Spoiling for gun control, never too early

After news broke about the school shooting in Newtown, Connecticut, White House spokesman Jay Carney said that renewing the federal assault weapons ban “does remain a commitment of” the president’s. However, he continued, “What I said is that today is not the day to, I believe, as a father a day to engage in the usual Washington policy debates. I think that that day will come, but today is not that day.”

http://www.cbsnews.com/8301-250_162-57559281/obama-briefed-on-connecticut-shooting-statement-at-3-15-p.m/

 

Gun Control Advocates Predict Tougher Response to Shootings

By JONATHAN WEISMAN — NYT’s blog

Official Washington’s response to the Connecticut school massacre Friday came along predictable lines, with Republicans and many moderate Democrats expressing their condolences and horror while silent on a legislative response to gun violence, and liberal Democrats saying it is time to move forward with serious gun legislation.

But advocates of gun control say the shootings at an elementary school in Newtown might be different for two reasons: the victims were children, eliciting a gut-wrenching response across the country, and the National Rifle Association proved to be a political paper tiger in the 2012 election.

“The political atmosphere has clearly changed because now we have solid evidence that the N.R.A. just was not effective in the last election cycle,” said Kristen Rand, legislative director for the Violence Policy Center, a gun-control advocacy group. “This just has a feel that they won’t get away with doing nothing this time.”

[…/]

More at: http://thecaucus.blogs.nytimes.com/2012/12/14/gun-control-advocates-predict-tougher-response-to-shootings/

 

Obama’s statements: (emotional speech as its been called)

We’ve endured too many of these tragedies in the past few years. And each time I learn the news I react not as a President, but as anybody else would–as a parent.
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As a country, we have been through this too many times. Whether it’s an elementary school in Newtown, or a shopping mall in Oregon, or a temple in Wisconsin, or a movie theater in Aurora, or a street corner in Chicago–these neighborhoods are our neighborhoods, and these children are our children.

And we’re going to have to come together and take meaningful action to prevent more tragedies like this, regardless of the politics.

 

By 8 o’clock in the evening Ed Schultz was asking if this was the event that would usher in real change — meaning gun control. Asking “is this is a game-changer?” … saying we are “hiding behind the second amendment”. Congressman Nadler says the “NRA is the enabler of mass murder”. Rep. Keith Ellison called others “2nd amendment extremists”.
 

Mayor Bloomberg rushes to offer statements and support for gun control.

“President Obama rightly sent his heartfelt condolences to the families in Newtown. But the country needs him to send a bill to Congress to fix this problem … Calling for ‘meaningful action’ is not enough. We need immediate action. We have heard all the rhetoric before. What we have not seen is leadership—not from the White House and not from Congress.”

“With all the carnage from gun violence in our country, it’s still almost impossible to believe that a mass shooting in a kindergarten class could happen. It has come to that. Not even kindergarteners learning their ABC’s are safe. We heard after Columbine that it was too soon to talk about gun laws. We heard it after Virginia Tech. After Tucson and Aurora and Oak Creek. And now we are hearing it again. For every day we wait, 34 more people are murdered with guns. Today, many of them were five-year olds. President Obama rightly sent his heartfelt condolences to the families in Newtown. But the country needs him to send a bill to Congress to fix this problem. Calling for ‘meaningful action’ is not enough. We need immediate action. We have heard all the rhetoric before. What we have not seen is leadership – not from the White House and not from Congress. That must end today. This is a national tragedy and it demands a national response. My deepest sympathies are with the families of all those affected, and my determination to stop this madness is stronger than ever.”

That’s right, the same man who said police should stand down from protecting the public untill they pass gun control. Let’s presume if they did such a thing, the police might never have responded to this scene. Ridiculous or what?

And all that by the 12 hour mark. So its never too early to call for gun control.
But they thought “fast and furious” was a “manufactured scandal” by Republicans.