Facing jeers and boos, Rubio shifts on guns during tense forum

[riversedge]

Source: Politico





It was a striking turnabout for Rubio, who never met a gun-rights bill he didn’t vote for in the Florida legislature and in Congress.

By MARC CAPUTO and REBECCA MORIN Updated 02/22/2018 12:19 AM EST


The mass shootings in Newtown, Orlando, Las Vegas and even Fort Lauderdale didn’t get Sen. Marco Rubio to seriously reconsider his position on guns.

But Rubio shifted on firearms Wednesday night as he weathered the righteous anger of a parent and of the students who survived the Valentine’s Day massacre at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School and who then faced him onstage at a CNN town hall in purple Florida’s liberal bastion of Broward County.

Jeered and booed by the crowd, buffeted by tough questions, Rubio stood alone as the only Republican onstage, in purple Florida’s liberal bastion of Broward County. He broke with President Trump on whether to arm teachers. Rubio said it was a bad idea. He said he would favor raising the minimum age to purchase an assault rifle from 18 to 21. And he said he would consider restricting the size of magazines for firearms.

....................................But Rubio steadfastly refused to consider banning semiautomatic rifles outright. And he said he would not refuse money from the National Rifle Association, which has steered $3.3 million in contributions to him over the course of his career and given him an A+ rating — support he might not be able to count on after Wednesday night...........................................

Read more: https://www.politico.com/story/2018/02/21/marco-rubio-age-limit-rifles-421647

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A few baby steps for marco related to #gunreformnow!



Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School student Cameron Kasky, journalist Jake tapper and Sen. Marco Rubio are pictured. | AP Photo

Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School student Cameron Kasky asks a question to Sen. Marco Rubio during a CNN town hall meeting at the BB&T Center in Sunrise, Fla. on Feb. 21. | Michael Laughlin/South Florida Sun-Sentinel via AP

[riversedge]

1. But when Rubio said an assault weapons ban would not have prevented last weeks murders, the boos

.....................Rubio was met with applause and went on to say he supports banning “bump stocks,” which can make a semiautomatic fire like a machine gun. He also voiced his support for better background checks and mental health funding.

But when Rubio said an “assault weapons ban” would not have prevented last week’s murders, the boos rained down.

“It is too easy to get,” Guttenburg said. “It is a weapon of war. The fact that you can’t stand with everybody in this building and say that, I’m sorry.”

[Salviati]

2. No one should trust a word any republican says on the issue until they take action.

Peoples best bet for gun reform is to vote them all out of office.

[cstanleytech]

8. True however for real reform we need to get the 2nd Amendment amended in order

to give the government the real ability to keep such weapons away from the general public.

[lagomorph777]

3. Obviously he will continue in his ways

until he is removed from office. For now, unfortunately, the best we'll be able to do is remove his majority.

[yallerdawg]

4. It was unnerving to watch Rubio...

pander for NRA money in front of that mournful, wounded crowd.

He showed up just to make that calculated stand.

[Plucketeer]

5. "Little Marco"

refers to his brain and his heart.

[IronLionZion]

6. Let them be wishy washy, weak, waffling desperately

Our side needs to be solidly in favor of sensible reforms and united and unwavering in our demands.

These purple state Republicans can desperately try to pander to both sides and lose both in the process. Gun nuts won't vote Dem anyway so forget pandering to them. And tie him to Trump every chance we get.

[B Stieg]

7. A spine made out of dollar bills!

3.3 million, NRA dollar bills, that is...

[ace3csusm]

9. Florida Need to Recall Sen. Marco Rubio

he showed last night that he stands for the NRA not the People of Florida...#RecallRubioLivesMatter

[Skittles]

10. I'll give him points for showing up

but he is still a fucking worm