After Rubio’s appearance, Kirsten Powers said that there wasn’t any evidence supporting Rubio’s statement. If O’Reilly were better informed he would have countered that Obama said as much in an encounter with John Lott at the University of Chicago and he signed a petition, while a State Senator, affirming his belief that all guns should be banned.
Barak Obama, as quoted to John R. Lott, Jr., PhD, while both were working at the University of Chicago Law School in 1996. From the book “Debacle”, by Grover G. Norquist and John R Lott, Jr., John Wiley & Sons, Inc.: Publisher
“I just want you to know that we are working on it. We have to go through a few processes, but under the radar.”
Barak Obama to Sarah Brady regarding gun control. Jason Horowitz, Washington Post, April 11th, 2011
“I believe in keeping guns out of our inner cities, and that our leaders must say so in the face of the gun manufacturers’ lobby.”
From “The Audacity of Hope” by Barack Obama, p.215 Oct 1, 2006
“Let’s be honest. Mr. Keyes does not believe in common gun control measures like the assault weapons bill. Mr. Keyes does not believe in any limits from what I can tell with respect to the possession of guns, including assault weapons that have only one purpose, to kill people. I think it is a scandal that this president did not authorize a renewal of the assault weapons ban.”
Source: Illinois Senate Debate #3: Barack Obama vs. Alan Keyes , Oct 21, 2004
Q: Is the D.C. law prohibiting ownership of handguns consistent with an individual’s right to bear arms?
A: “As a general principle, I believe that the Constitution confers an individual right to bear arms. But just because you have an individual right does not mean that the state or local government can’t constrain the exercise of that right, in the same way that we have a right to private property but local governments can establish zoning ordinances that determine how you can use it.”
Q: But do you still favor the registration & licensing of guns?
A: “I think we can provide common-sense approaches to the issue of illegal guns that are ending up on the streets. We can make sure that criminals don’t have guns in their hands. We can make certain that those who are mentally deranged are not getting a hold of handguns. We can trace guns that have been used in crimes to unscrupulous gun dealers that may be selling to straw purchasers and dumping them on the streets.”
Source: 2008 Philadelphia primary debate, on eve of PA primary , Apr 16, 2008
Q. Do you support state legislation to:
a. ban the manufacture, sale and possession of handguns? Yes.
b. ban assault weapons? Yes.
c. mandatory waiting periods and background checks? Yes.
Source: FactCheck.org analysis of 2008 Philadelphia primary debate , Apr 16, 2008
“I think we have two conflicting traditions in this country. I think it’s important for us to recognize that we’ve got a tradition of handgun ownership and gun ownership generally. And a lot of law-abiding citizens use it for hunting, for sportsmanship, and for protecting their families. We also have a violence on the streets that is the result of illegal handgun usage. And so I think there is nothing wrong with a community saying we are going to take those illegal handguns off the streets. And cracking down on the various loopholes that exist in terms of background checks for children, the mentally ill. We can have reasonable, thoughtful gun control measure that I think respect the Second Amendment and people’s traditions.”
Source: 2008 Politico pre-Potomac Primary interview , Feb 11, 2008
“I am consistently on record and will continue to be on record as opposing concealed carry.”
Source: From Promise to Power, by David Mendell, p.250-251 , Aug 14, 2007
“I think we have two conflicting traditions in this country. I think it’s important for us to recognize that we’ve got a tradition of handgun ownership and gun ownership generally. And a lot of law-abiding citizens use it for hunting, for sportsmanship, and for protecting their families. We also have a violence on the streets that is the result of illegal handgun usage. And so I think there is nothing wrong with a community saying we are going to take those illegal handguns off the streets. And cracking down on the various loopholes that exist in terms of background checks for children, the mentally ill. We can have reasonable, thoughtful gun control measure that I think respect the Second Amendment and people’s traditions.”
Source: 2008 Politico pre-Potomac Primary interview , Feb 11, 2008
“I am consistently on record and will continue to be on record as opposing concealed carry.”
Source: From Promise to Power, by David Mendell, p.250-251 , Aug 14, 2007