Dean's Gun Views Attacked

[w4rma]

By Helen Dewar
Monday, October 6, 2003; Page A04

Rep. Patrick J. Kennedy (D-R.I.) scolded Democratic presidential hopeful Howard Dean for his friendly relations with the National Rifle Association during a Capitol Hill rally last week to drum up support for renewal -- and strengthening -- of the federal ban on assault weapons.

While other speakers stuck to the subject of assault weapons, Kennedy assailed Dean, saying he was "saddened" that one of his party's leading presidential candidates is "pro-NRA." He suggested that Dean has "compromised his principles" as a physician by opposing stronger federal gun controls.

Kennedy has endorsed Rep. Richard A. Gephardt (Mo.) and campaigned on his behalf. But Kennedy told a reporter after his remarks that he had not discussed with Gephardt his plans to attack Dean on gun control.

"This is a personal issue with me, and I'm very disturbed at the fact that people are not paying attention to Dr. Dean's record" on guns, said Kennedy, nephew of President John F. Kennedy and his brother Robert, both of whom were assassinated by guns.

Dean spokeswoman Patricia Enright said Dean supports renewal of the 1994 law banning manufacture, transfer and possession of certain kinds of assault weapons but has not addressed whether the law should be strengthened, as many gun control supporters advocate. Dean has said new gun controls should be set at the state level.

Enright questioned the propriety of Kennedy's remarks at a Capitol Hill event on assault weapons. "It's in extremely bad taste to exploit that kind of event for political gain," she said.
www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A48945-2003Oct5.html

 

[Moparmike]

Its amazing how some blowhard can scream and moan and whine and bitch about a person whom only shares 96% of his 100% veiws. Positively astounding.

Dean is no more soft on guns than the GOA is soft on RKBA-infringement.

 

[Mark Tyson]

"This is a personal issue with me, and I'm very disturbed at the fact that people are not paying attention to Dr. Dean's record" on guns, said Kennedy, nephew of President John F. Kennedy and his brother Robert, both of whom were assassinated by guns.

Those evil guns, they never learn, do they?

This hysterical reaction to Dean's mild views on guns is an indication that antis are foaming at the mouth extremists hell bent on declawing decent Americans by means fair or foul. We're nothing but criminals to them.

 

[greyhound]

"pro-NRA."

I would hardly say Dean is "pro-NRA". Saying leave gun laws up to the states, support AWB, and close the "gun show loophole" does not cut it to me.

Add in the rest of his liberal views, and no thanks.

I'll give that he's the least anti of the Dem candidates, but let's face it, if you're a one issue voter (gun rights), there's no major (i.e. D or R)candidate including Bush who you really can get behind.

 

[PeteyPete]

I've said it before, and i'll say it again...

Howard Dean is about as pro-gun as Jerry Falwell is pro-beastiality.

He got the NRA "A" rating b/c he didn't introduce any new state legislation on firearms, not b/c he is a strong advocate of gun rights. Doing nothing is not the hallmark of a gun-rights person and he was not in any position to change or affect the federal gov'ts laws on firearms. Thus, there is no way to gauge how intent he is on protecting our ineliable rights except his quotes:


http://www.deanforamerica.com/site/PageServer?pagename=policy_statement_civilrights_sensiblegunlaws
"I believe the federal gun laws we have -- like the Brady Bill -- are important, and I would veto any attempt to repeal or gut them. The Assault Weapons Ban expires next year, and it should be renewed. Although President Bush has claimed he supports renewing it, he is talking out both sides of his mouth; his staff has signaled that he doesn’t want or expect Congress to renew the ban, and that is wrong."

 

[MicroBalrog]

Its amazing how some blowhard can scream and moan and whine and bitch about a person whom only shares 96% of his 100% veiws. Positively astounding

I couldn't put it better.

 

[geekWithA.45]

Dean's no friend of ours...

Staking out his BS "moderate" position won't fool us, and alienates his own party.

When are they ever gonna learn that they can't dump on the B of R and get the votes of truly informed voters?

 

[geekWithA.45]

Howard Dean is about as pro-gun as Jerry Falwell is pro-beastiality.

{spewing coffee on keyboard}

 

[Sergeant Bob]

Enright questioned the propriety of Kennedy's remarks at a Capitol Hill event on assault weapons. "It's in extremely bad taste to exploit that kind of event for political gain," she said.

