Assault Weapons Ban Back On The Table/Feinstein Irked By Lukewarm Support For Extension

©2003 San Francisco Chronicle ^ | March 5, 2003 | Edward Epstein

[joesnuffy]

Washington -- Sen. Dianne Feinstein and President Bush seem headed for a showdown over her effort to renew the federal assault weapons ban after the administration hedged Tuesday on a presidential pledge to support the renewal.

The semiautomatic assault weapons bill, which barely passed in 1994, stands as a legislative hallmark of Feinstein's 10 years in the Senate. It is due to expire in September 2004, unless Congress votes to reauthorize it and Bush signs the bill. In his 2000 presidential campaign, Bush came out for renewal and for an additional provision to ban the import of ammunition- feeding devices of 10 bullets or more.

[Feiny]

It is statements and actions like this that prompted my screen name!

[Ronaldus Magnus]

Same article posted here.

[Who dat?]

"I am quite familiar with firearms," Feinstein said. "I became mayor as a product of assassination

Gee, that was convenient. I wonder if it was checked out thoroughly.

[cavtrooper21]

Thoughts?

[tet68]

I found my assassinated colleague (Milk) and put a finger through a bullet hole trying to get a pulse.

True? or urban legend?
Or is this like Jesse and MLK.

[cavtrooper21]

I'm betting that the Bush administration rolls over on this one and backs all of the good senator's wishes. Watch as the folks you thought were 2nd Amend. defenders allow the ultra gungrabber to have her way...
I'll take the heat on this, but I'll stand by this statement....

[Kay Soze]

She was Mayor of the city in which armed off duty Police chiefs accost and rob unarmed citizens of their food!!!!!

Doesn't she in fact have a permit to carry?

[Ford Fairlane]

I have had a bad feeling for a while that you are correct on this

[way-right-of-center]

Maybe some leverage on the Estrada nomination?

[elbucko]

"I became mayor as a product of assassination"..

True, but NOT by an "assault weapon", used by criminal, or private citizen.

The Mayor of San Francisco, Mosconi (sp?) and councilman Milk were murdered by fellow "councilman" Dan White, a former police officer with his duty pistol and revolver.

White later claimed at his murder trial, that an excess of "Twinkie's made him do it.

I don't think a campaign slogan of "BAN TWINKIES!" would do well in San Francisco. So CA banned AW's instead.

[Orangedog]

I don't think Dubya is going to forget just how close the last election was, or that gun control cost Algore his home state. I doubt his advisers are going to encourage him to p*ss-off a large part of his base votes.

[basil]

So--maybe it's to, to freep our Senators!

[cavtrooper21]

Good thought but I doubt even the longest winded Demofart can pass gas for that long.....
It will be quietly horsetraded for some other favor and dumped on us before we can react, possibly even squeaked in with something else with a nice innocent name..... Patriot Act II ring any bells...

[Black Agnes]

Wanna wager $20?

[Ben Hecks]

" I found my assassinated colleague (Milk) and put a finger through a bullet hole trying to get a pulse."

Hope I never have to rely on Dianne for emergency medical treatment.

[elbucko]

Doesn't she in fact have a permit to carry?

Yes, she in fact does. A CA DOJ permit, no less.

[ez]

If Bush is smart he will figure out a way to institute a "one-year" extention while he studies the issue, and push it off til after the Nov 2004 Presidential election which occures just two months later. Then after the election he can boot this infringemnet off our lawbooks.

However, if there is any danger he will lose the 2004 election, he should extend the ban AS IS w/o allowing them to add any provisions to it.

[cavtrooper21]

Doesn't stop the Demosocialists from resurecting it after GW's reelection and bringing it back even worse than ever..
Would be a good "bribe" to use to lever support in Congress, after all, he'll be a lame duck then.

[donozark]

No extension. Never. Period.