“Feinstein: Not The Time For [AWB] Gun Control" Obama still supports AWB

[jody]

Feinstein: Not The Time For Gun Control (CBS 60 Minutes, 12 April 09)

(CBS) The California senator who authored the nation's now-lapsed 1994 ban on assault weapons says she will hold off trying to renew that ban.

Dianne Feinstein (D.-Calif.) tells 60 Minutes correspondent Lesley Stahl that the political timing isn't right and she will move to renew the ban at a future time of her own choosing. Feinstein appears in Stahl's report on the increase in gun sales taking place in America to be broadcast this Sunday, April 12, at 7 p.m. ET/PT.

Asked by Stahl if trying to renew the assault weapons ban would start a culture war and pose a distraction for an already overburdened Obama Administration, Feinstein replies, "I agree with you." "So you are going to hold off?" asks Stahl. "That's correct. I'll pick the time and the place, no question about it," Feinstein tells Stahl.

But even if she pursued the renewal, the votes may not be there today in either the Senate or the House. Both Houses of Congress gained pro-gun Democrats this past election, some of whom won the support of the National Rifle Association. "I am not going to disagree with that at all," says Feinstein. "The National Rifle Association essentially has a stranglehold on the Congress."

"Obama and Biden . . . also support making the expired federal Assault Weapons Ban permanent." (The White House)

[Warren Stupidity]

1. Oddly, it is never the right time to do the right thing.

Gun control is not at the top of my list, in fact I am massively ambivalent on this issue, but the theme of the early days of the Obama administration is repeated here: not now, children.

If not now, when?

[jody]

3. IMO we should first take all guns from criminals and provide mental health care for others who may

be threats for murder-suicide attempts.

Then we could take guns away from law-abiding citizens but that would be unnecessary because the problem with criminals and mentally disturbed people using guns would no longer exist.

Anti-RKBA groups want to disarm victims and pro-RKBA groups want to disarm criminals.

[Redneck Socialist]

2. Ha Ha!

Memo to Senator Feinstein: The timing will never be right. You don't have the votes for it thankfully.

[Tim01]

4. She wants the AWB right now. She just can't get it.

She will try to bring it back as soon as she can.

Noted.

[Metta]

5. Feinstein the war profiteer is certainly a credible source on this one.

... can't wait for her to be defeated.

[aikoaiko]

6. Its not the NRA that has a stranglehold on Congress, its the voters -- as it should be.

Its the voters who are rejecting the AWB and other useles gun laws, but welcome more intelligent, useful, and constitutional gun laws.

[rl6214]

13. Right on the money

I hear so much here about the "silent Majority" that thinks gun control is the way to go. If they were the majority, why can't they get the votes to enact the bans they want to.

[spin]

7. Well, you can expect the sale of "assault weapons"...

to continue at the same high rate.

If Democrats actually wanted to reduce the number of "assault weapons" in civilian hands in the future, they would be wise to drop the AWB entirely. Obama could make a real difference by stating in no uncertain terms that he would not sign any new AWB into law.

Instead we could work to improve the NICS background check by better funding and finding a method to include a flag for those with serious mental conditions. We could work to set up a system to insure that private sales between individuals would require an NICS check run by a gun store or possibly even a licensing agency of local government. The cost of this check should not be prohibitive.

We could also insist that law enforcement focus on taking illegal firearms off the street. Any criminal caught carrying an illegal firearm should face draconian punishment. Carrying an illegal weapon should never be plea bargained away.

And we could launch a coordinated effort involving local, state and Federal agencies to fight organized drug gangs and stop the violence that not only takes gang members' lives but also the lives of innocent bystanders.

Wake up people! The Assault Weapons Ban is a dead horse! Stop beating it! It died for a reason as it was only a "feel good" law that accomplished nothing except to make these firearms extremely popular.

Democrats have been the best gun salesmen in this country.

Comments like those made by Feinstein have the Republicans salivating over the number of Congressional seats they will pick up at the midterm election. I realize that Dianne Feinstein is the senior senator from California and she has strong opinions on the issue of firearms but her views are hurting the good that the Democratic Party could accomplish if it maintained control of Congress and the Presidency for at least the next eight years.

Remember that Feinstein expressed her real views on 60 minutes in 1995.

If I could have gotten 51 votes in the Senate of the United States for an out right ban,
picking up every one of them... "Mr. and Mrs. America, turn 'em all in,
"I would have done it. I could not do that. The votes weren't here."
--U.S. Senator Dianne Feinstein (D-CA), CBS-TV's "60 Minutes," 2/5/95

[jody]

8. As long as Obama remains silent, he encourages voters to view the Dem Party as gun-grabbers.

Anti-RKBA groups want to disarm victims and pro-RKBA groups want to disarm criminals.

[spin]

9. Exactly, If Obama wants to be viewed by history...

as a truly great President he needs to break with the old tired policies of the past.

People who are pro-gun and people who are anti-gun both want a solution to the violence and the tragedy of mass murder by mentally unstable individuals that seems to have infected our country.

We will never be able to totally solve these problems but I seriously believe that Obama can work with both groups to come up with some new approaches that will prove far more effective than the sad failures such as the old AWB.

I voted for him because I seriously believed he represented change. Reinstating the AWB or other idiotic "feel good" laws is far from change and in fact is an admission that the problem of firearm violence in this country is too difficult and expensive to solve.

[Pullo]

10. Dammit, spin

Your are 100% right on this....

....and a Steeler fan too. You display sound judgment all around. :)

[spin]

11. Thanks, Go Steelers! (n/t)

[Tim01]

12. I think she will pick President Obamas second term.

And I think he will agree with her.

[Iktomiwicasa]

14. "I'll pick the time and the place, no question about it,"

Got news for you, toots. Opposition to a renewed ban will only be stronger the more time passes. Gun owners are well organized and aren't likely to put up with your nonsense. Want to keep a majority? Drop the gun control bullshit.

[virginia mountainman]

15. Hmmmm....... O Well....So much for this "talk"

I wonder how all the Mike Day, and his coworkers will feel if Feinstein once again, gets to ban the most popular rifles in America?? Not to mention the employee free choice act.