Obama’s Careful Gunplay

Subscribe to this blog's feed

« Previous | Main | Next »

June 26, 2008 4:26 PM

ABC News’ Rick Klein Reports: In responding to the Supreme Court’s high-profile ruling on the D.C. gun ban, Sen. Barack Obama is attempting to find safe political ground on an explosive issue for Democrats.

Obama, D-Ill., issued a carefully crafted statement that avoided taking a firm position on the gun-control measure tossed out by the Supreme Court, despite previous indications that he supported Washington, D.C.’s handgun ban.

Instead, Obama focused on a part of the court opinion that is less politically contentious: The notion that some gun-control laws are acceptable under the Second Amendment.

In an interview with Bloomberg TV, Obama expressed measured support for the high court’s ruling -- but quickly added that he still believes that municipalities should have the ability to craft their own gun-control laws.

“It looks to me that the D.C. handgun ban overshot the runway, that it went beyond constitutional limits,” Obama said. “But it doesn’t mean that local communities can’t, you know, pass background checks, that they can’t make sure that they’re tracing guns that have been used in crimes to find out where they got them from. So there’s still room for us to, I think, have some common-sense gun laws that are also compatible with the Second Amendment.”

Obama’s calibrated reaction comes as he seeks to expand the electoral map by reaching out to voters in traditionally Republican -- and gun-friendly -- states.

While his position could frustrate GOP efforts to paint Obama as a knee-jerk liberal, he risks a backlash among some Democrats who support stricter gun control. Some of those voters have expressed concern with Obama’s position on other matters in recent weeks, including NAFTA and a terrorist-surveillance bill now before the Senate.

And Obama’s careful approach could fuel Republican charges that he’s unwilling to take politically difficult stands.

“It's one in a long series of reversals of positions,” Sen. John McCain said Thursday, “whether it be on his pledge on public financing or his position on the Second Amendment.”

Obama is still not taking a position on the gun ban in his hometown of Chicago, his spokesman tells ABC News. And his statement on Thursday on the D.C. gun ban comes despite previous suggestions that he supported it.

In a February interview, Obama did not dispute an interviewer’s characterization of his “support [for] the D.C. handgun ban.” As WJLA-TV’s Leon Harris asked him that question, Obama nodded and seemed to indicate his agreement as he launched into his response.

“I think it’s important for us to recognize that we’ve got a tradition of handgun ownership and gun ownership generally,” Obama said in February. “We also have a violence on the streets that is the result of illegal handgun usage. And so I think there is nothing wrong with a community saying we are going to take those illegal handguns off the streets, we are going to trace more effectively how these guns are ending up on the streets, to unscrupulous gun dealers, who oftentimes are selling to straw purchasers.”

In addition, in November, the Chicago Tribune quoted the Obama campaign as saying, “Obama believes the D.C. handgun law is constitutional.”

On Thursday, the Obama campaign told ABC that the statement was “inartful” and does not fully explain Obama’s “consistent position.”

Asked about the Tribune report Thursday, Obama told a reporter from WJET-TV in Erie, Pa., that he did not and does not support the now-discarded D.C. gun ban.

“I don’t know what my aide said but I’ve been very consistent, I teach constitutional law," Obama said. “What I said was that I believe [the] Second Amendment as being an individual right and have said that consistently. I also think that individual right is constrained by the rights of the community to maintain issues with public safety. I don’t think those two principles are contradictory and in fact what I’ve been saying consistently is what the Supreme Court essentially said today.”

June 26, 2008 in Kucinich, Dennis, Tancredo, Tom | Permalink | User Comments (283)

User Comments

You can follow this conversation by subscribing to the comment feed for this post.

This is not the first time Obama blamed his staffers. ABC's Jack made list Obama blamed his staff for all his faults.

Can ABC all this one also and release the updated list.

Posted by: john | Jun 26, 2008 4:56:22 PM

Barak Obama is a wimp. It says in the article that "he avoided taking a firm position." Seems like that is the norm for him. As ususal, he waits to see which way the wind is blowing. A real man would voice his opinion and stick to it. And he wants to lead the most powerful nation in the world in such a dangerous time? And people actually want to give him that responsibility? Scary.

