David Plouffe States Obama Is Going to Push His Ban on Assault Weapons Through Congress, While Sen. Barrasso Claims Senate Vote on Obama’s Gun Control Measures Unlikely Because of Vulnerable 2014 Democrats

A Tale of Two Claims on Assault Weapons bans …

This morning of Fox News Sunday with Chris Wallace, Obama senior adviser David Plouffe told Wallace that the president is going to push Congress to pass his assault weapons ban. What is most telling is the admission that no set of laws is going to end violence, but Obama and his mouth pieces are trying to highjack the Sandy Hook shootings and playing on the knew-jerk reaction sympathies and ignorance of the American people. Plouffe was also making the rounds on CNN as well with his attack on US liberties and the 2nd Amendment. I would say one thing to “We the People”, be very careful of the liberties you give away that will affect little to no change. I would ask, why do it if we know in advance the change would be minimal.

“Everyone’s trying to divert from the core issue which is there is a huge consensus in the country including a vast majority of Republicans that things like the assault weapons, high capacity magazines, universal background checks, making progress on mental health. These are things we should and can do to help reduce gun violence. No set of laws is going to end violence, obviously or these episodes. But, if we can save one life we should take it. And we think there is consensus on Capitol Hill for this. We think we can get 60 votes in the senate and 218. It’s going to be hard … Look the president put together a variety of things. We think there is support for a lot of these things and are going to push forward as hard as we can.”

In contrast, as Plouffe was saying there was 60 votes in the US Senate to pass an assault-style gun ban, during a CNN “State of the Union” interview, Sen. John Barrasso (R-WY) claimed that he does not believe Harry Reid will bring Obama’s gun-control proposals to the Senate floor.  Barrasso stated that Reid fears bringing up this vote because he has six Democrats up for election in two years in states where the president received fewer than 42 percent of the votes.”

As reported at The Hill:

Sen. John Barrasso (R-Wyo.) said Sunday that he does not believe President Obama’s gun-control proposals will be brought to the Senate floor for a vote.

Speaking on CNN’s “State of the Union,” Barrasso said election worries among Democrats will sideline legislation that could restrict gun ownership.

Obama has called on Congress to institute universal background checks for all gun sales as well as bans on assault weapons and high-capacity magazines, among other items.

“I don’t think Sen. Harry Reid [D-Nev.] even brings it to the Senate floor because he has six Democrats up for election in two years in states where the president received fewer than 42 percent of the votes,” Barrasso said. “He doesn’t want his Democrats to have to choose between their own constituents and the president’s positions.”

The White House has recognized that passing gun-control legislation will be tough, though they are confident, anger over a mass shooting at an elementary school last month has shifted the public debate. Earlier on the same show, David Plouffe, senior adviser to President Obama, acknowledged it was “going be a very hard battle.”

The key to remember in all of this is that we must address the real issues of the Newtown shooting, not pass laws quickly that do nothing to combat violence, mental illness or the culture of violence, just to provide window dressing to make it appear Obama is doing something about it.