President Obama, Sadly, Shows Timidity On Gun Control

One can make all the political arguments about why it is prudent for a Democratic president not to roil the waters in an election year over the matter of gun control.  Even talking about the logical conclusion of again placing a ban on assault weapons seems too ‘hot’ an issue for a candidate to wrap his arms around.

But frankly, there is never a good time in the Obama White House to talk about gun control.  And that is the problem many of the advocates of gun control have had to deal with for years.

With the economy and the international troubles there is no appeal to take away precious political capital, and use it on an issue that will be turned around every way to Sunday to destroy the Democratic administration.  We all know the potency of the gun control issue.

But I also know we elect a president every four years to office so to lead the nation.  Over and over on a whole array of pressing matters President Obama has demonstrated he knows how to project leadership.  When he wants to.

Except when it comes to gun control.

Leadership does not take a poll every 15 minutes to determine what course of action is most prudent.  When a major concern is registered, and a policy option is clearly in the best interest of the nation regardless of the political season it may land, then a leader prepares his nation for moving in the right direction.

But that is not the case with gun control and President Obama. 

From Jay Carney’s gaggle on Air Force One, en route Aurora yesterday afternoon:…

“[T]he President … believes we need to take steps that protect Second Amendment rights of the American people but that ensure that we are not allowing weapons into the hands of individuals who should not, by existing law, obtain those weapons. … [T]he President’s view is that we can take steps to keep guns out of the hands of people who should not have them under existing law. And that’s his focus right now.

Q: “In terms of like assault weapons or something like that, there’s no renewed push for a renewed assault weapons ban?”

CARNEY: “[A]s you know, there has been opposition to that since it expired within Congress … I wouldn’t argue with your assessment about that. So the President is focused on doing the things that we can do that protect Second Amendment rights, which he thinks is important, but also to make it harder for individuals who should not, under existing law, have weapons to obtain them.”