Posted by: kr | Jun 26, 2008 4:56:40 PM

What the Supreme Court has said is that there can not be an absolute restriction on gun ownership. Read what you will into it but this does not allow unrestricted access or possession of guns. Does it restrict the licensing, registration, prevent laws from saying where one can carry the weapon, or say there can't be a ban on certain types of guns or it ammo?

The battle of ownership, use and possession of guns, is hardly over. As is typical I think the news is oversimplifying the ruling

Posted by: Thinking | Jun 26, 2008 5:00:15 PM

How many diaries are we going to have on this subject?

This has got to be the tenth.

Posted by: Stacey | Jun 26, 2008 5:04:45 PM

Obama has stated that position in several debates in which he supports individual rights on gun ownership so I don't think that this is anything new.

Yawn...

Posted by: Gertrude | Jun 26, 2008 5:07:15 PM

the gun issue is very touchy, i am a democrat, i am a hunter and own many guns and i am a member of the nra. but i am for gun control as far as hand guns go you want to protect your house get a shot gun or rifle that will do much more damage then a handgun.

Posted by: tom | Jun 26, 2008 5:15:43 PM

Obama's "firm" positions will be all too evident if he ever becomes President. And trust me, it will be against the views of the overwhelming majority of the people.

It reminds me of people who don't show their true colors until after you have married them. They know if you knew their true self you wouldn't marry them in the first place.

Don't be fooled by Obama. He's a true con artist.

Posted by: Jo | Jun 26, 2008 5:20:16 PM

Obama never wants to leave a paper trail. That's why he votes present on the controversial issues. This is what people trying to fool you do. Don't buy into it.

Can't wait till Obama loses in a landslide.

Posted by: Jo | Jun 26, 2008 5:22:51 PM

Doesn't this negate Jake's article accusing Obama of flip flopping?

Posted by: Rational Voter | Jun 26, 2008 5:23:25 PM

So this is where all the moron republican pukes hang out...

Posted by: jim | Jun 26, 2008 5:24:06 PM

jo----obama will crush mcsame mcbush mcwarmonger mcbigoil mcoldman mcflipflopper..... every day mccain moves closer to george bush and everyday he makes it harder for himself to get elected, you can not put yourself next to the worst president in american history and survive.

Posted by: tom | Jun 26, 2008 5:25:30 PM

Nader was right.

Posted by: tww | Jun 26, 2008 5:30:30 PM

I don't understand why Obama keeps changing his position on everything.

Posted by: Thumb | Jun 26, 2008 5:32:53 PM

I don't think i can trust Obama. What position is he going to change on next?

Posted by: Thumb | Jun 26, 2008 5:34:22 PM

Bring back Hillary! Take back Obamanation!

Posted by: jeep395 | Jun 26, 2008 5:43:53 PM

Caution: When performing flip-flops with a gun, first make sure it is NOT loaded!

Posted by: Rhys | Jun 26, 2008 5:45:02 PM

I knew he had another "I never said that" in his bag of tricks... he either flip flops or gives a present vote.

Posted by: mich mike | Jun 26, 2008 5:51:26 PM

Senator Obama's position was, has been and is clear. His website reinforces exactly what he said and it was done months ago. May I suggest that journalists stop trying to "make news" but rather concentrate on the differences between the candidates - reading their positions and understanding how that works in our real world of urban crime while weighing the rights of us as individuals is far, far more important than "I think I might have a gotcha moment here". Enough already - this nation is in peril on many fronts and I'm sorry Mr. Tapper and Mr. Klein are becoming more Karl Rovian each day - but then again I hardly think they were considered as new anchors for Meet the Press.

Posted by: OnTheGloryRoad | Jun 26, 2008 5:58:05 PM

He votes present and then when it's questioned...he states he hit the wrong button! A real jerk!

Posted by: carolyn | Jun 26, 2008 6:03:22 PM

please expose obama.. we must not have a terrorist for our president.

Posted by: nazem | Jun 26, 2008 6:03:36 PM

Post a comment