Well, it looks like I agree with Sarah Brady on one thing, at least.
The Brady Campaign gave President Obama an “F” rating on gun-control issues in a report issued this week [pdf].
In just one year, Barack Obama has signed into law more repeals of federal gun policies than in President George W. Bush’s eight years in office. From the repeal of Reagan Era rules keeping loaded guns out of national parks to the repeal of post-9/11 policies to safeguard Amtrak from armed terrorist attacks, President Obama’s stance on guns has endangered our communities and threatened our national security.
That first sentence is particularly telling. Obama knows the new truth when it comes to gun control: paying lip service to it is a great rhetorical ploy, but attempting to follow through is political suicide. Now he’s in a rather unenviable position: he was expected to support gun control, but he lacks the wherewithal to do so. As such, he’s being branded a turncoat by the very people who put him into office.
Wait until the health-care bill tanks, and we’ll really see sparks. The last half of his term isn’t going to be very chipper.
Other criticisms include:
- failing to intervene in the matter of the Thune Amendment, which would have allowed for national reciprocity of concealed-carry permits
- failing to overturn the Tiahrt Amendment, which prevents the FBI from compiling a database of individual gun purchases
- failing to close the fictional gun-show loophole (legislation has been proposed, but is floundering)
- failing to reinstate the Assault Weapons Ban
- quite tellingly, “[silencing] administration officials who spoke out in favor of banning assault weapons.”
What we’ve got here is a vivid picture of idealism getting beached on the rocky shores of political reality. While I certainly expected to see him avoid gun control as a major policy issue, I thought the President would show at least some sympathy to it. Instead, he’s done his best to tiptoe away from the whole mess altogether.
While our impact is hard to measure, the gun culture in this country certainly had an effect. We’ve made our voices heard, and the trick from here out is to maintain that vigilance and resolve.
2 thoughts on “Schadenfreude”
Left wing doesn’t automatically mean anti gun. I fully support 2nd amendment rights, have shouted “what part of shall not abridge do you not understand” at someone, have a concealed carry permit, and support the health-care bill. Democrat/Republican divisions are too simplistic.
I think Obama is a one term president, but mainly because he was seen as a messiah, which may have been a tad unrealistic… Hopes among the left were soaring sky high for some who is only human, and therefore fallible.
You and I differ in a lot of ways politically, and I often disagree with you, but I always read your blog, and, at worst, you make me think. At best, you have well thought out, reasonable arguments that I wholeheartedly agree with.
Often, despite the left/right divide, we are in almost complete agreement. Believe it or not!
Can I steal this bit from your comments section for my website please?
“This is a written medium. If you think something is worth expressing, it’s worth using proper spelling and grammar”?
Regards,
Lefty
Now THAT is change we can believe in! Were that it were anything more than a temporary change of focus, I’d be thrilled. Alas, I believe we’ll see something from the Obama Administration sooner or later.