POLITICS - Obama gets it less than McCain

J Miller · Post by **J Miller** » Tue May 27, 2008 8:22 pm

Last week I posted the response I got from Senator Durbin regards a letter we sent about gun control laws. Well, here is Obamas response to the same letter. He sent the response to my wife, but not to me ... I wonder why.

Dear Exxxxx:

Thank you for sharing with me your support for Senator Vitter's amendment to H.R. 980. I appreciate hearing your perspective on gun policy issues.

Like you, I respect the Second Amendment and responsible gun ownership. I am a strong believer in the rights of hunters and sportsmen to have firearms. I support homeowners having firearms to protect their home and their family. In response to complaints about the confiscation of legally owned guns during the recovery from Hurricane Katrina, Senator David Vitter (R-LA) offered an amendment that would prohibit such confiscations, along with additional registration requirements and restrictions on the right to carry, in areas hit by natural disaster. I agreed with Senator Vitter and voted for his amendment.

I am concerned, however, about the human consequences of guns falling into the wrong hands and being misused. We must keep dangerous firearms out of the hands of children, terrorists, criminals and the mentally unstable. The question for me is how to best accomplish that goal without abridging the rights of legitimate gun owners. As I consider gun legislation, I will work to find the appropriate balance between these two objectives.

It is possible to respect the rights of law-abiding gun owners and sportsmen and still enact common sense measures to keep assault weapons off our streets. I support reauthorizing the federal assault weapons ban that expired in September 2004. Investigators found that one of the weapons used by the Virginia Tech killer, a Glock 19, had a 15-cartridge magazine. Under the assault weapons ban, cartridges with a capacity greater than 10 were illegal and were reserved only for the military and the police. That should be the law of the land again.

We can also implement real, robust universal background checks. Unfortunately, it is all too easy for criminals and terrorists to buy guns at gun shows or through "kitchen table" dealers without background checks. Universal background checks would require all gun sellers, whether federal firearms licensees or casual sellers, to demand background checks from purchasers. Under Rep. Carolyn McCarthy's bill, the NICS Improvement Act, mental health backgrounds would also be entered into the background check system. This one simple change would have prohibited the Virginia Tech killer -- who had a documented history of mental instability -- from legally buying a gun.

As you may know, H.R. 980, the Public Safety Employer-Employee Cooperation Act of 2007, was passed in the House of Representatives by a vote of 314 to 97. It is now awaiting a floor vote in the Senate. On May 13, 2008, Senator Vitter submitted an amendment to this bill which would permit reciprocity for the carrying of concealed weapons between States. You may be interested to know that as an Illinois state senator, I supported a bill that would allow law enforcement to carry concealed weapons within the state. Please be assured that I will keep your concerns in mind on this matter.

Again, Exxxxx, thank you for contacting me.

Sincerely,

Barack Obama
United States Senator

To be honest, as bad as McCain is, Obama is much worse.

Joe

Sixgun · Post by **Sixgun** » Tue May 27, 2008 9:03 pm

Joe,
After what I am hearing at work (Teamster shop) and on the street, I am appalled at the smarts of the average American. People are hyping up Obama like he's a cure all for society's ills. People actually believe Obama is going to give us $2 a gallon gas, free health care, and a Corvette in every garage. Keep in mind these people are grown adults.
I am disgusted with this whole thing. Looks like the last generations attempt at "the dumbing down of America" sure worked well.-------Sixgun

C. Cash · Post by **C. Cash** » Tue May 27, 2008 9:41 pm

I'm there with ya Joe!

Andrew · Post by **Andrew** » Tue May 27, 2008 9:53 pm

Sixgun wrote:Joe,
After what I am hearing at work (Teamster shop) and on the street, I am appalled at the smarts of the average American. People are hyping up Obama like he's a cure all for society's ills. People actually believe Obama is going to give us $2 a gallon gas, free health care, and a Corvette in every garage. Keep in mind these people are grown adults.
I am disgusted with this whole thing. Looks like the last generations attempt at "the dumbing down of America" sure worked well.-------Sixgun

Yes, I know people like that too.

J Miller · Post by **J Miller** » Tue May 27, 2008 11:33 pm

Considering what Obama stands for, this may be the last free election we get. If Obamas elected, in 4 years IF we get another one we'll be told who to vote for.

Joe

bunklocoempire · Post by **bunklocoempire** » Wed May 28, 2008 4:58 am

The voting records beg to differ, if you consider how long each have been "serving us", and the amount of Bills voted on.

Bunkloco

skinnygun · Post by **skinnygun** » Thu May 29, 2008 2:09 am

Nobama, Nobama, Nobama !!
The man can't dance or bowl and dosen't know you don't hunt ducks with a six gun.
I would vote for Mcains 96 yr old mom before Nobama........

Post by **Ysabel Kid** » Thu May 29, 2008 7:00 am

Sixgun wrote: Looks like the last generations attempt at "the dumbing down of America" sure worked well.-------Sixgun

Give that man a ci-gar! The left is about to get the goal they have been working on for 2 generations - an electorate so dumb and foolish that they will vote for a man preaching "change" without any idea of what that "change" actually means.

We are all in the toilet, and our countrymen are about to pull the flush lever...

Old Ironsights · Post by **Old Ironsights** » Thu May 29, 2008 8:29 am

J Miller wrote:Considering what Obama stands for, this may be the last free election we get. If Obamas elected, in 4 years IF we get another one we'll be told who to vote for...

Good. Then maybe we will have a chance to Fight for our Freedoms while we still have SOME guns.

Another 50 years and we won't have that chance.

Read my sigs.