Sarah Palin and Joe Biden: Worlds Apart
Even before this week, the difference between Barack Obama and John McCain was clear. For one, McCain joined more
than 300 other members of Congress in signing a "friend of the court" brief, in District of Columbia v. Heller, urging the
Supreme Court to rule in favor of the Second Amendment and against D.C.'s handgun ban.
Obama refused to sign the Heller brief, and supports reinstituting the Clinton gun and magazine ban. He also supports
Ted Kennedy's bill to ban semi-automatic handguns in the guise of "micro-stamping," and supports banning inexpensive
handguns as "junk guns."
But now that each candidate has chosen his running mate, the difference is even clearer than before. And when it
comes to guns, the two prospective vice-presidents are as far apart as the states from which they hail.
Sen. McCain's running mate, Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin, is a NRA Life Member and hunter who says, "I support our
Constitutional right to bear arms and am a proponent of gun safety programs for Alaska's youth," adding "I have always
strongly supported the personal use of fish and game by Alaskans. I grew up hunting and fishing in Alaska, and I am
proud to raise my children with this same uniquely Alaskan heritage."
NRA-ILA Executive Director Chris W. Cox says "Governor Palin doesn't just talk about supporting the Second
Amendment, it's part of her life, and she did her part to vindicate the Second Amendment for all Americans when Alaska
joined 30 other states in signing a legal brief supporting Heller's challenge to the D.C. gun-ban."
As for Joe Biden, from Delaware, the Brady Campaign sums it up in a straightforward enough fashion, saying, "Senator
Biden has been a consistent supporter of the Brady Campaign," and "Senator Biden was a key player in the fight for the
federal assault weapons ban that passed in 1994. He also worked hard for passage of the Brady Law (sic)."
In fact, Biden introduced an "assault weapons" ban in Congress five years before the Clinton gun and magazine ban was
imposed. In 1989, Biden's Senate Bill 1970 proposed to ban the Colt AR-15 and eight similar firearms as "assault
weapons," and authorize the Secretary of the Treasury (in reality, BATF) and the Attorney General to recommend to
Congress any other firearms, regardless of type, to be banned as "additional assault weapons."
As lead sponsor of the Senate crime bill to which the Feinstein gun ban amendment was attached, Biden was
instrumental in the passage of the 1994 Clinton gun and magazine ban. Biden reiterated his support for the ban—and,
in fact, took credit for authoring it—in response to a question at the CNN/YouTube debate earlier this year (to view the
video, please click here).
Biden voted for the ban on a stand-alone vote in 1993, and voted to extend the ban in 2004 as an amendment to the
"Protection of Lawful Commerce in Arms Act." He also included a renewal of the ban in his crime bill last year, along with
gun show restrictions.
Currently, Biden's S. 2237 proposes to renew the Clinton ban on roughly 200 makes and models of semi-automatic rifles,
shotguns, and handguns on the basis of things like the shape of their grips, and on ammunition magazines that hold
more than 10 rounds, regardless of the kind of firearm in which they are used.
As if that's not enough, Biden voted against the law that prohibits lawsuits designed to bankrupt law-abiding firearm
manufacturers and dealers. He also refused to sign the Congressional brief in Heller, and voted to confirm only one of
the five justices who ruled in favor of the Second Amendment in Heller, yet he voted to confirm all four justices who voted
against the Second Amendment in that case.
To put it simply, Gov. Sarah Palin would be one of the most pro-gun vice-presidents in American history, and Joe Biden
would definitely be the most anti-gun.
Even before this week, the difference between Barack Obama and John McCain was clear. For one, McCain joined more
than 300 other members of Congress in signing a "friend of the court" brief, in District of Columbia v. Heller, urging the
Supreme Court to rule in favor of the Second Amendment and against D.C.'s handgun ban.
Obama refused to sign the Heller brief, and supports reinstituting the Clinton gun and magazine ban. He also supports
Ted Kennedy's bill to ban semi-automatic handguns in the guise of "micro-stamping," and supports banning inexpensive
handguns as "junk guns."
But now that each candidate has chosen his running mate, the difference is even clearer than before. And when it
comes to guns, the two prospective vice-presidents are as far apart as the states from which they hail.
Sen. McCain's running mate, Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin, is a NRA Life Member and hunter who says, "I support our
Constitutional right to bear arms and am a proponent of gun safety programs for Alaska's youth," adding "I have always
strongly supported the personal use of fish and game by Alaskans. I grew up hunting and fishing in Alaska, and I am
proud to raise my children with this same uniquely Alaskan heritage."
NRA-ILA Executive Director Chris W. Cox says "Governor Palin doesn't just talk about supporting the Second
Amendment, it's part of her life, and she did her part to vindicate the Second Amendment for all Americans when Alaska
joined 30 other states in signing a legal brief supporting Heller's challenge to the D.C. gun-ban."
As for Joe Biden, from Delaware, the Brady Campaign sums it up in a straightforward enough fashion, saying, "Senator
Biden has been a consistent supporter of the Brady Campaign," and "Senator Biden was a key player in the fight for the
federal assault weapons ban that passed in 1994. He also worked hard for passage of the Brady Law (sic)."
In fact, Biden introduced an "assault weapons" ban in Congress five years before the Clinton gun and magazine ban was
imposed. In 1989, Biden's Senate Bill 1970 proposed to ban the Colt AR-15 and eight similar firearms as "assault
weapons," and authorize the Secretary of the Treasury (in reality, BATF) and the Attorney General to recommend to
Congress any other firearms, regardless of type, to be banned as "additional assault weapons."
As lead sponsor of the Senate crime bill to which the Feinstein gun ban amendment was attached, Biden was
instrumental in the passage of the 1994 Clinton gun and magazine ban. Biden reiterated his support for the ban—and,
in fact, took credit for authoring it—in response to a question at the CNN/YouTube debate earlier this year (to view the
video, please click here).
Biden voted for the ban on a stand-alone vote in 1993, and voted to extend the ban in 2004 as an amendment to the
"Protection of Lawful Commerce in Arms Act." He also included a renewal of the ban in his crime bill last year, along with
gun show restrictions.
Currently, Biden's S. 2237 proposes to renew the Clinton ban on roughly 200 makes and models of semi-automatic rifles,
shotguns, and handguns on the basis of things like the shape of their grips, and on ammunition magazines that hold
more than 10 rounds, regardless of the kind of firearm in which they are used.
As if that's not enough, Biden voted against the law that prohibits lawsuits designed to bankrupt law-abiding firearm
manufacturers and dealers. He also refused to sign the Congressional brief in Heller, and voted to confirm only one of
the five justices who ruled in favor of the Second Amendment in Heller, yet he voted to confirm all four justices who voted
against the Second Amendment in that case.
To put it simply, Gov. Sarah Palin would be one of the most pro-gun vice-presidents in American history, and Joe Biden
would definitely be the most anti-gun.
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