Will this be 1994 reloaded? After Congress passed the first Federal Assault Weapons ban that year, Republicans roared back into power during the ’94 midterms. Yes, the 1992 House Banking Scandal, where members of Congress were able to overdraw their House checking accounts without penalty, also contributed to Republican electoral success, but can it be duplicated this year? Conservatives are already livid over the 23 executive orders the president signed today to curb gun violence, as school children stood behind him in a gross display of emotional pandering to the public. However, looking at the ’94 midterms, and Al Gore’s attempt to out gun control Sen. Bill ” Dollar Bill” Bradley (D-NJ) during the 2000 primaries, it’s not irrational to say that 2014 could be another Democratic defeat.
As The Tatler noted today, there are twenty-three gun control measures – mandated by executive order – set forth by this administration.
- Issue a Presidential Memorandum to require federal agencies to make relevant data available to the federal background check system.
- Address unnecessary legal barriers, particularly relating to the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act, that may prevent states from making information available to the background check system.
- Improve incentives for states to share information with the background check system.
- Direct the Attorney General to review categories of individuals prohibited from having a gun to make sure dangerous people are not slipping through the cracks.
- Propose rulemaking to give law enforcement the ability to run a full background check on an individual before returning a seized gun.
- Publish a letter from ATF to federally licensed gun dealers providing guidance on how to run background checks for private sellers.
- Launch a national safe and responsible gun ownership campaign.
- Review safety standards for gun locks and gun safes (Consumer Product Safety Commission).
- Issue a Presidential Memorandum to require federal law enforcement to trace guns recovered in criminal investigations.
- Release a DOJ report analyzing information on lost and stolen guns and make it widely available to law enforcement.
- Nominate an ATF director.
- Provide law enforcement, first responders, and school officials with proper training for active shooter situations.
- Maximize enforcement efforts to prevent gun violence and prosecute gun crime.
- Issue a Presidential Memorandum directing the Centers for Disease Control to research the causes and prevention of gun violence.
- Direct the Attorney General to issue a report on the availability and most effective use of new gun safety technologies and challenge the private sector to developinnovative technologies.
- Clarify that the Affordable Care Act does not prohibit doctors asking their patients about guns in their homes.
- Release a letter to health care providers clarifying that no federal law prohibits them from reporting threats of violence to law enforcement authorities.
- Provide incentives for schools to hire school resource officers.
- Develop model emergency response plans for schools, houses of worship and institutions of higher education.
- Release a letter to state health officials clarifying the scope of mental health services that Medicaid plans must cover.
- Finalize regulations clarifying essential health benefits and parity requirements within ACA exchanges.
- Commit to finalizing mental health parity regulations.
- Launch a national dialogue led by Secretaries Sebelius and Duncan on mental health.
The total cost of this new anti-gun push is $500 million dollars, but Oliver Know at Yahoo! News added that “administration officials on a conference call previewing the announcement fleshed out some important details (on condition that they not be named—and left some important questions unanswered:”
- They wouldn’t say whether any of the steps the president is recommending would have prevented the massacre at Sandy Hook and other recent mass shootings. One senior official on the call did say, “There’s no question that both the actions that he’s taking and the legislation that he’s proposing will save lives.”
- They did not provide an estimate of how many lives would be saved annually if the president got everything he wanted, saying the social science on gun deaths is not precise enough to do so.
- Obama isn’t sending “specific legislative language” to Congress, the officials said, instead following his usual blueprint of laying out principles and then letting lawmakers craft a bill.
- In keeping with the president’s promises, his proposals would limit the manufacture of new assault weapons and ammunition clips with more than 10 bullets—but would not affect those already on the market.
- How did they settle on 10 bullets (and not seven, or 15)? One official said that number was taken from the 1994 assault weapons ban that Obama hopes to renew and strengthen.
- Was the so-called “Fast and Furious” gun trafficking scandal a factor in shaping the president’s proposals? “It was not,” said one official.
So, we don’t know if these new measure will save lives, but we’re going to pass more laws to make it harder for law-abiding citizens to defend themselves. Yes, that sounds very much like government thinking. However, as this debate drags on, conservatives should make this issue front-and-center for the 2014 midterms. History and the facts are on our side, and at the end of the day – that’s what makes good policy, not hyper-emotionalism.
“… give us the 2014 midterm?” – Who do you mean when you say “us”? Spineless RINO’s again or conservatives? What’s better – spending $10 we don’t have or $20 we don’t have? The US appears to be going down regardless of who’s in charge. It doesn’t matter how much Boner weeps.
I wish I could argue with you but you’re right. We don’t actually have an opposition party anymore, we just have two parties that want to loot the country and flush it down the crapper at different speeds. The media paints anyone who’s actually read (and understood) the Constitution as a racist nutbag and the nation is so full of low-information voters that no one questions them.
Sure. File that along with the belief that the 2010 midterms were a precursor to victory in ’12.
#24.
Impeach every politician who agrees with any of the first 23.
#25.
Impeach the President, Vice President and entire cabinet.
All they want is our guns, once we are defenseless they can do whatever they please. If anyone thinks these demons respect the ballot box your are mistaken, they think they own the ballot box.