Now that's FUNNY!!!!!! BWAAA HAHAHAHAHAHA!!!!

 

[MicroBalrog]

Staking out his BS "moderate" position won't fool us, and alienates his own party.

Strange - many DU'ers support Dean based on his pro-gun positions. (jody, for example).

The position is not BS. By abandoning the offensive anti-gun stance, Dean allows US to go into offense mode in Congress/Senate.

Where did you last see a viable POTUS candidate with the guts to stand up for repeal of the NFA?

 

[Sergeant Bob]

micro Is this what you refer to as

abandoning the offensive anti-gun stance

?

"I believe the federal gun laws we have -- like the Brady Bill -- are important, and I would veto any attempt to repeal or gut them. The Assault Weapons Ban expires next year, and it should be renewed.

He's in favor of all the federal gun laws we now have. How do you make the jump to

Where did you last see a viable POTUS candidate with the guts to stand up for repeal of the NFA?

or is that just a rhetorical question?

Strange - many DU'ers, support Dean based on his pro-gun positions. (jody, for example).

Yes, I agree. DU is pretty strange.
Many people over at EvilBlackKillerBulletHose.com oppose him for his anti gun views.

 

[MicroBalrog]

Is this what you refer to as

Yes. Bush says the same stuff+supports the Patriot Act. He will, hopefully let AWB die. If he will, Dean will likely not try to reinstate it when he becomes president (2004? 2008?)

DU is pretty strange

Yup:
This is an example

 

[Sergeant Bob]

From this

"I believe the federal gun laws we have -- like the Brady Bill -- are important, and I would veto any attempt to repeal or gut them. The Assault Weapons Ban expires next year, and it should be renewed.

you get this?

Dean will likely not try to reinstate it when he becomes president (2004? 2008?)

I'm at a loss to reconcile those two statements.

 

[MicroBalrog]

I'm at a loss to reconcile those two statements

Simple: Bush had said the same thing and is not lifting a finger to save the AWB.

 

[Moparmike]

I couldn't put it better...

Micro, I am not sure what you meant by that, so correct me if this response doesnt apply.

I meant that Dean doesnt share 4% of the gun-grabbers beliefs, so he is "AAUUEEEEVVVVIIIILLLL"*

When we say that one who is for ".22's and 'sporting rifles'" (IE the traitorus shotgunners, the ones who dont believe in AW's, etc and that it could never happen to them... ), we know that they are complete morons who dont know what tripe they are regurgitating from the anti's. These people who supposedly share maybe 20% of our views are not true pro-guns, these people are brainwashed. At least we give them a chance to correct themselves, unlike most liberals like those who oppose Dean on guns.


*Say it in a realy hick accent. It will make better sense.

 

[Cactus]

"This is a personal issue with me, and I'm very disturbed at the fact that people are not paying attention to Dr. Dean's record" on guns, said Kennedy, nephew of President John F. Kennedy and his brother Robert, both of whom were assassinated by guns.

I wonder if he also wants to cut down every tree in America and ban small private planes!

 

[Standing Wolf]

This is a personal issue with me...

For the adults in the crowd, it's a constitutional issue.

 

[JumboFriendly]

...both of whom were assassinated by guns.

Jeebus!

I was under the impression that they were assassinated by people. Who knew...

 

[Langenator]

I would be really interested to know how close Rep. Kennedy is to the Clinton power structure in the Democratic party. I know his uncle, the Senator from Chappaquidick, is pretty high up in the power structure.

This could be another attempt by Billary to chip away at Dean's support. Dean pretty much has the middle-class socialist brat wing of the party locked in to support him. Those types are pretty much reflexively anit-gun. Pointing out Dean's "pro-gun" position could move some of them out of his camp to weaken him so some other, more "mainstream" candidate can win the nomination, and then lose to President Bush next November, thus setting up Hillary to run in 2008 and "save" the party the same way Bill did in 1992.

The Clintons and their toady McCauliffe are at the controls of the DNC. They may say they want to beat Bush in 2004, but what they're really want is whatever gives Hillary the best chance to get elected President. Right now, Howard Dean is a threat to that because if he does win, the Dems could move off into a liberal, McGovern-esque wilderness again, a position from which it would be difficult to pull out of in time for Hillary's scheduled coronation.

Just my $.02