Gun reformers press Obama for action

[ellisonz]

By Mike Lillis - 01/24/12 03:42 PM ET

Some of the country's most prominent gun reformers are urging President Obama to promote stricter firearm rules in tonight's national address.

Mayors Against Illegal Guns — a group headed by New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg and Boston Mayor Thomas Menino – called on Obama this week to use the State of the Union speech to press Congress for tighter background checks on potential weapons buyers.

"Last year, 12,000 Americans were murdered with guns," Bloomberg and Menino wrote Monday in a letter to Obama. "But the grim fact that guns are used to murder 34 people a day is barely discussed in Washington — even though the tragic reality is that many of those lives could have been saved if the federal government had fixed its broken background check system."

The gun-reform push carries special resonance surrounding this year's State of the Union, as Rep. Gabrielle Giffords — an Arizona Democrat who survived an assassination attempt last year — is expected to attend.

http://thehill.com/homenews/news/206201-gun-reformers-press-obama-ahead-of-sotu

My question to you: will gun control be an election issue this year?

[tularetom]

2. Well I got a letter from the NRA

That said that Obama had already placed all sorts of unreasonable restrictions on the purchase and ownership of firearms.

So WTF is it with this Obama guy? He's managed to piss off all the nuts on both sides of this debate.

[ellisonz]

3. The NRA is pretty reactionary...

...but it just goes to show that their 2012 campaign against Obama is underway.

Obama is pissing people off on both sides because there in unreasonableness on both sides.

[julian09]

4. Al Gore lost election because of stance on guns.

[ellisonz]

5. Two words: Ralph Nader. n/t

[ProgressiveProfessor]

7. Lots of state and local elections have effectively been lost over gun rights

The intelligent people who care about the party are declaring it a loser and running away from it.

[ellisonz]

9. We will get a better idea tonight if the President is going to address the issue further...

President Obama: We must seek agreement on gun reforms
President Barack Obama Special To The Arizona Daily Star | Posted: Sunday, March 13, 2011 12:00 am

http://azstarnet.com/article_011e7118-8951-5206-a878-39bfbc9dc89d.html

I think we might get some comments like this tonight. The White House didn't issue an official statement on the shooting anniversary, so they might basically do so tonight.

Not much longer to wait...

[X_Digger]

12. Nope. Better luck next time. n/t

[ellisonz]

13. Good thing...

...the NRA is going to spend tens of million attacking him.

[X_Digger]

14. Or supporting Democrats who support the second amendment

Such as these from 2010..

[font face='courier']
House:
Altmire, Jason (D-PA)...............$9,900
Arcuri, Michael (D-NY)..............$2,000
Baca, Joe (D-CA)....................$3,000
Barrow, John (D-GA).................$9,900
Berry, Marion (D-AR)................$1,500
Bishop, Sanford D Jr (D-GA).........$7,600
Boccieri, John A (D-OH).............$6,100
Boren, Dan (D-OK)...................$4,950
Boswell, Leonard L (D-IA)...........$7,950
Boucher, Rick (D-VA)................$5,950
Boyd, Allen (D-FL)..................$9,900
Bright, Bobby (D-AL)...............$10,050
....
Total: $335,700

Senate:
Dorgan, Byron L (D-ND)..............$2,500
Ellsworth, Brad (D-IN)..............$9,900
Manchin, Joe (D-WV).................$4,950
Reid, Harry (D-NV)..................$4,950
Total: $22,300

Additional Independent Expenditures to Democratic candidates:

Altmire, Jason..............$10,346
Boren, Dan...................$8,175
Boyd, Allen.................$14,377
Cardoza, Dennis..............$4,322
Childers, Travis W...........$4,518
Davis, Lincoln...............$6,539
Dingell, John D..............$3,626
....
Total: $171,618

Grand Total: $529,618

[/font]

Or the long list of Dem candidates endorsed..

2010 Democratic Endorsements:
Alaska
Scott Kawasaki
Jim Folsom, Jr.

Alabama
Jan Cook
Bobby Bright
Tammy L. Irons
Tom Butler
Zeb Little
Roger Bedford, Jr.
Lowell Barron
Larry Means
Phil Poole
Marc Keahey
T.D. "Ted" Little
Billy Beasley
John "Jody" Letson
Ken Guin
William E. Thigpen, Sr.
Johnny Mack Morrow
Randy Hinshaw
Butch Taylor
......
Wyoming:
Kathlyn Sessions
Saundra Meyer
Stan Blake
Michael Gilmore

Wisconsin:
Ron Kind
Steve Kagen
Russ Decker
Kathleen Vinehout
Amy Sue Vruwink
Marlin Schneider
Chris Danou

[ellisonz]

15. Which is like what: 12% of their contribution to the cycle?

Just admit it: the NRA will attack Obama no matter what because he is a Democrat.

[X_Digger]

17. Actually, in the house, it splits 65/35

The percentage going to Dems was 47% before 1994. After the so-called 'assault weapons ban' it dropped to 10%. It's been climbing back up since then.

It didn't help that the President had a renewal of the 'ban' as part of his platform on change.gov then whitehouse.gov.

[Responder3]

22. That is true.

Remember how Clinton was "coming for bour guns!"?

[Kwarg]

8. Bad idea

Gun control reform is unnecessary at this time.

[pinto]

10. RKBA issues are best discussed in tthe RKBA forum. Thanks.

Locking ~ pinto

[pinto]

11. On some review, unlocked.

~ pinto

[ProgressiveProfessor]

19. As a mod, you should be able to move the thread to a more appropriate area

Its one of the few things about the new DU3 I do not like

[Stinky The Clown]

21. There are no more mods

Hosts have only one power and that is to lock off topic threads.

[ProgressiveProfessor]

23. Mods by any name...and they should be able to shuffle threads to the right group/forum

[Lone_Star_Dem]

25. There's no such option for hosts

They're nothing like mods were before. All they can do is lock a topic in a forum if it doesn't meet the SOP. Nothing more. That's the entire extent of a forum mods "powers."

As an aside, the entire ability to move threads does not exist on DU3 at all.

[ProgressiveProfessor]

27. IIRC In some (all?) groups/forums they can also ban participation

[Lone_Star_Dem]

28. Group hosts can ban you from their group only.

Forum hosts have no such power. All they can do is lock for SOP violations.

[ellisonz]

26. The rules for this forum are a little different...

...than those for GD. Discussion of the "disclaimed" are permitted on a case-by-case basis so long as they are topical to the election, which this article is as it relates to the SOTU, which most are describing as the Obama campaign kick-off for 2012.

[jberryhill]

16. Sure - the GOP will pretend it is NO MATTER WHAT

I don't think I've heard the president mention firearms in three years.

But we'll hear about gun-grabbing Obama for months from these shitheads.

[Lone_Star_Dem]

18. It will once again be a manufactured issue

If you were paying attention it was in 2008 as well. Not that it really was an issue, but the Republicans created one and used it to get a chunk of their base to the polls. Of course the only thing that came from all that in the end is a huge spike in the prices of guns and ammo from the fake scare they manufactured.

The stupidity of the Republican base will never cease to amaze me.

[Bill O-Rights]

20. If he caves into the gun grabbers, he will lose. It's just that simple.

...

[steve2470]

24. If Obama does ANYTHING whatsoever about guns this year, he's toast

I say anything, because it will be twisted into OMFG HE'S GRABBING ALL THE GUNS.