Now Harry Reid!

[recon]

Reid joins Pelosi in opposing weapons ban revival
By J. Taylor Rushing
Posted: 02/26/09 10:17 PM [ET]
http://thehill.com/leading-the-news...-opposing-weapons-ban-revival-2009-02-26.html

Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) will join House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) in opposing any effort to revive the 1994 assault-weapons ban, putting them on the opposite side of the Obama administration.

Reid spokesman Jim Manley said the Nevada Democrat will preserve his traditional pro-gun rights voting record.

"Sen. Reid would oppose an effort [to] reinstate the ban if the Senate were to vote on it in the future," Manley told The Hill in an e-mail late Thursday night.

It was not immediately clear whether Reid would block the bill from the Senate, but his opposition casts serious doubt on its chances. Also, Manley noted that Reid voted against the ban in 1994 and again when it expired in 2004.

Reid's stance joins him with Pelosi, who told reporters Thursday that the administration had not checked with her before Attorney General Eric Holder told reporters the administration would attempt to reinstate the ban. Pelosi gave a flat “no” when asked if she had spoken to Holder or any other administration officials about the issue.

“On that score, I think we need to enforce the laws we have right now,” Pelosi said at her weekly news conference. “I think it's clear the Bush administration didn’t do that.”

Outside of the dig at the recent Republican president, that phrase is the stock line of those who don’t want to pass new gun control laws, such as the National Rifle Association (NRA).

Holder said during a press conference Wednesday in Phoenix that Obama had made reinstating the ban one of his campaign promises.

"There are obviously a number of things that are — that have been taking up a substantial amount of his time, and so I’m not sure exactly what the sequencing will be," Holder said. "It is something, however, that we still think would be an appropriate thing to do."

The news caught Capitol Hill by surprise, immediately pitting Democrats and Republicans against each other and even exposing deep divides among Democrats. A number of House Democrats lost their seats after being targeted by the NRA for voting for the 1994 ban.

 

[Hungry Seagull]

Edited. Nothing here... move along.

 

[BHP FAN]

Y'all could knock me over with a feather!

 

[wrc376]

that gave me warm fuzzies

 

[longhorngunman]

The Obama Adm. and the Congress are just playing the ole Good Cop, bad Cop routine. They'll wait for a big "event" like another school shooting which is sure to come, let the media build up the pressure and then they'll pass a big gun ban.

 

[X-Rap]

Don't be surprised, Reid is from Nevada and likes his job. The surprise will be if he actually blocks it from debate on the floor. My guess is when the time comes he will quietly yeild and allow it in the Senate when the time is right.

 

[wrc376]

oh quit bein negative

 

[Jorg Nysgerrig]

Please keep this thread focused on the original topic and refrain from additional political commentary.

 

[razorback2003]

Reid and Pelosi are not dumb politicians to last this long in Congress and get re elected. They don't want some young know it all screw up their jobs. Hopefully they will keep to their word, especially Reid. He has helped protect firearms rights in the past. Pelosi isn't firearm friendly, but she sure remembers what happened with Slick Willie's Brady Law and how so many Democrats lost seats. Pelosi is happy with her House Speaker job and wishes to keep it.

 

[jerkface11]

We all know they wouldn't say one thing and do another. Right?

 

[Deus Machina]

I'm with Jerkface.

Edit to prevent lock: Commentary aside, I'll just say that I doubt it will disappear so easily. Take of that what you will.

 

[Fisherman_48768]

I do believe Haides is cooling down.

 

[Bear2000]

I think Holder may have been freelancing a bit on this. Obama also doesn't want to do guns right now with so many more important issues on his plate. He's not, despite what so many people here think, an ideologue, socialist, communist. Liberal, yes, but ultimately, he's a pragmatist. The ideologues left office a month ago.

 

[Krazeehorse]

I think this highlights the fact that a politician's primary objective is getting re-elected. So if enough voters speak loudly enough and back up what they say with their vote the pols listen. Good for us! Keep on telling your reps and senators. If you vote against guns I'm voting against you.

 

[Geneseo1911]

Believe it or not, Reid got a "B" from the NRA in 2004. He also voted against the '94 ban, and against the '04 extension. He is also up for re-election in 2010, so he has myriad reasons to behave. Having him in charge of the Senate is the only faint glimmer of hope I can see (on the gun front-I disagree with him on most other things, but that's a different story). Hopefully he can keep the children Nan & Barry from throwing too big a fit. Will he fall in line if the time comes? Time will tell, but I think he'll be strongly against anti-gun legislation before the 2010 cycle.

