Posted on 01/16/2013 5:52:53 PM PST by neverdem
Unlike most issues these days that divide along party lines, the immediate fate of President Obama's new gun proposals will depend not as much on Republicans as his fellow Democrats in the Senate.
Senate Democratic leadership sources tell CNN that passing any new legislation will be extremely difficult because more than a dozen vulnerable Democrats from conservative states will probably resist much of what the president is pushing.
These Democratic sources say the most likely legislation to pass will be strengthening background checks, since it is the least overt form of gun control and it also appeals to gun rights advocates' emphasis on keeping guns away from people with mental health and criminal problems.
Although Senate Democrats like Dianne Feinstein will still make a high-profile push to renew the assault weapons ban and limit ammunition magazines to 10 rounds, senior Democratic sources say it is hard to see those measures getting enough support to pass the Democratic-led Senate.
The focus is on the Senate because Senate Democratic leaders know that House Republicans will not act on anything until the Senate does.
Democratic leadership sources say they intend to spend next week -- the first week the Senate is in session -- canvassing red-state Democrats to see what, if anything, is doable. Democratic senators who advocate various gun control measures will be lobbying their colleagues as well.
At a certain point, Democratic leaders will decide the best course of action, if any...
(Excerpt) Read more at cnn.com ...
A couple of observations on today’s events and their impact on political action:
The President punted. If you read the official releases of what Obama will do, as opposed to what the press is reporting, you will see that today was a publicity stunt. He is making several proclamations, issuing some instructions to federal agencies, and telling Congress to act on all the hard stuff. No assault weapon ban, no high cap magazine ban, no end to private gun sales including gun shows. He put these in the too hard box and told Congress to handle. That’s what the law requires, of course, but when did he ever pay attention to the law. He’s done this because he knows his position is weak. The real polling, not the nonsense that the press is touting, tells him that this is a losing issue so he is trying to fool his base by making a bunch of noise, but he won’t take action. Not because he doesn’t want to, but because he realizes that the issue will hurt his cause.
If he knows it’s a losing issue then you can bet that Congress does as well. The Senate is not going to touch this either. They will honk and cough and strut around, but nothing will happen. Those poor folks in New York State and other liberal bastions will suffer, but the federal government won’t do much on the surface.
The biggest danger from the Feds is going to be in information gathering and sharing and in an attempt to expand the restrictions on gun ownership to a wide range of mental issues. Everyone can be proclaimed crazy, so that is a very real threat and will have to be watched carefully. You could conceivably go to the doctor for a flu shot and end up being declared a threat to society for some mental condition.
If Obama thought that he could have gotten away with it, he would have done much more today. The fact that he didn’t is telling.
....Obamacare also depended heavily on Democrat votes....
I count ten on that list who need to be nowhere near 0.
Maybe Congressman Darrell Issa out to hold his next press conference about Fast and Furious with some widows and orphans of the hundreds of Mexican victims as backdrop. That would be very fitting.
“Senate Democratic leadership sources tell CNN that passing any new legislation will be extremely difficult because more than a dozen vulnerable Democrats....”
Dana, Ima let ya finish, but that is an outright admission that this is about political power, not anyone’s protection.
And you are either to stupid to see it, or most likely, think we are.
Just like in the old USSR.
There’s enough RINOs in the Senate to allow a few vulnerable Donkeys to make a “safe” vote. In the House, there are enough RINOS to go with the fairly solid Donkeys to pass the bill. That’s what happened with the “cliff” bill. A majority of Republican reps voted NO, but it passed with a large majority of Donkeys voting for it, and enough RINOS to pass.
There’s enough RINOs in the Senate to allow a few vulnerable Donkeys to make a “safe” vote. In the House, there are enough RINOS to go with the fairly solid Donkeys to pass the bill. That’s what happened with the “cliff” bill. A majority of Republican reps voted NO, but it passed with a large majority of Donkeys voting for it, and enough RINOS to pass.
Senate Democrats hold key to NOTHING.
Does anybody seriously think the House will go for this? I don’t. Screw the rat senate.
Only bills for raising revenue need to start in the House, otherwise a bill can start in either House. Often ones like this, relatively small, start in both houses with different "authors", but identical language.
Thanks for clarification on that.
The first common-sense change to the crazy-quilt of Gun Laws is to let folks fool around with hearing protectors (suppressors).
I think the plan may be for the Senate to pass FineSwine’s bill, and then when the House fails to pass it, especially if they don’t vote on it, for The Won to implement it by EO, bashing the “Do Nothing”, “Obstructionist” Republican House and justifying it by “The Children Can’t Wait”.
It’s the way he works. Sort of like Lord North and King George.
Not most of them. 200 Republicans will vote NO. Unfortunately 28 Republicans will vote YES, along with 190 Democrats, leading to passage, and signing into law by Obama.
Even if no new laws pass we still have traitors in D.C and assorted states.
According to El Gato, if it is not a fiscal bill it can.
Wimpy R’s concern me more than anything.
You know the Dems ploy will be to make R’s look like they approve of killing innocent chiruns if they back the 2nd.
Of course that is just emotional theater.
Boehner does not give me confidence.
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