Obama Looking For Ways Around Congress On Gun Policy

[still_one]

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/03/15/obama-gun-laws-congress_n_836138.html


WASHINGTON -- Faced with a Congress hostile to even slight restrictions of Second Amendment rights, the Obama administration is exploring potential changes to gun laws that can be secured strictly through executive action, administration officials say.

[Scuba]

1. Around them? He should steamroll any NRA shills.

[former-republican]

2. Executive orders .... how do they work

I know

[MineralMan]

3. I believe the BATF is still

a part of the Justice Dept., which is a part of the Executive Branch. There may just be some things President Obama can do by Executive Order.

[ProgressiveProfessor]

9. EO would be limited. They would have to follow the standard rule making process..........eom

[Lurks Often]

4. Be careful of what you wish for

it might just set up a legal precedent for a future Republican president to use executive orders to ban/restrict/regulate things that YOU do care about.


Oh yes, the article is from May 2011, not exactly current.

[Whovian]

5. What?

Pot's a given, but unless they go after chicken wings I see no problems here.

[Lurks Often]

6. Pot, same sex marriage

and probably a dozen more things neither of us have considered. Just remember, if you give a Democratic President a legal precedent, you give that same legal precedent to any future President as well, Democratic, Republican or a even a party yet to be created.

[derby378]

7. Old news!

If the President had found any such executive bypasses, he would have quietly implemented them by now.

[ProgressiveProfessor]

8. It would not have gone quietly

Unless there is a justifiable emergency there would have to be a Notice of Rule Making, comment periods, etc before it could be come binding. Then the legal challenges would start. Still there are things the BATF could try and do.

The Executive branch wants to lay this on the feet of the Congress. Congress, knowing that in many places there will be a backlash, really wants the Executive branch to lead and take the heat since Obama cannot run again. Regardless, there will be a backlash. How far reaching is TBD.