Democrats....Bush Key on Assault Weapons

Associated Press - Las Vegas Sun.com ^ | May 14, 2003 | Jim Abrams

[Godebert]

By JIM ABRAMS

ASSOCIATED PRESS

WASHINGTON (AP) -

President Bush should take the lead in overcoming resistance within his own party to extending an assault weapons ban due to expire next year, Democrats said Wednesday.

"If the bill dies we will lay it at the president's doorstep," Sen. Charles Schumer, D-N.Y., said a day after House Majority Leader Tom DeLay told reporters that the 1994 law banning the manufacture of 19 types of common military-style assault weapons would not be renewed.

Schumer said the gun bill would be an issue in the 2004 election, a development that could pose problems for Democrats who represent districts with strong gun rights sentiment. The assault ban vote was also a campaign topic in 1994, the year Republicans recaptured the House after spending 40 years in the minority.

Bush, taking a position at odds with the National Rifle Association, has voiced support for extending the ban, and White House spokesman Ari Fleischer on Wednesday said that support would carry weight in Congress.

"This is a matter that the House has to work out, of course, by listening to the will of its members, but the president's position is clear on it," Fleischer said. "When the president states his position like that, it helps get the message to the Congress."

Fleischer would not say whether Bush would pressure DeLay to bring such a bill up for a vote. DeLay, R-Texas, on Tuesday indicated that there would be no effort to renew the current law before it expires on Sept. 13, 2004. "The votes in the House are not there to reauthorize it," he said.

"The real question is will the president weigh in and ask the leaders to schedule a vote," said Rep. Rahm Emanuel, D-Ill., who as a senior adviser to President Clinton played a key role in guiding the 1994 legislation through Congress.

[AlbionGirl]

Not trying to be arguementative here, but do you have stats on 2A voters as it relates to the '00 elections? I've never seen stats that verify your assertion.

President Bush lost quite a few 'gun' states, if I remember correctly. Did he take Pennsylvania, Michigan, Missouri, Minnesota? I know he took quite a few Southern 'gun' states, but were guns the sole issue there?

Here in upstate NY there are a lot of gun owners, but they mostly use their guns for hunting. They don't seem to have that same antipathy to restrictions that I see voiced here at FR. Hillary and Shumer took a good chunk of the upstate vote when they ran, which surprised me.

[TLBSHOW]

Some of us are friends but as Joe Sabia said so well this week.

Do Right-Wingers Ever Defend Their Own?

A few months back, right-wing pundits at National Review and The Weekly Standard began to pressure Trent Lott into resigning as Senate Majority Leader because he told an “offensive” joke at Strom Thurmond’s 100th birthday party. Almost no conservative journalists—save the excommunicated Pat Buchanan and Bob Novak—defended Lott from unfair, outrageous, and unproven charges of racism. Rather, they piled on and locked arms with Jesse Jackson, Maxine Waters, and Tom Daschle to oust Lott.

snip



I guess it’s true—to paraphrase Harry Truman, if you’re in the conservative movement nowadays and you want a friend, get a dog.
http://www.cornellreview.org/nsogart.cgi?num=135

[deport]

No I didn't miss it.... how could you..... such griping suspense in the way the words were woven.

[Howlin]

Yeah, sort of like 500,000 votes for the Constitution Party, which, I might guess, would STILL be posted as FACT on this thread if somebody who KNEW BETTER hadn't come along.

Try not to be so noble.

[Howlin]

Thanks for proving my point yet again. You have no thoughts of your own, except ones you cannot back up.

Parrot.

[TLBSHOW]

at least I don't post TV threads of other peoples thoughts.

[TomServo]

You have no thoughts of your own, except ones you cannot back up.

What really gets me he posts anti-Bush threads and then posts the title/and snip from that thread. Weird.

[Godebert]

" President Bush lost quite a few 'gun' states, if I remember correctly. Did he take Pennsylvania, Michigan, Missouri, Minnesota? I know he took quite a few Southern 'gun' states, but were guns the sole issue there? "

He took every Southern State. Every single one. Take a look at the 2000 electoral map sometime when you have a chance.

[Southflanknorthpawsis]

Oh yeah.....I know. You are so sweet and virtuous and I am so mean. What a crock of hypocrisy.

[TLBSHOW]

I guess you missed it.

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/911028/posts

[Southflanknorthpawsis]

Why would I want to change my tagline? It's just a funny quote from Major Payne. Get a grip.

Ooh.....touchy, aren't we? *giggle*

[TomServo]

I guess you missed it.

No I didn't miss it, Todd. What I don't understand is your seemingly never-ending battle against the President and then you have the gall to pose the question, "Do right-wingers ever defend their own". Do us a favor Todd - and quit defending him.

[FreeReign]

He took every Southern State. Every single one. Take a look at the 2000 electoral map sometime when you have a chance.

So then Bush took every southern state after campaigning that he would support the AWB.

[Howlin]

at least I don't post TV threads of other peoples thoughts.

You are sure hung up on those live threads, aren't you? Of course you would be though; nobody on those threads is interested in cut and paste jobs and it's kind of hard to find other people's words about live events, isn't it?

Of course, not having a TV would hamper your participation, too.

[FSPress]

When that thing is done doing whatever it's doing to itself, I hope it cleans up after itself.

[Sir Gawain]

Come on. You can do better than that. You only got fat jokes in your personal attack bag?

[ExSoldier]

"Perhaps you like cutting off your nose to spite your face."

I, too, have been accused of this. Well, I think that gun owners are the poor stepchildren of the Republican Party and I am sick and tired of being treated like a red headed stepchild and getting a beating all the time! We are taken for granted just as the blacks are taken for granted by the Dems because we obviously have no place else to go. I think it's worthwhile to send a chilling message to the lukewarm left in the 'Pubbies ranks and send a President packing just once! If Bush takes a proactive part in renewing the ban I'll also vote the Constitution Party. A man has to take a stand for his core beliefs or he has no beliefs.

The Constitution allows a way to fight a defensive battle and maintain our freedoms for four years while the "centrists" rethink their positions and come to a more pro-gun viewpoint. The Dems are doing this quite well right now.

[Sir Gawain]

Ooh.....touchy, aren't we? *giggle*

Yeah you really got me there. Give yourself a high five.

[Southflanknorthpawsis]

Well, actually you provided me more material with your juvenile manner and tagline........oh that precious tagline. Priceless !!!!!!

[Howlin]

This was one of my favorites:

Who's with President Bush?

To which he added:

--->>>>> (We learn a sad truth here)<<<<<-------------

Insinuating Bush was a traitor.