Posted on 03/29/2006 3:14:01 PM PST by neverdem
CITY HALL BUREAU CHIEF
Gun bill 'coddles' crooks, roars furious Bloomy
WASHINGTON - Mayor Bloomberg went nuclear on Congress yesterday - unleashing an unexpected tirade against a proposed gun bill that he lambasted as a "God-awful piece of legislation."
It was the finishing touch of an extraordinarily passionate speech by Bloomberg, who went so far as to warn that more cops and innocents would die until gun control laws are toughened up.
"I have been to too many police officers' funerals to believe that this bill actually has a prayer's chance in hell," the mayor testified before the House subcommittee on crime, terrorism and homeland security.
"But if if does pass, the next time an officer is attacked by an illegal gun - and I say 'next time' because until Congress gets serious about illegal guns, more police officers and many more citizens will be murdered - there can be no denying that those who vote for this bill will bear some of the responsibility," he said.
The bill's only beneficiary, he said, is the "bad guys."
Bloomberg testified that the bill, the Firearms Corrections and Improvements Act, "coddles criminals and endangers police officers and citizens."
Critics of the bill say it would weaken federal gun laws because it blocks the federal Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco Firearms and Explosives from offering public crime gun trace data, eliminates the current requirement that gun dealers report multiple handgun sales to law enforcement officials, limits the ability of the ATF to search dealer sales records in criminal probes and creates a loophole in the federal ban on the importation of nonsporting firearms.
Bloomberg, a life-long Democrat who became a Republican to run for mayor, found himself pitted against members of his own party - even as he drew high praise from Democrats.
Rep. Tom Feeney (R-Fla.) said he has a "big, philosophical difference of opinion" with Bloomberg.
Feeney said he would be willing to change the bill to clarify that law enforcement officers can share information with one another. But he said he's concerned that cities, such as New York, want to misuse the federal gun data in an effort to "affect national policy" through civil litigation.
On the other side of the aisle, Rep. Maxine Waters (D-Calif.) lauded Bloomberg for denouncing a bill advanced by members of his own party. "I like people of courage," she said.
What a nitwit! IIRC, I heard 30% of prison inmates are illegal aliens. How about getting serious about illegal aliens?
Moron mayor alert!
I wasn't aware Congress enforced the laws, I thought they made them. If the guns are "illegal," they're already against the law. Maybe BloomingIdiot needs to get serious about enforcing the laws already on the books, because that is his job as chief executive of the city.
If you throw felons in jail for a long period of time, they generally don't have a way to get guns illegally.
The Second Amendment of the U.S. Constitution.
Bloomberg...get a grip, understand the law, understand history, and then apply THAT, and there will be less police funerals and more criminal ones.
Arm the people...don't disarm them...then and only then will you create an envorionment that the true criminals fear. Both the individual ones...and more importantly Mr. Mayor, the institutional ones.
Mike hates guns because they smoke.
The "Gun Control" problem is the dismantling of NYPD street crime stop and frisk post Diallo.
Give up your body guards if things are so safe with 911 calls to protect us.
Bloomy = Rich Rino Rat
If Maxine Waters likes it I know it's a cr***y law....
American Chronicle, Illegal Immigration: Fool Me Once, Shame on You ...Barbara Anderson March 23, 2006
Maybe someone should say to the criminals who shot these policemen, "Now, Now, you musn't shoot any more policemen."
Gun control is the favorite resort of politicians who want to appear tough on crime, while also not wishing to punish actual criminals. It's a cop-out, no pun intended.
People like Bloomberg and Daley are why we have the Second Amendment--and they know it. That's why gun owners scare them. I Sure hope the Republican party dumps that chump.
"I have been to too many police officers' funerals to believe that this bill actually has a prayer's chance in hell,"
I think you should go there and check, Mr. Mayor.
I have noticed in my limited time on this planet when a New Yorker starts talking in this manner, they become possessed. I was recently away from the office and a NYer went off on me; when I returned my boss said everyone in the room was pretty certain I was responsible for the Crucifixion and was involved in the Kennedy assassination.
Beautiful response.
Right - and then see the price of guns skyrocket .....
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