It is not beyond them to use the innocent to further their adgenda. “Oh let’s listen to the children” Like the children aren’t being manipulated.
Don’t be fooled these poeple hate God and all His children and will do anything they can to enslave or murder them. Because that is who they are: killers, haters, rapists, drug users, psycotic, accusers, liars. Did I leave anything out?
– only issued ten.
Until democrat voter fraud is dealt with and votes are not counted in Spain by a co9pany belonging to George Soros we will have no fair elections We saw that in the last one. No man can beat precincts that have 100% to 140% votes that include dead people, nonexistent people,more people than are registered to vote and machines that flip to a different candidate.
Maybe, but not if Republicans push through an amnesty bill and debt limit increase with no spending cuts.
Watch the House in 2014 gain more democrat seats if not taking the majority. The same will happen in the Senate. This of course is predicated upon the minority tea party remaining focused on overtaking the GOP — and staying focused on extremist social and gun reforms issues.
Current polling in homes with gun ownership across all party lines, the three major reform issues shake out 60/40, 70/30 and 80/20 for those reforms.
The GOP continues to be internally decimated and have no central platform for which they have any rational proposals for solutions — if any stated solutions at all. Not exactly a great party perception or winning position to be in, as seen by most americans including a majority of republicans today.
Extremist social and gun reforms? Seriously, are you off your meds? The Tea Party has scrupulously presented itself as being concerned with fiscal matters first and last. They’ve specifically laid off things like abortion, same-sex marriage and gun control.
But I forgot about the Tea Party’s status as all purpose boogeyman, about which you can say anything you want.
Thanks for some good humor!
Time will tell, but this could be an incredibly dumb move by Obama. Yes he is going to be more aggressive in his 2nd term. If you are going to be more aggressive, do you really want to start out by galvanizing your opponents one what is probably the one issue they are most fervent? Gun control is a funny thing, tick people off on that and they just may oppose you on everything else. But even worse, it’s not real likely they are going make any progress on it anyway….so not much gain, lots of loss?
You would have a great point except — national polling in only homes with gun ownership, the three main issues of reform break down like this (approx) 60/40, 70/30 and 80/20 for the reforms.
I think Obama just exterminated the DNC in the Midwest (except IL), Florida, and the Mountain States.
This will galvanize the opposition. Gun ownership crosses a lot more political lines than is assumed.
One concern I have is that we still have almost 2 years until the mid-term elections and attention spans can wane.
I fully expect the democrats to do everything in their power to influence people to forget this circus on gun control as they know it’s a loser topic for them.
On a positive note, the ad campaign started by the NRA has really been an in-your-face response that I don’t think the Bamster was expecting.
He’s used to dealing with Boehner, who usually is wearing out the knees of his pants from so much crawling. He was not expecting someone to blatantly call him out on his hypocrisy – and I’ve long thought that the most horrible thing in the mind of a liberal is to be exposed as a hypocrit.
The republican leadership should take note…
Nice fantasy. However, unless we see otherwise I expect the DonkeyPhant party to give itself enough rope with which to shoot itself in the foot…or something like that. Again!
I’m not sure this is a fete accompli…..
Note how cautious Dirty Harry Reed is….whatever else he is an adept politician.
The more thoughtful donkeys are very much mindful of the vast firearms and ammo purchases….focused on anything of military utility….not target or hunting…..and then there is that wave of new NRA memberships indicating a mass declaration of opinion….who now will receive NRA publications without a MSM filter…..
Attempts by the donkeys to implement this more onerous regulation will eliminate any lack of memory by the midterms….it will be an open wound….
That’s the way it worked in Canada….a constant iritation…..
There is good and proper reson why the donkeys kept a lid on their anti-gun ambitions during the last four years…..gun control is the political third rail of US politics….
Then there is that here-to-fore emphasis on self defence/target/hunting by the more vocal gun owners….now abandoned for blatant declaration that the 2nd Amendment’s purpose is to enable the violent overthrow of a tyranical government….something that really spooks the donkeys….because the reason for their gun control is not for crime or safety….but to prevent the real intent of the 2nd Amendment
“Did Obama Just Give Us The 2014 Midterms?”
Not if we nominate a bunch of Akins and Romneys.
That means no go-along-to get-along Morans, I mean Romneys.
It means, no Akins whose position on abortion is so extreme almost no one actually believes in it.
A local organization here in NC held a meeting at a local steak house and invited (3) local sheriffs to speak.
I’d never heard of the group before, and I generally am well educated on such things.
The organizers expected 80 attendees.
Instead, about 400 people showed up and from the news video it appears they all were extremely pi$$ed off at the idea that the government would start infringing on their 2nd Amendment rights. There were so many people they were crowding the parking lot because they couldn’t get inside.
Bear in mind this was a little known local group and the meeting was not – to my knowledge – widely publicized, yet FOUR HUNDRED people showed up!
Extrapolate from there as to what the reaction would be on a national level if draconian gun laws ever have a chance of being passed.
The left is badly underestimating the (extremely negative) reaction they will get if they are successful in shoving this down everyone’s throats…