Free Republic

The Senate is on the verge of approving a new sop to the gun industry that is the latest sad example of what has become of the gun control debate. Many Americans have labored under the mistaken impression that this was a debate about the Constitution and public safety, about the balance between saving lives and assuring law-abiding gun owners and cultural conservatives that the Second Amendment is being protected. In fact, as the legislation before the Senate demonstrates, the Bush administration and its allies in Congress have long been focused simply on making it easier for gun manufacturers and...

WASHINGTON, Feb. 23 — Backers of a bipartisan bill that would shield firearms dealers and manufacturers from lawsuits are pushing for a vote this week in the Senate, injecting the volatile issue of gun control into this year's presidential and Congressional elections. The bill, which would grant legal immunity to gun makers and dealers so long as they did not sell defective weapons or violate any law, has the support of the White House and 55 sponsors in the Senate, including the Democratic and Republican leaders. It has already passed the House and could come up for consideration in the...