Oh, that second amendment
With both contenders for the Democratic presidential nomination evading the gun control issue as if it were sniper fire, you couldn’t blame gun control advocates for feeling bitter. Yet Paul Helmke, president of the Brady Campaign to Prevent Gun Violence–the pro-gun control counterweight to the National Rifle Association–says Obama and Clinton are “coming fairly close to delivering the message we’d like.” On licensing and registering guns, Helmke says, they are “being realistic” in recognizing “there’s no support for pushing that forward at this stage.” His thoughts on the candidates’ ducking questions on the D.C. gun ban? “They’re politicians, and most politicians on tough calls do not answer.”
The reason Helmke doesn’t feel abandoned on licensing, registration, and the D.C. gun ban is that the Brady Campaign has shelved those goals, in favor of a more modest, incrementalist strategy. Though licensing and registration remain official Brady Campaign policy, Helmke says he hasn’t even talked about them with anyone on staff since he became president in 2006.
And by shelved, he means given up.
May 13th, 2008 at 12:27 pm
I don’t think they’ve given up. I think they’ve just slowed their pace – they still want to ‘compromise’ us to death.
May 13th, 2008 at 12:50 pm
Heh.
“Counterweight”.
More like ‘spinning like a bull-roarer’.
Regards,
Rabbit.
May 13th, 2008 at 12:53 pm
They quit talking about it because the position would be political death if voiced. The solution is to simply not voice the position. Once they get in, the laundry list will be submitted.
May 13th, 2008 at 3:21 pm
The operative words are “…at this stage”. They haven’t shelved a damn thing, they are just sneaking.