GOP leaders don't shut the door on Obama's gun plan

(CBS News) WASHINGTON - Republican leaders did not shut the door on the president's gun control proposals on Wednesday. Some ideas, like universal background checks, do have bipartisan support. But any move to limit the kinds of guns people can own is going to be met with strong resistance.

Obama calls for sweeping new gun laws

As they boarded buses for a three-day retreat, House Republicans were skeptical.

Pennsylvania Congressman Tom Marino said: "You know, the president's just making a political move and it's a shame that he's using this situation for political reasons."

Washington state's Dave Reichert, a former sheriff, argued gun restrictions alone won't reduce gun violence.

"I think you really have to address the mental health issues," Reichert said.

Republican Senator Marco Rubio said in a statement: "Nothing the president is proposing would have stopped the massacre at Sandy Hook. President Obama is targeting the Second Amendment rights of law-abiding citizens."

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Still, Democrat Patrick Leahy, who chairs the Senate Judiciary Committee, told an audience at Georgetown University that he intends to hold hearings on the proposals starting in two weeks.

"There are some who say nothing will pass," Leahy told the crowd. "I disagree with that. What I'm interested in is what we can get."

That might mean putting the assault weapons ban on the back burner in favor of less controversial measures.

California Democrat Mike Thompson leads the party's new gun task force and is a gun owner himself.

"I think we need to look at each piece as to how much good it will do if it passes. And we need to prioritize. And the two areas that i think are the most important are universal background checks and the assault magazines," said Thomspon, adding he's optimistic about their passage.

The Republican Speaker of the House John Boehner said he will wait to see what the Democrat-controlled Senate can pass. Even that won't be easy, however, because there are a number of Democrats from southern and western states who have a long record of supporting gun rights.

[ThomasSense]

Keep your guns, but let's start thinking instead of saying everything is fine like it is.

The do-nothing Republican getting on the bus said, "It's all political." It is more like political suicide unless gun owners speak with reason.

[StandUpAmerica]

We are on the fourth plane. It is going down. Do you choose to stay in your seat and demand your drink, or will you stand up and help storm the cockpit? Of course the attackers are saying there is nothing to see here. The media distributes the opiate, the false issues like the General's affair which clouds the real issue in of Benghazi. We are to take our medicine lying down. Ignore all the red flags. Give up our guns. We are to get in line for the next iPhone, and don't miss the playoffs or The Bachelor. But if you believe in God (not the god in the WH) and the Bible, you are an enemy of the people, comrade!

[enlightenu]

Quite a rant, but makes no sense.

[Faramir0028g]

These gun nuts are full of false comparisons. The American people are upset about the massacres that have happened lately. We have all seen them. I feel they will keep happening until we do some real changes. They seem to involve certain kinds of weapons, mostly using high cap mags. These mags obviously give a determined shooter a high body count, if you need examples or links to prove this you are part of the problem, please talk to professional.
Yeah 1000s of people shoot themselves or their loved ones we can't stop that. Gangsters same thing sad but we could never get all illegal guns out of our country. And for sure you have the right to defend your house. I have several guns grew up on a farm & try to get home and shot a few rounds at bottles & varmints often.

But AR-15s or Glocks that shoot more in a minute then a sane man would shoot in a year or maybe a month is crazy. I have read Obamas proposals they seem pretty moderate you can have your semi auto's just get rid of the high cap mags. I can shoot if you shoot @ something 3 times and it is not dead, you have issues. 7 times well you should think about egress.
And 2nd amendment nuts taking about a revolution just go to Texas band together in an open field with your Bushmasters and let the ATF burn you. I'll not shed a tear. Look up Waco

[walkntallfor2a]

Guns are not the problem bad people are you could take all guns away from america and i believe if these wacos are gone kill folks it can just as easily be achieved with out the aid of guns.Honestly i believe all americans should own a gun to protect your self,your kids,your niehbors i dont own any high capacity weapons or clips but i dont think they should be banned either. Th constitution is a sacred thing and be left as.......

[ThomasSense]

Faramir: I agree. People kill people, so why enable them to kill a lot of people.

[johnlockesghost]

Protect the constitution. Do not allow power hungry politicians to tread on the 2nd amendment. If they want to change it, the constitution provides for such changes, any other method is unconstitutional.

[raflin1]

NO ONE wants to ban all guns. They just want to ban guns like automatics with high capacity clips that the average American does not have any reason to own. They ALSO want to keep crazy people from getting them. Get a clue.

[rwsmith29456]

The company I ordered the cartridge brass from has it, but they aren't sending it because there MIGHT be an executive order concerning reloading components. Us murderous target shooters are having to pay for the idiots that hurt other people with guns.

[raflin1]

You are correct. And THAT is exactly why we want to make it harder for idiots to get guns.

[intonews]

What, you can't hit a target with a non assault rifle or just 10 rounds? Maybe better training is in order too.

[tbcollier21]

If Raflin1 and intonews would actually read the original poster's comments they would see that he is talking about empty brass cartridges not magazines or rifles. It is helpful to actually read before you project your own views onto other's statements.

[rwsmith29456]

The company I ordered the cartridge brass from has it, but they aren't sending it because there MIGHT be an executive order concerning reloading components. Us murderous target shooters are having to pay for the idiots that hurt other people with guns.

[raflin1]

Trust me. Your life will go on, even if you don't get mega gun clips. Try target shooting with a simple single shot rifle.

[tbcollier21]

@Raflin1 even a single shot rifle still needs a bullet. The poster is commenting on how difficult it is to obtain brass cartridges so he can reload his own. Its an economical way to save money as opposed to buying new every time he would like to target shoot.

[enlightenu]

Those poor innocent targets! Oh, won't anyone think of the targets?

[rzarc2]

GOP leaders don't shut the door on Obama's gun plan
<<< ----------------- >>>
Whoa.............maybe there is an afterlife!

[lbb428]

"The state must declare the child to be the most precious treasure of the people. As long as the government is perceived as working for the benefit of the children, the people will happily endure almost any curtailment of liberty and almost any deprivation. " -Mein Kampf, Adolf Hitler, Publ. Houghton Miflin, 1943, Page 403

[ReadItForYourself]

Then the tyrant went out and murdered millions of children, including Germans he forced to die trying to defend his empire.

[johnlockesghost]

ReadItForYourself: Yes, after he banned guns. Let that be a lesson to you.

[raflin1]

Hitler murdered children. Just like the crazies in the United States who we make it so easy to acquire automatic weapons and high capacity cartridges for.

[lbb428]

"The state must declare the child to be the most precious treasure of the people. As long as the government is perceived as working for the benefit of the children, the people will happily endure almost any curtailment of liberty and almost any deprivation. " -Mein Kampf, Adolf Hitler, Publ. Houghton Miflin, 1943, Page 403

[walkntallfor2a]

If its not a gun its a sword if its not a its a knife if its not a knife its a bomb if not a bomb its a vehicle put any kind of ban and or stricter back ground checks will do nothing to protect folks from the crazy ones in fact i believe it could in turn make us more vonerable to these types of people.Every american should own a gun people i believe would think twice about playing with fire if they everyone else was carrying a can of gas.Again new laws will do nothing to save lives from the criminals....

[the_egret]

They'd better not close the door if they hope to be rehired in 2014. Question is, which of them really has the guts to say to the NRA lobbyists "Thank you for my campaign "contribution" (bribe). Now get the hell out of my office.")

[raflin1]

No. Republicans DON'T have the guts to just say no. Not to the NRA, and not to the radical Tea Partiers. But until they learn how to say "no," they will continue to lose touch with the majority of American people.