[sneakypete]

Bush's Ashcroft seems clearly better on the Second Amendment than we'd get with a Gore nominee.

The "No-Justice Dept" under Janet Ashcroft has a OFFICIAL WRITTEN POSITION that "although the 2nd Amendment guarantees the individual the right to own guns,the federal government still reserves the right to place reasonable restrictions on that right". In other words,"I did NOT have sex with that woman,Monica Lewinsky". If they can regulate it,with "reasonable restrictions" and THEY are the ones who gets to define what "reasonable" is,the individual right is null and void.

[secretagent]

Dittos to your concern that the feds might destroy the 2nd Amendment via "reasonable regulation" and thanks for the Justice Department quote:

"although the 2nd Amendment guarantees the individual the right to own guns,the federal government still reserves the right to place reasonable restrictions on that right".

I prefer to hope for this as a bright spot in the Bush administration, since the JD supports, at least rhetorically, the individual right to keep and bear arms.

(I see reasonable regulation as including the possession of nuclear weapons and other WMD - drawing the bright margin line, well...)

In specific defense of Ashcroft - I think he defended not keeping a national database of gun owners.