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http://www.newsmax.com/archives/articles/2001/2/26/61210.shtml

Conservative Democrats: Drop Gun Control Bills=20
  NewsMax.com Wires
  Monday, Feb. 26, 2001=20
Some conservative Democrats have three words of advice for their party =
leaders: Drop gun control.=20
"This is not an issue that helps the Democratic Party, particularly in =
rural America," said Rep. Jim Turner, D-Texas. "Those of us who believe =
in the Second Amendment and the right of gun ownership have been pretty =
outspoken in telling our friends this is an issue they need to leave =
alone."=20

Turner and fellow House Democrats and Texans Ralph Hall and Max Sandlin =
are concerned about renewed efforts to push gun control in Congress.=20

Two powerful senators - Joseph Lieberman, D-Conn., and John McCain, =
R-Ariz. - are working on a bill that would increase background checks at =
gun shows and provide additional money to enforce existing laws.=20

In addition, Sen. Jack Reed, D-R.I., plans to introduce a measure that =
would mandate background checks for all buyers at gun shows and expand =
the definition of a gun show to include events, such as flea markets and =
swap meets, where firearms are not the main product sold.=20

The Texas lawmakers say gun control efforts have hurt Democrats, =
including former Vice President Al Gore.=20

"If the Democrats and the Gore campaign had not been so strident in =
opposition to gun rights ... there's absolutely no doubt that Vice =
President Gore would be president," Sandlin said. "It cost him a =
tremendous amount of support across the South."=20

Sandlin said that passing any gun control bill will be difficult, =
especially in the House.=20

In the last Congress, with the Clinton White House clamoring for gun =
control, a bill never made it out of a conference committee.=20

The measure started out strong in 1999, when gun control took the =
spotlight in Congress after the shooting tragedy at Columbine High =
School in Littleton, Colo.=20

A month after the shooting, the Senate stunned the powerful gun lobby =
and voted for a juvenile justice bill that included provisions such as =
increasing background checks at gun shows.=20

But the measure never made it through the House, and efforts to =
incorporate it into a joint House-Senate juvenile justice bill failed.=20

With President Bush in the White House, chances for a gun control bill =
could be even more bleak.=20

As governor of Texas, Bush generally sided with the National Rifle =
Association, signing bills that allow people to carry concealed weapons =
and prevent municipalities from suing gun makers.=20

But supporters of gun control say that the issue has momentum because of =
increasing public support.=20

"The gun issue works in different places in different ways," said Joe =
Sudbay, public policy director for the Violence Policy Center, a gun =
control group based in Washington.=20

Women across the country strongly support gun control, as do urban and =
suburban voters, he said.=20

Sudbay disputes that supporting gun control cost Gore the White House.=20

The swing states of Pennsylvania and Michigan voted for Gore despite a =
strong anti-Gore campaign there by the NRA, he said.=20

Some conservative and moderate Democrats, including Hall, say they are =
willing to listen to ideas about further regulation of gun shows and =
trigger lock requirements.=20

"I understand that handguns are a problem. People get killed with them. =
Children get killed with them. And I think we ought to continue to =
pursue something on it," Hall said.=20

But Hall also said he would have a hard time voting for "anything that =
violates or dents the Second Amendment," because the ultimate goal of =
gun control proponents is to outlaw possession, as the nation's capital =
has done.=20

"I'm here in Washington, D.C. - probably the most dangerous city in the =
northeastern part of the country after darkness falls - with a painted =
glass between me and the outside world ... and I can't have a gun in my =
home. Give me a break," he said.=20

Turner said he hopes his party will focus on other matters.=20

"The Democrats desperately need to unite behind issues that have a broad =
base of support within our caucus," he said. "There's a large number of =
Democrats who are strong supporters of the Second Amendment."=20


(C) 2001 The Palm Beach Post. via Bell&Howell Information and Learning =
Company; All Rights Reserved=20




