Kick Ass! Clarks supports assault gun ban!

[Procopius]

"....He opposes Bush's tax cuts, is pro-choice, pro-affirmative action, supports an assault weapons ban but opposes most federal gun control and opposes drilling for oil in the Alaska wilderness........"

http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?file=/c/a/2003/09/17/MN298364.DTL

[blm]

1. Clark has aligned himself with Kerry on key issues.

The taxcuts, gun control, and foreign policy.

[E_Zapata]

4. It is an uncanny resemblance to kerry's stances

Wonder if they are planning to run on the same ticket? Now, that I could go for.

[flamingyouth]

6. Me too

Would be a great ticket, IMO.

[BJ]

2. Why is Clark's stance on assault weapons "Kick Ass!"?

It's a sensible position.

http://www.bradycampaign.org/downloads/aaaw.pdf

They're not useful for hunting.

[Superfly]

7. So?

"They're not useful for hunting."

If, by saying that, you are saying that the second amendment only protects weapons with a sporting purpose, you need to break out the history books again.

[Fescue4u]

19. Hunting?

The 2nd ammendment has as much to do with hunting, as the 1st ammendment has to do with book printing.

[German-Lefty]

3. "but opposes most federal gun control"

Right that's something I can live with. Let guns be regulated at the state level so we can do more important things at the national level.

I think that's what Dean is selling too. Seems like a really good strategy, almost as if Bush would say he's pro-life, but don't make me do anything about it on the national level.

[Romulus]

5. *yawn*

:boring:
Another elitist from the military office corps' priveleged caste who thinks he can tell the proles/enlisted ranks what's best for them.

Guess what, "sir?" The UCMJ doesn't back up your wishes with the force of law anymore.

[MiddleAmericaMan]

8. Wes Clark

Wesley bombed the Chinese and wanted to start a war with the Russians. He is a little to hot-headed for me.

Draft Hillary!

[TakebackAmerica]

9. HaHa

Another anti Clark newbie.
Welcome to DU

[Lefty48197]

10. He got the Russian thing

right from the VRWC website.

[1a2b3c]

11. I think he is just trying to save some face with soccer moms.

I think he would make a great, the greatest, vice president to run behind dean. Too bad it will never happen. As things get closer and closer, i feel another green vote, maybe a libertarian. I just cant bring myself to vote for an anti gun politician. Do you think Wesley Clark even knows what the AWB is? I do like his first name though, since its the same as mine. :-)

[Township75]

12. Big Deal...so does Bush.

It's amazing that a few anti gun nuts on this board accuse us of being right wingers when in fact it is they that agree with Bush.

Go ahead, push for the AWB and support Pres Bush's agenda.

[MrBenchley]

13. Yeah? Prove it....

The plain fact is that even pResident Turd won't come out in public against the ban....but he's not doing a damn thing to renew it. He's hoping Delay and the rest of his nutcase squad can kill it in committee.

[Township75]

15. Here ya go Benchy!

Third or fourth line down:


http://www.greatfallstribune.com/news/stories/20030515/opinion/302971.html

[MrBenchley]

16. Too too funny....

"Legislation is in the works to extend the law. President George Bush says he'll sign such a bill, providing it doesn't include newer, harsher gun controls. "

Want to tell us what he's DOING, besides lip service.....

And more from this article....

"There's simply no compelling reason to open the door to more of these weapons.
Known by many as "cop-killers" because so many were used in gang-related crimes against police, assault weapons can fire up to six bullets a minute. Most were designed for military use -- not for hunting or sporting purposes.
They comprised only 1 percent of the of the guns privately owned, yet accounted for more than 8 percent of guns traced to crimes in a four-year span before the ban.
...
But we do know that after the first President Bush banned importation of some types of assault weapons in 1989, the number of crimes attributed to imported assault weapons dropped 45 percent in a year. "

Hell of a compelling argument....for extending and strengthening the ban.

[MrBenchley]

14. The ACTUAL fact.....

"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.

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. "

http://www.vpc.org/press/0303ash.htm

[MrBenchley]

17. More on the Chimp's Actual Stance

"It has become unclear in recent days, however, whether the president will truly put his energy behind re-authorizing the assault weapons ban, or whether he will simply allow DeLay and the NRA to kill the bill before it ever gets to his desk.

Reports that the president's advisers are telling people that the ban will go nowhere are troubling, to say the least. We certainly hope that this administration is not using this issue as a cynical campaign ploy. This issue is simply too important.

Americans overwhelmingly support the assault weapons ban, as does law enforcement. We will do all we can to see that the assault weapons ban remains the law of the land."

http://feinstein.senate.gov/03Speeches/opedassault.htm

"The White House on Wednesday restated President Bush's support for renewing a ban on Uzis and other semiautomatic weapons, but the president is keeping a low profile on the issue.
The White House gave no indication that Bush is prepared to wage a public campaign for the legislation if House Republican leaders refuse to bring it up for a vote before the ban expires next year.
But Bush's position has been relayed only through remarks by his press secretary and other spokesmen, and through communications between White House aides and congressional committees and interest groups.
The president has not mentioned it in public and has not issued written statements in his name.
That level of support stands in marked contrast to his campaign promoting his tax-cut plan and his frequent statements supporting judicial nominees whose nominations are stalled in the Senate.
Other White House officials said they have not heard of any plans for Bush to provoke a fight with the GOP leadership and the National Rifle Association by publicly campaigning for the ban to be extended. "

http://www.cnn.com/2003/ALLPOLITICS/05/14/bush.gunban/

[Fescue4u]

18. That to bad...

He looks good otherwise.

Actually this sounds like lip service. He opposed federal gun control, but support a ban that will no longer be in existance when he takes office.

In other words..he choose his position carefully, so as to appeal to the anti-gun zealots, as well as the Civil Rights upholders.