 

[DocBoCook]

apparently winter will happen three times in a row, and a ship made of nails will sail out of the Northern sky soon. On topic, I've said this before, I still think they are waiting for more political capital to move this. But Reid is smarter, it will be Burgis or some NY/CA politician that will start it so Reid can keep his nose clean in regards to his constituents.

 

[Vonderek]

Pelosi will cave after her constituency in San Francisco pressures her.

 

[Lone_Gunman]

This is simply a tactic by the left to split opposition. By not attacking gun rights yet, they avoid opposition from mindless single issue voters.

Average Joe is home clinging to his religion and guns... and not paying attention to what the Democrats are doing on other fronts.

 

[model67a]

harry reid

Harry Reid is pro-gun. He is wrong about most things but he is certainly right about gun rights. I disagree with him about most things but respect him for standing up for the second ammendment. stay safe

 

[Girodin]

hmm those of us that folow politics having been saying all along the political will to reinstate a ban was lacking and than man Democrats would oppose it. Others thought the sky was falling and ran out to buy $400 AKs for $800+.

Now circumstances could change but I just dont see a ban in the next four years. Look at the issues that Obama has to spend his politcal capitol on. Look at where Dems hae made recent gains and the type of candidates they have done it with. Dem doesn't forcedly equal anti gun. Me dem (blue dog) house rep has an A rating from the NRA and opposes re-instituting a ban.

I am not advocating complacency but the sky apears to still be in place. Now there are of course thouse who really want a ban like that and more but the stars are not aligned right for them at the moment.

Of course I made purchases I wanted well before the election because anyone following it knew six weeks out Mr McCain had 0 chance and that the forgone result was going to cause a panic and upped prices.

 

[Travis Bickle]

Pelosi will cave after her constituency in San Francisco pressures her.

Pelosi can't do anything alone, and the votes aren't there for an AWB.

 

[Old Fuff]

Given the current state of the firearms business, especially the massive sale of guns, ammunition and magazines related to tactical style firearms, it does not come as a surprise to me that those on the legislative side of the picture, especially in the House of Representatives where the members will face election in 2 years, are being cautious. They are also aware that there is very little interest on the part of the general public concerning new gun legislation. They are focused on the state of the economy, and that will continue into the foreseeable future.

This however does not mean that the leopard has changed its spots. While the president has remained silent, members of his administration continue to beat the drums for a ban on assault weapons, mostly in a context of helping Mexico. Also there are many things that the Administration can do that don’t require new laws. It is also important to take note that recently leaders in both the Democrat and Republican parties have made statements concerning the importance of a ban, while assuring “deer hunters” that they respect the Second Amendment and have no intention or design to “take away their guns.”

Those in Washington have not changed their minds, nor have they changed sides. If anything the current sales of what they call assault weapons must be making them more alarmed then ever. But the last thing they want is to introduce a ban, and have it die for a lack of votes. The only thing worse would be an election like the one in 1994 that cost them the control they desire so much.

They are just waiting until the time is right, and hope we will go back to sleep, and that gun sales will slow down.

I know, I have followed their antics since before 1968 when the current effort started.

 

[Travis Bickle]

Keep on telling your reps and senators.

If you subscribe to GOAs email alerts, they'll send you links to pre-written emails you can send right from their site.

 

[Prince Yamato]

I don't trust the left at all, but you have to admit that we must have them pretty scared that their two congressional talking heads point blank state that they have no interest in a new ban.

 

[Old Fuff]

I don't trust the left at all, but you have to admit that we must have them pretty scared that their two congressional talking heads point blank state that they have no interest in a new ban.

Only because they don't want to spend the necessary political capital, nor take some substantial risks on the issue right now. They have much more important issues to be focused on. The largest one so far as legislators are concerned is to insure that they retain the power they have now through 2010 and beyond.

President Obama on the other hand needs to assure those of his supporters on the far left that he's not going to abandon them on this issue. The minute that something happens to shift public attention and support for a new ban, or any other firearms legislation for that matter, they'll shift gears in quick order. Passing controversal legislation is highly dependent on timing.