption that was explicitly created by law.] is one that would be closed in legislation introduced in the House and Senate that is even stricter than the Feinstein-Schumer legislation. Its co-sponsors include Feinstein's California Democratic colleague, Sen. Barbara Boxer, who is running for re-election this November. [She must be defeated.]

[Spok]

"However, President Bush has said he will sign a renewal, if it makes it to his desk."

Then Bush better see it doesn't make it to his desk. Last week, he finally took a stand against gay marriage. I think he's beginning to feel his base fading away.

[old3030]

I disagree. The Democrats will have to drop it precisely because it is too much of a hot-button issue with voters.

That aside, here's a question:

Rep. John Conyers of Michigan, the ranking Democrat on the House Judiciary Committee, has decided "it's not good enough just to renew a law with loopholes that have caused the death of law enforcement officers and helped those who want to commit terrorism,'' said Ted Kalo, the Democratic counsel for the House Judiciary Committee.

How many LEO's are killed each year by "assault rifles"?

This is so stupid. I guess I would still vote for Bush if he did sign a new AWB, but I just don't see where Americans are any safer because I can't buy a folding stock for my 10/22.

[NittanyLion]

If this bill makes it to his desk, and he signs it, he will lose his base in huge numbers. I'm not saying it to be controversial or adversarial to the administration; I'm saying it because it's fact.

[newgeezer]

The ban will be part of a package of firearms legislation before Congress that includes a gun industry proposal to win an exemption from the type of liability lawsuits filed by San Francisco and other cities across the country.

Won't it be ironic when it turns out the "gun lobby" is so intent on getting the liability protection -- which in more sane, less litigious times, would be totally unnecessary -- that it accepts the extension of the current ban on so-called assault weapons?

It'll pass. Bush will sign it because he's told it's politically expedient.

[nightdriver]

"Guns will be an issue in the election. The more Congress has to deal with it, the more candidates will be asked about it,'' said Robert J. Spitzer, a professor at the State University of New York at Cortland and the author of "The Politics of Gun Control.''

Is this turkey any relation to Elliot?

[Shooter 2.5]

As long as his popularity slips, the Republican Party will realize they need the gun owners. I don't believe he can win without them with a poll rating in the 50's.

[OXENinFLA]

Remove Feinstein rider from firearms liability bill (Assault Weapons Ban)

[Shooter 2.5]

There's a gun website that I believe has been visited from time to time by the dem party. They created a poll asking the members what they thought was more important, saving the gun manufacturers or the AWB. The members said the gun manufacturers. Within a couple of weeks, there were the rumors the AWB would be attached to the protection act.

If we work hard enough, we can save both. The AWB sunset and the Protection Act.

[EQAndyBuzz]

The bill will not get to his desk this election cycle. It will be buried with the hope that the RATS bring it up as a campaign issue.

Bush will hammer the bill as being ineffective and politically driven by the Left. He will send it back to the house for reworking. After the election the bill dies.

[jimtorr]

If Bush signs the renewal this Bush supporter will no longer be a supporter. I will not vote for a candidate with the record that GW has.

It's no one thing, but the sum total of what Bush has supported.

[justshutupandtakeit]

No it won't. Can you say filabuster? But it won't even get out of the House so a filabuster won't be necessary.

[donozark]

Recent NRA survey asked "What is #1 gun rights issue?" Virtually everyone I know stated "Let AW BAN SUNSET!"

[Lazamataz]

No it won't. Can you say filabuster? But it won't even get out of the House so a filabuster won't be necessary.

I *really really* hope you are right.

If you are right, I will buy you a beer. If I am right, you buy me an assault rifle. Deal? ;^)