A top National Rifle Association official said the Obama administration is using the increased publicity surrounding drug cartels in Mexico as an opportunity to push for reinstating the ban on semi-assault weapons.
“They're trying to piggyback this whole phony issue on the back of the tragedy in Mexico,” said Wayne LaPierre, executive vice president of the gun-rights group, on CBS' “Face the Nation” on Sunday.
In a speech in Mexico last week, President Obama — who on the campaign trail called for the ban, which expired in 2004, to be reinstated — said the prohibition made sense but the country should focus on enforcing existing laws for now.
White House senior adviser David Axelrod said the administration will “monitor” the issue, which is complicated by opposition from dozens of moderate Democrats.
“If there's a consensus, we'll move on it,” Mr. Axelrod said on the program. “We're faced with an enormous array of challenges, and we need to make some choices as to which to pursue first.” Read more
Source: The Washington Times
