O'Rourke's buyback pledge unsettles senators working on gun control compromise bills

[left-of-center2012]

Former Rep. Beto O'Rourke's full-throated call for a mandatory government buyback of assault-style weapons has frustrated some lawmakers on Capitol Hill who are trying to find a way forward on gun legislation that Republicans and Democrats can agree on.

The argument is that O'Rourke's comment feeds into a long-held conservative talking point that opening the door to any changes on gun laws -- even something as minor as expanding background checks -- could lead Democrats to eventually force people to give up their guns.

"I frankly think that that clip will be played for years at Second Amendment rallies with organizations that try to scare people by saying Democrats are coming for your guns," Sen. Chris Coons, D-Delaware, told CNN's Poppy Harlow on "Newsroom" Friday morning. Asked if he's supportive of O'Rourke's pledge, Coons responded, "I am not. I don't think a majority of the Senate or the country is going to embrace mandatory buybacks. We need to focus on what we can get done," Coons added.

A Democratic aide said O'Rourke's comments "only feeds into the NRA's narrative that Democrats are going to take away your guns. If Beto wants to actually solve of these problems, he should help negotiate or encourage his colleagues to pass common-sense background checks," the aide said.

https://www.cnn.com/2019/09/13/politics/chris-coons-beto-orourke-guns-cnntv/index.html

[greymattermom]

1. So why not have it as one option?

That would work for folks who inherit a bunch of assault rifles, and maybe for folks who get into financial trouble. If the guns could be off the street, then sellers wouldn't have to worry about background checks. And, if background checks are mandatory and carry substantial penalties if not carried out, buybacks would be a good option.

[dalton99a]

2. +1. From New Zealand's buyback program:

[calguy]

3. I wish Beto hadn't said that

It won't win us any new voters and will only help solidify the NRA position.
But Beto is in the same boat as Castro. Two lower tier candidates who needed to do something, ANYTHING, to separate themselves from the pack and gain some political traction for their struggling campaigns.
So while I wish he wouldn't have said it, I can clearly understand why he did.

[dalton99a]

4. Says the GOP's favorite Democrat

The guy who helped speed up Mike Pompeo’s secretary of state nomination

[aikoaiko]

5. Its bad policy. And bad strategy. He's at 2.8% nationally and worse in IA, NH, NV, and SC.

The polling isn't picking up any upswing in the last three days.

If we see anything attributable to his outburst it will be within the next week.