As I Predicted, George W. Bush Is Backing Bill Clinton's Gun Ban

Toogood Reports ^ | April 15, 2003 | By Chuck Baldwin

[Uncle Bill]

As I Predicted, George W. Bush
Is Backing Bill Clinton's Gun Ban

TooGood Reports
By Chuck Baldwin
Chuck Baldwin Website
April 15, 2003

In this column dated December 17, 2002, I predicted that President G.W. Bush would support the so-called assault weapons ban first promoted by former President Bill Clinton and Sen. Diane Feinstein back in 1994. Interestingly enough, the gun ban became law on the strength of a tie-breaking vote by then Vice President Al Gore. The ban is scheduled to sunset next year, but Bush is joining Clinton and Gore in supporting an extension.

Presidential spokesman Scott McClellan said, "The president supports the current law (the Clinton gun ban), and he supports reauthorization of the current law."

This must come as quite a blow to people such as the leaders of the National Rifle Association who campaigned heavily for Bush touting him as a "pro-gun" candidate. Since his election, the NRA and others have repeatedly reaffirmed their support for Bush, because he is "pro-gun." Well, now the mask is off!

I have tried to warn my readers that Bush is not a true conservative. He is not pro-life; he is not pro-family; he is not pro-Constitution. And now we know he is not pro-gun.

Instead of reversing the miserable policies of Clinton/Gore, Bush is helping to harden the cement around those policies. The gun issue is no exception.

The so-called assault weapons ban was the benchmark piece of legislation reflecting the anti-gun policies of people such as Clinton, Gore, Feinstein, and New York Senator Charles Schumer. It was also the number one target of the NRA. In fact, the NRA all but promised their supporters that a Bush presidency would help reverse this Draconian gun ban. Instead, Bush is pushing Congress to extend the ban.

A bill to reauthorize the gun ban will be introduced by Senator Feinstein in the coming weeks. It must pass both chambers of Congress to reach the President's desk. The best chance of stopping it will be in the House of Representatives. However, in order to defeat this bill, it must resist the power and influence of the White House. This will be no small task.

Not only is Bush betraying the pro-gun voters who helped elect him, he is breathing new life into a nearly dead anti-gun movement. Most political analysts credit Bush's pro-gun image as the chief reason he defeated Al Gore in the 2000 election. They also credit the pro-gun image of the Republican Party for helping them to achieve impressive wins in the 2002 congressional elections.

Now, Bush is giving new credibility to anti-gun zealots such as Schumer and Feinstein and is helping to reinvigorate the anti-gun momentum that had all but been put on ice.

However, the real question will be, "Will pro-gun conservatives continue to support Bush?" Bush is every bit the "Teflon President" that Clinton was. Conservatives seem willing to overlook anything he does, no matter how liberal or unconstitutional it may be. Will they overlook this, also?

If you truly believe in the Second Amendment and are willing to do something about it, I suggest you go to the Gun Owners of America website. They have a quick link set up which allows people an opportunity to conveniently send email to the White House about this issue. Go to the gun ban "alert" button. From there you can voice your disapproval with the President's decision to betray his constituents by supporting this new round of gun control.

Once again, the ball of freedom and constitutional government is in the court of the American people. Will they keep the ball and do something with it, or will they hand it off to the neo-conservatives at the White House? We'll see.

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PLEASE Don't Sit out 2004, EVEN IF Bush signs the AW ban extention

Bush Supports New Extension Of Assault-Weapons Ban

Bush Backs Renewing Assault Weapons Ban

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"That’s why I’m for instant background checks at gun shows. I’m for trigger locks."
George W. Bush - Source: St. Louis debate Oct 17,2000.

MORE INJUSTICE ON THE WAY - Bush GUN CONTROL
"Gene Healy, a Cato Institute scholar, recently provided a thorough exploration of the unintended consequences of one law, the new Bush-Ashcroft plan to federalize gun crimes, known as the Project Safe Neighborhoods program. The unintended consequences of this law are frightening."
NOTE: Same Article in Washington Times.

There Goes the Neighborhood: The Bush-Ashcroft Plan to "Help" Localities Fight Gun Crime, by Gene Healy

"W. Wimps Out on Guns"
The Bush package includes several pet causes of the gun-control lobby, including $75 million for gun locks; $15.3 million for 113 new federal attorneys to serve as full-time gun prosecutors; and $19.1 million to expand a program by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms aimed at preventing youths from obtaining guns. Although Bush stressed that he simply wants to "enforce existing laws," the fine print of Project Safe echoes the gun-grabbing Left's call to ban the importation of high-capacity ammunition clips."

Project Safe Neighborhoods, A Closer Look

LAURA BUSH:
"During her San Diego speech, for instance, she said nothing about the school shooting that occurred 20 miles away in El Cajon the day before, although in a television interview she condemned it, adding that she thinks more gun control laws are needed.

"I think that's very important," she said when asked by CNN whether stronger gun laws are needed."
Source.

EMERSON & THE SECOND AMENDMENT

A Gutless Supreme Court Decision - Gun Control

Republican Leadership Help Push Gun Control

Bush's Assault On Second Amendment

NEA Resource Text Guide In Regards To The Extreme Right - Where Do Your Kids Go To School?
"The radical right says it is pro-life but it bitterly opposes gun control legislation"

or

A Problem With Guns?

Thanks for that Patriot Act George

[PuNcH]

My husband is a gun collector, member of the NRA and an avid hunter. He doesn't need an assault weapon and I don't think anyone else does. You can hardly say that an assualt weapon is a sportsmens gun. Well...flame away all

The 2nd amendment isnt a sportsman's right.

