Gonzales backs assault weapons ban

The Seattle Post-Intelligencer ^ | January 18, 2005 | JESSE J. HOLLAND

[bad company]

Checkmate.

I understand the premise, but it would be nice if the Bush administration would grow a pair and stand up for what is right instead of making us come in through the back door.

[jonestown]

"The president has made it clear that he stands ready to sign a reauthorization of the federal assault weapons ban if it is sent to him by Congress"

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TheBigB:
It won't be. He knows it, and so does the Prez.

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DTogo:
if it is sent to him by Congress
He knows, as the President does, it will never be sent.

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sinkspur:
The AWB is gone. Dead. Gonzales is not a congressman, and has no power to resurrect it.
His own personal opinion, as Attorney General, is of no consequence.

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You fellas are whistling in the dark.

Congress is chomping at the bit, just waiting for the next 'assault weapons' incident to make them look like heros to the Brady Bun

[Final Authority]

A while back when we on this forum were discussing the merits of GWB before the election and while many here were lamenting that GWB was not a real conservative, ie, one who conserves the Constitution, there were those who used the AWB and the fact that GWB didn't talk about reinstating it as a positive. I wrote that he is just waiting for the election to be over because one way or the other, either Kerry wins or GWB does, that it will be placed before the legislature again and possibly with a bigger bite of our rights as well.

The last thing the ruling elite want in this or any nation is an armed citizenry to correct wrongs and to make things right. GWB epitomizes the ruling elite as would Kerry and Hillary. Gonzales knows who and where his bread is buttered. He will do exactly as ordered but make it look like his initiative.

[sinkspur]

No we're not. The AWB is dead. Tom DeLay has promised to keep it dead.

[snowsislander]

I understand the premise, but it would be nice if the Bush administration would grow a pair and stand up for what is right instead of making us come in through the back door.

That's right -- we need to seize the momentum, not back-pedal and lose ground.

The debate has turned our way: we have passed CCW all over the place, we have already defeated this stupid AWB, and now we have real discussions about the most important one of all, repealing wholesale acts such as the GCA, the NFA, and the FFA. Now is not the time to give a single foot to the gungrabbers -- now is the time to push forward.

[Stew Padasso]

Yep, playing politics with the 2A as opposed to the principled arguments of it's importance. That is not to be admired. Not to mention, the fear factor Mr. Gonzales perpetuates about "assault weapons" (which is largely symbolic blabber for the bigger picture of gun grabbers).

I heard Mort Kondracke on Fox even admit to the "symbolic" meaning of the AWB, and the effort of going after the cosmetics of these weapons as only a stepping stone for further restrictions. Truly pathetic.

[blaquebyrd]

"I just don't understand why anyone is surprised at this. It's not as though Bush didn't make it clear how he felt."

I agree the same folks were surprised when Bush stated that he'd sign CFR if it reached his desk--it did and he did. Next up, amnesty...

[MineralMan]

"You fellas are whistling in the dark.

Congress is chomping at the bit, just waiting for the next 'assault weapons' incident to make them look like heros to the Brady Bun"

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Bingo! They didn't do it in an election year, for sure, but just wait. The Dems are all for it. The RINOS are all for it, and I'll wager there are a bunch of other GOP congresscritters who'll surprise everyone.

Bush has said he's for it. Gonzales says so today. It's coming. It may take some incident to start it, but it's coming.

[B4Ranch]

And Kerry was supposed to be worse? How?

[MineralMan]

"Next up, amnesty...
"

Yup. Then the AWB. And then...who knows?

[Final Authority]

With respect to #21, it seems to me that AWB, CFR, and amnesty can only weaken the Constitution and thereby weaken the USA and all of its people, well, except for the ruling elite. Isn't that always the case?

[neutrino]

There is wisdom in your words.

[JTHomes]

"I worry about his safety and the types of weapons he will confront on the street,"

They should be worried. That ensures they won't harass people who aren't otherwise dangerous. Isn't that the point of the second amendment?

[jonestown]

sinkspur wrote:

The AWB is gone. Dead. Gonzales is not a congressman, and has no power to resurrect it.
His own personal opinion, as Attorney General, is of no consequence.

You fellas are whistling in the dark.
Congress is chomping at the bit, just waiting for the next 'assault weapons' incident to make them look like hero's to the Brady Bunch.

No we're not. The AWB is dead. Tom DeLay has promised to keep it dead.

You think Tom Delay controls Congress?
Keep whistling, -- & dreaming.

[E. Pluribus Unum]

"The president has made it clear that he stands ready to sign a reauthorization of the federal assault weapons ban if it is sent to him by Congress. I, of course, support the president on this issue."

Now I get.

He is defusing the entire issue exactly like Dubya did.

It is Congress's job to keep an AWB renewal from hitting the President's desk.

This treatment of the issue makes it impossible for the MSM to demagague Gonzales.

[rdb3]

Look, fellas, this may not be what you wanted to hear. But what do you have? A dead AWB bill.

Politically speaking, this was a masterstroke.

[E. Pluribus Unum]

You fellas are whistling in the dark.

You do realize that, once a law gets passed, it is essentially impossible to repeal it.

List the laws that were repealed last session.

We succeeded in effectively repealing the AWB, which in itself is astonishing.

Couple that with the fact that the Republican Revolution of 1994 was a direct result of AWB passage, and I don't see the AWB coming back as long as Bush is in office.

After that, who knows what President Hitlery will do? </sarcasm>

[Joe Hadenuf]

Gonzales backs assault weapons ban 1)Then Gonzales is an idiot, and 2)Bush is a jerk for pushing him.

Do I dare say it?

Between our wide open borders, this massive government spending, bad trade policies, and now this, I can only say I am glad this president wont be running again.

Sheesh!

[sinkspur]

Actually, Tom DeLay DOES control the House of Representatives.

Surely you know that.

You're bordering on paranoia.

[Ben Ficklin]

I can't see how anybody would think that a Bush nominee is going to be 100% forthright with his Senate interrogators. Especially if his position has no bearing on the issue.

Were he to say that he was opposed to the ban, it would be something the dems would use against him, possibly deny him confirmation.

Albert may well support the ban, but based only on this event, it would be hard to say for sure.

On the other hand, if he has past history or paper trail indicating support for the ban, you would say that the statement to the senators is confirmation.

Have you ever been in a job interview and told the man what he wanted to hear?