Lugar pushes to renew assault weapons ban

[Ter]

http://www.politico.com/blogs/glennthrush/0111/Lugar_pushes_to_renew_assault_weapons_ban.html

Sen. Richard Lugar (R-Ind.) this weekend called on Congress to reinstate the assault weapons ban that expired in 2004.

Lugar is the first GOP senator to call for increased gun control following the Tucson tragedy that killed six people and wounded 13 others, including Arizona Rep. Gabrielle Giffords. But Lugar, who supported the initial 10-year-long assault weapons ban when it passed in 1994, said he's not optimistic about the chances for passing gun control legislation this Congress.

“I believe it should be, but I recognize the fact that the politics domestically in our country with regard to this are on a different track altogether,” Lugar told Bloomberg Television’s Al Hunt Jan. 14.

Lugar also noted the increase in ammunition sales since the shootings, which he suspected was out of fear that Congress might pass far-reaching gun control legislation in wake of the tragedy.

A couple of lawmakers floated gun control legislation last week in wake of the tragedy, including one of Congress's fiercest gun control advocates, Rep. Carolyn McCarthy (D-N.Y.). Her bill takes the assault weapon ban slightly further by banning the sales and transfer of high-capacity magazines that the Arizona gunman used.

Rep. Peter King (R-N.Y.) suggested legislation making it illegal for anyone to knowingly carrying a loaded gun within 1,000 feet of certain high-ranking public officials, including members of Congress.

Neither measure is expected to go anywhere. An aide to House Speaker John Boehner (R-Ohio) told POLITICO last week that he was not expected to support either effort.

Nonetheless, Lugar is going out on a limb by expressing his support for bringing back the now-defunct assault weapons ban – especially because local Tea Party activists have promised to field a primary challenger for the six-term senator. Lugar has a reputation for working across party lines in the Senate, and his support for gun control legislation would likely put him at odds with a more conservative GOP challenger.

Lugar also said in the Bloomberg interview that a Tea Party challenge is “not one that I welcome, but nevertheless, this is a democracy.

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Go screw yourself, Senator. I hope you run for re-election just so you can lose the primary to a tea bagger.

[YllwFvr]

1. political suicide

or at least shooting yourself in the foot. When a large majority of Americans are pro gun, when you push for anti gun legislation you are going to piss a lot of people off.

Besides, arent they supposed to be representing us? we dont want this, it will stop nothing.

We had an officer shot at out here with a scary looking rifle. The chief of police called out for reps to push for banning assault rifles again. When informed the gun used (an SKS) was unaffected by the ban he got rather confused and let it drop. There wasnt anything he could do about it and no law that could be formed to outlaw them that didnt ban many other kinds including many hunting rifles.

[bluestateguy]

2. And he would be wrong

But please, by all means, I welcome more anti-gun Republicans b/c it becomes harder to just tag Democrats as anti-gun.

[Doctor_J]

3. You hope he loses to a teabagger?

You want another teabagger in the Senate???????

[Ter]

4. If it means Lugar loses, why not?

I will agree with a Lugar like 10% of the time. If the tea bagger wins, that percentage might be upped to 20%. Remember, the hard-line tea baggers are also starting to talk about getting out of Iraq and Afghanistan, and some even want to repeal the Patriot Act. So hell yeah I'd take a tea bagger over a far more dangerous globalist NWO-type neo-con like Luger.

[DonP]

5. Mark Helmke is his spokesperson/campaign manager

Why does that last name ring a bell? I wonder if he could be related to that other lying sack of shit GOP Paul Helmke.

Nah!

Helmke is such a common name ... for people involved in GOP politics ... in Indiana, right?

Just coincidence I'm sure.