Assault weapons ban passes 52-48! Up next, closing gun show loophole.

[flpoljunkie]

Vote coming up very shortly. Requires background checks at shows where more than 75 guns are sold--the McCain-Reed Amendment.

Interesting votes on both sides of the aisle for and against the assault weapons ban. Dems voting against ban were Feingold, Landrieu, Baucus and Nelson of Nebraska.

Republicans voting for the ban included Lugar, Voinovich, Smith, Chaffee, Fitzgerald and Gregg! Didn't hear how Collins voted. Good on them, as Molly Ivins would say!

[MrBenchley]

1. Democrats should tie the GOP

to assault rifles and bigotry....it really IS their platform.

[TlalocW]

2. Gregg Voted Twice???

Isn't that just like a republican! ;)

TlalocW

[flpoljunkie]

4. Funny! My mistake. Has been edited. Thanks.

[Monte Carlo]

3. A N.H. Republican voting for a weapons ban!?

I find that baffling. "Live Free or Die" is not just the state's slogan.

[ringmastery]

5. Will Bush veto this bill to make his NRA base happy?

[flpoljunkie]

8. No. because S. 1805, Gun Liability Bill protects the gun manufacturers!

It is just what the NRA ordered--and in an election year, no less.

[MrBenchley]

11. This probably kills the "Bullseye Gun Shop Protection Bill"

since the House won't agree to this version.

That's good news for sanity and public safety and tough luck for the extremist imbeciles of the gun lobby. To quote the NRA itself: "The anti-gunners are seeking to undermine the Second Amendment and the legislative process by seeking to bankrupt firearms and ammunition manufacturers or get gun control restrictions through the courts through dozens of pending municipal lawsuits -- blaming the gun industry for the acts of criminals -- initiated by anti-gun big city mayors and greedy trial lawyers. A single judgement by a rogue judge or jury could wipe out the entire firearms industry making our gun rights worthless."

http://www.nraila.org/CurrentLegislation/Read.aspx?ID=984

In other words, the gun industry might actually be held responsible for its criminal actions.

[JI7]

6. so Feingold is like other politicians

doing what he needs to help himself get re-elected. not that i mind since i wanted him to remain in office.

[Renew Deal]

7. All politics are local.

[flpoljunkie]

9. I think he must have some other reason to vote no. He did vote Ashcroft

after all--out of the judiciary committee-saying Bush had a right to appoint him, as his appointment was not a lifetime one, he did not see the harm--at the time!

[Hippo_Tron]

23. Maybe Russ's idea is let the president have his AG...

But don't give the AG the power to do tons of damage.

[w4rma]

12. I was reading somewhere that he was changing his mind on gun control

I think he is growing more and more in opposition to gun control. He also voted against the Patriot Act. Pro-liberty.

Sen. Feingold is now my favorite Senator, hands down.

[Zynx]

15. He has always been against gun control.

This is not a political vote on his part.

[w4rma]

16. background

From the article:

"A lot of gun owners are upset about some of the powers that have been given to the federal government," he said. "We're going to try to change that." When asked about the right to bear arms, Feingold acknowledged he originally voted in favor of banning so-called semi-automatic "assault weapons." But he said he hasn't sponsored legislation to continue the ban and is now "leaning against" renewing it.

"At these town meetings over the years, I've heard a lot of people say there might have been some misinformation about what these weapons - guns - really are," Feingold said. "There are some semi-automatics that really aren't assault (weapons)."
http://www.greenbaynewschron.com/page.html?article=123810
http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_topic&forum=118&topic_id=32290

[Zynx]

17. Some are mistaken when they think Feingold is an across the board liberal.

They don't understand Wisconsin that well.;)

[w4rma]

18. I don't consider gun control to be a liberal ideology.

I consider it to be an urban point of view.

IMHO, Feingold is an across the board liberal.

[Zynx]

19. Well, some of the purists on this forum declare that if you are not in

favor of gun control you're not even a Democrat.;)

[NNN0LHI]

13. Maybe he thinks if Bush gets 4 more years we may need assault weapons?

Not a good thought.

Don

[Zynx]

14. Feingold has always been a strong supporter of the 2nd Ammendment.

This is a consistent voting pattern. He always votes in favor of the constitution and is against any government regulation of civil liberties.

You only call him another politician because you disagree with him. Arguably this vote would hurt him as most support the AWB.

[ldoolin]

21. Feingold is a consistent civil libertarian

He was also the only vote against the Patriot Act in the Senate. He's consistent. Now if we could only get the other Democrats to vote as he does, we'd be in a lot better shape.

On edit: We have really *got* to convince Kerry to pick Mary Landrieu as his VP pick. Not that it is likely to happen.

[Mel]

10. Hatch

a little Senate floor funny. Earlier I was listening to this debate and Hatch kept pronouncing vendors wrong it sounded like he was saying 'van doors' what a dumb ass! :dunce:

[Feanorcurufinwe]

20. Baucus goes all the way, reversing his previous votes for AWB.

Why is he even in the Democratic caucus? He's lost the support of every Democrat in Montana that I know of. One of the county party organizations has even come out publicly to say they will actively work against him in the future.

Now we need to find someone to run against him next time...

[Hippo_Tron]

22. What about DeW(h)ine... He oughta be supporting this as well n/t