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<DIV><FONT size=3D2><A=20
href=3D"http://www.newsmax.com/archives/articles/2001/2/26/61210.shtml">h=
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<DIV><FONT size=3D2></FONT>&nbsp;</DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=3DArial><STRONG><FONT color=3D#003399 =
size=3D4>Conservative Democrats:=20
Drop Gun Control Bills</FONT></STRONG> </FONT>
<BLOCKQUOTE><FONT face=3DArial size=3D3><B><I>NewsMax.com=20
  Wires</I></B></FONT><BR><FONT face=3Darial,helvetica =
size=3D2><B><I>Monday, Feb.=20
  26, 2001</I></B></FONT> </BLOCKQUOTE>Some conservative Democrats have =
three=20
words of advice for their party leaders: Drop gun control.=20
<P>"This is not an issue that helps the Democratic Party, particularly =
in rural=20
America," said Rep. Jim Turner, D-Texas. "Those of us who believe in the =
Second=20
Amendment and the right of gun ownership have been pretty outspoken in =
telling=20
our friends this is an issue they need to leave alone."=20
<P>Turner and fellow House Democrats and Texans Ralph Hall and Max =
Sandlin are=20
concerned about renewed efforts to push gun control in Congress.=20
<P>Two powerful senators &#8211; Joseph Lieberman, D-Conn., and John =
McCain, R-Ariz. &#8211;=20
are working on a bill that would increase background checks at gun shows =
and=20
provide additional money to enforce existing laws.=20
<P>In addition, Sen. Jack Reed, D-R.I., plans to introduce a measure =
that would=20
mandate background checks for all buyers at gun shows and expand the =
definition=20
of a gun show to include events, such as flea markets and swap meets, =
where=20
firearms are not the main product sold.=20
<P>The Texas lawmakers say gun control efforts have hurt Democrats, =
including=20
former Vice President Al Gore.=20
<P>"If the Democrats and the Gore campaign had not been so strident in=20
opposition to gun rights ... there's absolutely no doubt that Vice =
President=20
Gore would be president," Sandlin said. "It cost him a tremendous amount =
of=20
support across the South."=20
<P>Sandlin said that passing any gun control bill will be difficult, =
especially=20
in the House.=20
<P>In the last Congress, with the Clinton White House clamoring for gun =
control,=20
a bill never made it out of a conference committee.=20
<P>The measure started out strong in 1999, when gun control took the =
spotlight=20
in Congress after the shooting tragedy at Columbine High School in =
Littleton,=20
Colo.=20
<P>A month after the shooting, the Senate stunned the powerful gun lobby =
and=20
voted for a juvenile justice bill that included provisions such as =
increasing=20
background checks at gun shows.=20
<P>But the measure never made it through the House, and efforts to =
incorporate=20
it into a joint House-Senate juvenile justice bill failed.=20
<P>With President Bush in the White House, chances for a gun control =
bill could=20
be even more bleak.=20
<P>As governor of Texas, Bush generally sided with the National Rifle=20
Association, signing bills that allow people to carry concealed weapons =
and=20
prevent municipalities from suing gun makers.=20
<P>But supporters of gun control say that the issue has momentum because =
of=20
increasing public support.=20
<P>"The gun issue works in different places in different ways," said Joe =
Sudbay,=20
public policy director for the Violence Policy Center, a gun control =
group based=20
in Washington.=20
<P>Women across the country strongly support gun control, as do urban =
and=20
suburban voters, he said.=20
<P>Sudbay disputes that supporting gun control cost Gore the White =
House.=20
<P>The swing states of Pennsylvania and Michigan voted for Gore despite =
a strong=20
anti-Gore campaign there by the NRA, he said.=20
<P>Some conservative and moderate Democrats, including Hall, say they =
are=20
willing to listen to ideas about further regulation of gun shows and =
trigger=20
lock requirements.=20
<P>"I understand that handguns are a problem. People get killed with =
them.=20
Children get killed with them. And I think we ought to continue to =
pursue=20
something on it," Hall said.=20
<P>But Hall also said he would have a hard time voting for "anything =
that=20
violates or dents the Second Amendment," because the ultimate goal of =
gun=20
control proponents is to outlaw possession, as the nation's capital has =
done.=20
<P>"I'm here in Washington, D.C. &#8211; probably the most dangerous =
city in the=20
northeastern part of the country after darkness falls &#8211; with a =
painted glass=20
between me and the outside world ... and I can't have a gun in my home. =
Give me=20
a break," he said.=20
<P>Turner said he hopes his party will focus on other matters.=20
<P>"The Democrats desperately need to unite behind issues that have a =
broad base=20
of support within our caucus," he said. "There's a large number of =
Democrats who=20
are strong supporters of the Second Amendment."=20
<P>
<P>(C) 2001 The Palm Beach Post. via Bell&amp;Howell Information and =
Learning=20
Company; All Rights Reserved </P>
<P>&nbsp;</P></DIV></BODY></HTML>

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