Posted on 11/16/2009 11:39:38 AM PST by yoe
Attorney General Eric Holder is retreating on his commitment to pursue a controversial gun-control measure.
Holder’s statements, recently delivered to senators in writing, clearly indicate the Obama administration is in no rush to reinstate the assault weapons ban, which expired in 2004.
In response to written questions from Senate Judiciary Committee members, Holder adopted a much different tone on the ban than he did in February, when he said, “As President Obama indicated during the campaign, there are just a few gun-related changes that we would like to make, and among them would be to reinstitute the ban on the sale of assault weapons.”
That comment attracted many headlines, but the nation’s chief law enforcement officer is now downplaying his earlier remarks.
Noting his February statements, Sen. Tom Coburn (R-Okla.) asked Holder, “Is it still your intent to seek a reinstitution of the ‘assault weapons’ ban?”
Holder stressed that he wasn’t breaking new ground earlier this year.
His response to a reporter in February, Holder claims, is not akin to “call[ing] for a new assault weapons ban, but rather restating the previously expressed campaign position on this issue.”
Regarding the administration’s next step, Holder stated, "The department is currently reviewing existing gun laws to determine how best to combat gun violence and keep guns out of the hands of criminals and others prohibited from possessing them."
Holder's response to Coburn is the latest in a series of mixed messages from Obama and his team after the president vowed during his campaign that he would seek to reinstate the ban.
The White House quickly distanced itself from Holder's comments in February, but the president said during a press conference in Mexico City in April that he has "not backed off at all from my belief that the assault weapons ban makes sense."
Obama acknowledged at the press conference that he was not "under any illusions that reinstating that ban would be easy."
A bi-national panel of former government officials and scholars issued a report on Friday recommending the reinstatement of the assault weapons band. It also called for a crackdown on the illegal export of guns to Mexico.
He fears the bitter clingers
If Holder and Obama are not in favor of reinstating the “assault weapon” ban, it means they have something else up their sleeve.
They should.
1) He has no idea what an “assault weapon” is.
2) He doesn’t care about the definition, as long as he’s contraverting the 2nd Ammendment.
3) They have no intent to disarm “criminals”, because there focus is on disarming the law abiding citizen.
4) Actual crime prevention is very low on his list of priorities.
I think the BO administration know they have too many irons in the fire. Once they get past 2010 elections, Health Care, and Cap and Trade, they will risk their remaining political capital on gun control.
UN??
I'm sure that sealing our southern border will be at the top of the priority list.
/sarc
I can’t wait until the 2010 elections when the RATS lose both houses of congress.
Yes, that is very true.
Don’t you know this socialist administration will be pulling out all of the stops, once they believe they cannot get re-elected because of either term limit after the first four years or public opinion leading up to the last of this term.
I think they are waiting until after the 2010 elections. If they can get past that without losing too many seats, they can unleash hell.
That's what they are really talking about
“The department is currently reviewing existing gun laws to determine how best to combat gun violence and keep guns out of the hands of criminals and others prohibited from possessing them.”
Here's a novel approach – try actually going after the criminals instead of creating news laws that only destroy the Constitutional rights of the law-abiding citizens.
I know, I know... crazy ideas...
Don't worry, they're just working down the priority list.
Attempting to take our means of overthrowing tyranny is still on the list.
They are waiting till after Nov 2010.
Keep buying.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.