The Firing Line Forums - View Single Post - Will Heller stop a new Assault Weapons Ban?

Webleymkv · October 13, 2008, 05:30 PM

I think it would probably be difficult to get another AWB through congress regardless of the party in charge. It would probably get through the Senate but I doubt it'd make it through the House. There are three reasons for this first is that a congressman's two-year term just isn't all that long (nice the way the founders designed that isn't it). While something a senator did six years ago can be fairly easily forgotten, something a congressman did one or two years ago isn't. Secondly, gun control is a losing issue right now. It lost the Democrats congress in '94 and helped lose them the White House twice in '00 and '04. I've only really heard the far left Democrats that are pretty secure in their seats (Kennedy, Feinstein, Pelosi, Schumer, McCarthy, etc.) say much for quite some time. Anyone who's had anything to lose seems to be very careful about the issue (Kerry, Hillary, and Obama have all kind of tiptoed around it trying not to sound too extreme while still playing to the base). Finally, I just don't think that all the house Democrats are all that liberal. Look at what happened to the Bailout bill the first time around. I've got a feeling that there are a lot of moderate and conservative Democrats in congress right now particularly in the House. What is at stake, as I see it, in this Presidential Election is the makeup of SCOTUS itself as the next president will likely have the opportunity to appoint multiple Justices. Once appointed, a Justice is no longer subject to the will of the people and a poor SCOTUS decision can last decades or even centuries.

October 13, 2008, 05:30 PM	#12
Webleymkv Senior Member Join Date: July 20, 2005 Location: Indiana Posts: 10,446	I think it would probably be difficult to get another AWB through congress regardless of the party in charge. It would probably get through the Senate but I doubt it'd make it through the House. There are three reasons for this first is that a congressman's two-year term just isn't all that long (nice the way the founders designed that isn't it). While something a senator did six years ago can be fairly easily forgotten, something a congressman did one or two years ago isn't. Secondly, gun control is a losing issue right now. It lost the Democrats congress in '94 and helped lose them the White House twice in '00 and '04. I've only really heard the far left Democrats that are pretty secure in their seats (Kennedy, Feinstein, Pelosi, Schumer, McCarthy, etc.) say much for quite some time. Anyone who's had anything to lose seems to be very careful about the issue (Kerry, Hillary, and Obama have all kind of tiptoed around it trying not to sound too extreme while still playing to the base). Finally, I just don't think that all the house Democrats are all that liberal. Look at what happened to the Bailout bill the first time around. I've got a feeling that there are a lot of moderate and conservative Democrats in congress right now particularly in the House. What is at stake, as I see it, in this Presidential Election is the makeup of SCOTUS itself as the next president will likely have the opportunity to appoint multiple Justices. Once appointed, a Justice is no longer subject to the will of the people and a poor SCOTUS decision can last decades or even centuries.