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Obama’s Careful Gunplay

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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)

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nazem-----we have had a terrorist for the last 7 years.... obama will return us to the massive prosperity we seen in th 90,s.

Posted by: tom | Jun 26, 2008 6:07:06 PM


He's introduced only two bills in the US Senate that have become law. One was to name a post office.

A real lead-by-doing sort or a guy.

Posted by: A | Jun 26, 2008 6:07:38 PM

On The Glory Road,

Nice try trying to dodge Obama's major spin and flip flops.

Hope those George Soros checks keeping coming in for you and the rest of the Obama campaign.

President McCain - get use to it.

Posted by: Jo | Jun 26, 2008 6:09:08 PM

Obama is having an incredibly bad two weeks.

Love it.

Posted by: Jo | Jun 26, 2008 6:09:52 PM

Simple he just will not show up to vote, then hold his opponent accountable for the way he voted just like he did to Hillary. He will say it was a staffer that said something or filled out some form and not him, therefore he should not be held accountable. Of course if his supporters held him to the standards they did Hillary they should ask how it is that his staffers answer questions wrong for him but run his campaign so well? NObama

Posted by: tiredofit | Jun 26, 2008 6:10:01 PM

I believe something needs to be banned and fast. It is awful when a child gets gun down with not just the old 22s but now the machine type guns, and not just our children but alot of incident people. Look at the work places, the malls, the schools.

I know people love to hunt but somehow there must be a law to protect the people. It has become crazy out there.

Posted by: becky | Jun 26, 2008 6:13:27 PM

Keep in mind, Dems are not STUCK with Obama until the convention in August. The super delegates that made him the presumptive nominee can easily unmake him and back Hillary. NObama

Posted by: tiredofit | Jun 26, 2008 6:13:47 PM

jo------how nieve of you mccain will be crushed this fall he will never be president, we american know a vote for mccain is to continue the same failed and evil policies of king george. you should get use to president barack obama.

Posted by: tom | Jun 26, 2008 6:14:08 PM

Have you ever noticed how Senator Obama's supporters want to shut the rest of us up when he's caught in a flip-flop? I have. In November, one of the Senator's spokespeople said that the Senator supported the DC gun ban, and that it was Constitutional. The Senator only disavows that now, after seven months or so. This is a "Constitutional Professor." This is a man who want to appoint future Supreme Court justices. Not with my vote. Maybe the Senator should speak for himself. Maybe he should have the guts to take a stand for what he believes in, but he won't. He's as cold and calculating as others in his party.

Posted by: jjsmith6575 | Jun 26, 2008 6:14:36 PM

OnTheGloryRoad: could not have said it better.
Thank you.

Posted by: becky | Jun 26, 2008 6:16:40 PM

Sorry Jo - I'm not a Soros cronnie or a GWB fool. I'm just someone who does not like to be treated like an idiot by people paid by advertising to promote an agenda that does not require the foundation of Quill and Scroll (the used to be standard of reporting). But for your edification, do a little work on the net rather than spewing forth venue in defense of a position that is weaker than a debater with no note cards: February 2008 (letter signed by Barack Obama)..."Americans broadly agree that guns must be kept from those who may pose a threat, and that the rights of legitimate hunters and sportsmen should be protected. We must work to ensure that guns do not fall into the hands of criminals or the mentally ill through an effective background check system. We also have to strike a reasonable balance between public safety and sportsmen's rights. I will continue to work for effective gun laws, including reinstatement of the assault weapons ban that the last Congress allowed to expire, and effective law enforcement. I will also speak out against the culture of violence that traps so many of our young people." Now do you want to argue assault weapon ban or do you want to argue Constitutional rights - I think Senator Obama has made his position clear. Is Senator McCain's position clear - begin there child and you'll find the Land of Oz amazing.

Posted by: OnTheGloryRoad | Jun 26, 2008 6:17:52 PM

what needs to happen is that people need to stop listening to the drug addict rush limburger and to the old senile mccain and the devil king george and use there own head do some real research not on republican sites but on independent sites and the truth will set you free free to vote for obama the best choice for the future.

Posted by: tom | Jun 26, 2008 6:19:17 PM

“Obama believes the D.C. handgun law is constitutional.” He's as big a genius as Nancy Pelosi. If I can keep and bear arms, all the people in this country have the right to keep and bear arms. That's how is works - it's that simple!

Posted by: Mary | Jun 26, 2008 6:20:20 PM

Tom - Why don't you take your name-calling back to the sandbox. Senator Obama is tired of your old "politics as usual." Let's keep this site for the adults.

Posted by: jjsmith6575 | Jun 26, 2008 6:21:14 PM

this nation is facing more serious issue than gun crap. The european and some Asian nations are improving their people's life while here we are fighting over race and guns and call ourselves the greatest nation. let us work togheter and respect one another and stay away from those petty selfish attitude.

Posted by: Gil | Jun 26, 2008 6:22:04 PM

Most people have no clue as to why the framers of the constitution included this amendment. It had little to do with hunting or self defense, those things were self-evident. The answer lies in reading other documents. It lies in the first part of the amendment...A well regulated militia... This amendment was written because of the danger that the colonists knew all too well of out-of-control governments that no longer serve the people. The militia in those times was not the military as most would have you believe. The militia was the people! The people have the right to be armed to overthrow governments that no longer serve the people. Read the Declaration of Independence.

Posted by: Spirit Rebel | Jun 26, 2008 6:24:11 PM

jjsmith-----our country has been all but destroyed by the republican party i can call them all the names i want. i have lost my job my whole family has lost there jobs and our houses and not because of buy to expensive or bad loans just because all we have now is wal-mart jobs all our factory jobs went to bushes buddy china.

Posted by: tom | Jun 26, 2008 6:24:32 PM

Is it possible we all wait till tomorrow. I am sure Obama may change his position once again. What does he stand for? He is for and against everything? The only "HOPE" he has is that he will get into the White House based on his hope and change slogan.

He Changes his position based on political expediency. That's the change you can count on. Oly style Chicago politician.

Posted by: Roger Miller | Jun 26, 2008 6:25:43 PM

Tom - I feel bad for you, I really do. But Senator Obama is not going to get your job back for you. It's gone, and it started long before President Bush took office. You're just looking for someone to blame, like half of the country. Take responsibility for yourself. I'm off to watch World News. God Bless.

Posted by: jjsmith6575 | Jun 26, 2008 6:28:07 PM

By the way, your factory jobs were lost because of unions, not because of the Republican Party.

Posted by: jjsmith6575 | Jun 26, 2008 6:29:51 PM

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