What is a sportsman's gun? A bolt action sniper(hunting) rifle firing a bullet 3 times heavier than what is fired from a M16? A scatter gun, streetsweeper, riot gun(shotgun)?

[wardaddy]

It is arguably the biggest social issue....maybe eased out by infanticide by a nose.

BUT....any gunowner who votes Dem or stays home is only making matters worse than they already are.

Sad to say but true.

I see no alternative but to stay the course and work on W and Rove...and our congressmen.

I wish W would take a stand and not play politics but he's not apparently. Maybe he really believes that it will never reach his desk as is or not at all. He is a decent man but he can miscalculate, he is not perfect. Listening to Powell on the UN recently was a mistake in my humble estimation. Some here will say he wished to give them enough rope to hang themselves. Maybe but I'm loathe to declare any CIC a perpetual Rainmaker.
I heard recently where either Ashcroft or some other high ranking Pubbie was not in favor of extending the ban.

I will look for it for what it's worth.

[ApesForEvolution]

Between the NRA and GOA (and inspite of the small percentage of morons that pay NRA dues and yet are still for banning 'assault' 'weapons'), Bush picked up several million votes.

How many of those votes doesn't want this go 'round??

[PuNcH]

I brought up this point, because everybody speaking against the ban claims that the Constitution gives them an unlimited right to own any arm they want. You have just provided evidence that they don't.

That is nice. Why dont you speed this up and tell us why semi-auto rifles should be banned?

[UbonGhostrider]

Try to be well read, the Second Ammendment isn't about hunting, or sporting firearms.

[frostbit]

"...was afraid of guns when I met her...the gun issue was foreign to her."


Exactly. Which is why the term "assault weapon" scares soccer moms.

They are MACHINES. They are neither GOOD nor EVIL, they just ARE.

And like a car, they can be used to take a sick child to the hospital or mow down pedestrians in the crosswalk, depending on the driver. Far more uneventful trips happen daily, but the fatal crash always makes the news.

Until people are educated as you did with your girlfriend, they are scared of the unknown. Does everyone remember how they felt the first time driving on the interstate?

[ApesForEvolution]

Nail, meet hammer.

[OOPisforLiberals]

Actually, the 2nd Amendment -is- about hunting.

Its about hunting Politicians. And that's what the politicos would like people to forget.

[dcwusmc]

And just when did the BEDROCK of our God-given rights become a
"peripheral" issue? When did self defense and defense of freedom get put on the back burner? You are looney-tunes!

[okiesap]

And we can't underestimate the economic/pocket book perceptions. Even though Presidents often have little real power to affect it, they sometimes get lucky as Clinton did to reside over an economy PERCEIVED to be strong.

Republicans might look into pushing the connection between a sound military and a stable economy after 9/11.

[gdc61]

yes your right! i even heard he has done a few abortions!

[Deb]

How do you figure he's "soft on guns"? After he signed the right to carry law in Texas and his AG recently affirmed that the 2nd means what it says?

As for this absurd thread, if there was a link to the "quote" backing it up, if it was a year from now and the title said something like, "Let's Convince Bush to Dump the Gun Ban", I might take this whole doggie poop thread seriously.

As it is, the title alone tells me neither the writer or Uncle Bill give dink about guns. This is clearly a bogus dodge to trash GW. It's garbage like everything Uncle Bill drags in here.

[UbonGhostrider]

The Second Ammendment isn't about anyone's sporting or hunting firearms, it's about our final option to keeping America's liberties.

[ApesForEvolution]

And why shouldn't I be allowed to defend myself and my family if and when JBTs or foreign invaders hit my doorstep? Kazillions of pounds of dope make it into America, but those with no regard for life or law don't get full-autos? Either a man is responsible with a firearm or his is not.

[OOPisforLiberals]

To quote Cooper :

"The rifle is a weapon. Let there be no mistake about that. It is a tool of power, and thus dependant solely upon the moral stature of its user. It is equally useful in securing meat for the table, destroying group enemies on the battlefield and resisting tyranny. In fact, it is the only means of resisting tyranny, because a citizenry armed with rifles simply cannot be tyrannized."

You can spout "sportsmen" arguments until you're blue in the face - that ain't what its about.

[B Knotts]

Well, he said that he supported the "current ban," which I took to mean the current ban, which sunsets in 2004. I don't think he every specifically said he favored renewing it, and I honestly believed (I know, wishful thinking) that he would stand up for the Second Amendment and let it expire.

I really don't get it; he is not going to gain any advantage from taking this position, and he stands to lose a not-inconsiderable amount of support from gun owners, who essentially elected him in 2000.

[Joe Hadenuf]

I just think of people like Olympia Snowe and others in the same party trying too knock down the Bush approval rating.

When it comes to our greatest freedom, the second amendment, I don't give a damn about anyone's approval ratings.......

[diamond6]

I may not know a lot about guns, but I do know a lot more about the Constitution than you. Do you know that the 2nd amendment was originally based on a state-run militia? That would now fall to our National Guard.

[Deb]

If you really think we have a Republican-controlled "Senate", you're too dumb to post here.

[wardaddy]

More muddy waters:

Ashcroft Acquiring Bigger Policy Role for Justice Dept. New York Times - Mar 14, 2003 ... Gun control groups have also attacked Mr. Ashcroft for seeking to ... last week by refusing to support a reauthorization of the ban on assault weapons ...