Bush has stated he will renew AWB

[SteyrAUG]

Let's take a moment to remember whose father signed the very first Assault Weapon Ban and think about it for a minute.

If the ban is going to be stopped, plain and simple it will have to be done by US motivating our elected representatives to actually REPRESENT us for a change.

If you think just voting Republican is the cure all for all gun legislation you are a fool and a idiot. If you think being a paid NRA member is a guarantee these things won't happen you are a even bigger idiot.

Get over the shock of learning that the Republicans will ban your guns as fast as anyone else and start doing something about it.

The sooner you realize we are "on our own" the sooner you will grasp the signifigance of that situation and act accordingly.

 

[AZTOY]

Attorney General John Ashcroft Reverses Bush Administration Position on Renewing Federal Ban on Assault Weapons

Wednesday March 5, 1:17 pm ET

Ban Will End in September 2004 Without Congressional Action


WASHINGTON, March 5 /PRNewswire/ -- Attorney General John Ashcroft, in testimony before Congress yesterday, for the first time refused to offer support for re-authorizing the federal ban on assault weapons. Ashcroft's comments before the Senate Judiciary Committee represent an apparent reversal of Bush Administration policy as well as Ashcroft's prior statements before the committee.

During his January 2001 confirmation hearing, U.S. Senator Dianne Feinstein (D-CA) asked Ashcroft if he would support re-authorizing the law when it sunsets in September 2004. Ashcroft's answer was unequivocal, "It is my understanding that the president-elect of the United States has indicated his clear support for extending the assault weapon ban, and I would be pleased to move forward that position, and to support that as a policy of this president, and as a policy of the Justice Department."

There was no such clarity yesterday, as detailed in news reports, when Ashcroft failed to renew his prior commitment on the part of the Administration. The Attorney General, under repeated questioning, for the first time refused to state that the Administration would support renewing the law. Yet just last week the New Orleans Times-Picayune reported that the White House supported extending the ban. Ashcroft's refusal to voice support for renewal of the ban represents a dramatic shift in the Administration's position.

VPC Public Policy Director Joe Sudbay states, "Attorney General John Ashcroft and the Bush Administration have, once again, placed the deadly agenda of the National Rifle Association and the gun industry over the safety of the American public and law enforcement. Terrorist training manuals seized in Afghanistan have made clear that America's enemies recognize the nexus between our nation's weak gun laws and potential terrorist attacks. That the Attorney General would reveal this change in policy at a Congressional hearing on homeland security only illustrates the depth of the Bush Administration's fealty to the NRA." The NRA has made termination of the ban a priority. During his failed 2000 Senate campaign, Ashcroft was the beneficiary of more than $500,000 in NRA spending.

For more information on Attorney General John Ashcroft's pro-gun, anti- public safety policies, visit the VPC web sites http://www.ashcroftgunwatch.org and http://www.vpc.org .

The Violence Policy Center is a national non-profit educational organization working to stop gun death and injury in America.

http://biz.yahoo.com/prnews/030305/dcw043_1.html

 

[Carlos Cabeza]

Good post AZ ! My how easily the politicians change their minds.
The VPC would have everyone scared to death if Americans were'nt such pushovers !

 

[jsalcedo]

Heh good news. I hope they don't flip flop again.

Seems kind of a coincidence that they stated
opposition to AWB right in the middle of our
thread.

I wonder if the Bush boys are actually paying attention to gun owners this time?

 

[TexasVet]

GW better remember that Daddy lost literally millions of votes over the first AWB, including mine. Let your reps, senators and the RNC know that we remember.. and hold grudges.

 

[MoNsTeR]

Considering how many millions more votes Bush Sr. lost over "read my lips", and the fact that he still won the Republicrat nomination, any votes he lost over the AWB were 100% inconsequential. In the words of Colorado Governor Bill "Gun Control" Owens, "What are they going to do, vote Democrat?"

Bush Jr., as the incumbent, WILL garner the nomination, so casting your vote for a competing Republicommunist is a protest that will fall on deaf ears. And come election time, you'll only be able to "send a message" to him by voting a different party. But depending on what state you live in, even that is likely to be futile (eg: in 2000, voting for Bush in CA or NY, or voting for Gore in TX).

The proper targets in an anti-AWB campaign are your congresscritters, since they're much more vulnerable in the primaries, and theoretically more responsive to local concerns. The President, OTOH, is a write-off.

 

[MountainPeak]

Yup!

 

[mack]

IIRC - the AWB that is scheduled to sunset in 2004 - was passed under Bill Clinton when the Democrats controlled both House and Senate. As a result, the Democrats lost the House in 1994 and haven't gotten it back since, Clinton even mentioned that it cost them the House in a State of the Union speech in 1995. Also the Gun issue, again per the Democrats themselves, probably cost Gore the presidency - losing some crucial southern states. Nationally - outside of liberal dominated states - the Democrats have been running away from the gun issue.

Because of this, I think the Democrats would be more than happy, come the 2004 election, to have some conservatives in the House kill the re-enactment of the AWB in committee so it never sees the light of day or a full floor vote. This would let them run against the "evil" gun loving Republicans in liberal districts and avoid addressing it in swing or conservative districts. The Republicans for their part should remember that gun owners gave them the House and gun owners helped tip the presidency to Bush. However that said most don't want to see a floor vote on it either as some will be running in swing and liberal districts also - so having to vote against it would not be good for them.

Lastly, the president went on record during the last election saying that he would sign a new AWB if it ended up on his desk but that its passage would not be a priority. That was his attempt to finesse the issue - so he could appeal to the soccer moms as a "compassionate" safe conservative and at the same time give a wink to the gun owners that he wouldn't actively seek its renewal. Thererfore, he also wants it to die before it gets to him.

What this all means is that the Republicans will try to kill this bill in committee in the House. Therefore our efforts to ensure that it dies without re-enactment should, as mentioned above, focus on the House.

 

[Jmurman]

I recall another politician saying "NO New Taxes".....hmmmmm

this same politician gave the the AWB