Vacation over, Obama looking at ways to reduce gun violence

[webfact]

Vacation over, Obama looking at ways to reduce gun violence
By KEVIN FREKING

WASHINGTON (AP) — Hawaiian vacation over, President Barack Obama says he is energized for his final year in office and ready to tackle unfinished business, turning immediate attention to the issue of gun violence.

Obama scheduled a meeting Monday with Attorney General Loretta Lynch to discuss a three-month review of what steps he could take to help reduce gun violence. The president is expected to use executive action to strengthen background checks required for gun purchases.

Republicans strongly oppose any moves Obama may make, and legal fights seem likely over what critics would view as infringing on their Second Amendment rights. But Obama is committed to an aggressive agenda in 2016 even as public attention shifts to the presidential election.

Obama spent much of his winter vacation out of the public eye, playing golf with friends and dining out with his family. He returned to the White House about noon Sunday.

"I am fired up for the year that stretches out before us. That's because of what we've accomplished together over the past seven," Obama said his weekly radio and Internet address.

While in Hawaii, he also worked on his final State of the Union address, scheduled for Jan. 12. The prime-time speech will give the president another chance to try to reassure the public about his national security stewardship after the attacks in Paris and San Bernardino, California.

Congressional Republicans have outlined a competing agenda for January, saying they will spend the first days of 2016 taking another crack at eliminating keys parts of the president's health insurance law and ending federal funding for Planned Parenthood. The legislation is unlikely to become law, but it is popular with the GOP base in an election year.

The debate about what Obama may do on gun violence already has spilled over into the presidential campaign.

Democratic front-runner Hillary Clinton has called for more aggressive executive actions on guns, and rival Bernie Sanders said he would support Obama's expected move.

The Vermont senator told ABC's "This Week" that he believes "there is a wide consensus" that "we should expand and strengthen the instant background check." He added: "I think that's what the president is trying to do and I think that will be the right thing to do."

Republican candidates largely oppose efforts to expand background checks or take other steps that curb access to guns.

"This president wants to act as if he is a king, as if he is a dictator," unable to persuade Congress and forcing an "illegal executive action" on the country, New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie told "Fox News Sunday."

Former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush, also on Fox, said Obama's "first impulse is always to take rights away from law-abiding citizens, and it's wrong."

In the radio address, Obama said tens of thousands of people have died from gun violence since background check legislation stalled three years ago.

"Each time, we're told that commonsense reforms like background checks might not have stopped the last massacre, or the one before that, so we shouldn't do anything," Obama said. "We know that we can't stop every act of violence. But what if we tried to stop even one?"

Federally licensed gun sellers are required by law to seek criminal background checks before completing a sale. But gun control advocacy groups say some of the people who sell firearms at gun shows are not federally licensed, increasing the chance of sales to customers prohibited by law from purchasing guns.

Obama plans to participate in a town hall Thursday night at George Mason University in Virginia on reducing gun violence. The president will take questions from the audience at the event moderated by CNN's Anderson Cooper.

Despite his deep differences with Republicans, Obama has cited two agenda items for 2016 that have bipartisan support: a free trade agreement with 11 other nations called the Trans-Pacific Partnership and changes in the criminal justice system that would reduce incarceration rates for nonviolent offenders. He often points out that the U.S. accounts for 5 percent of the world's population and 25 percent of its inmates.


-- (c) Associated Press 2016-01-04

[Pinot]

"Republican candidates largely oppose efforts to expand background checks or take other steps that curb access to guns."

Republicans largely oppose efforts?

Any Republican that dares come out in favor of ANY gun control legislation doesn't stand a chance of being elected with this wingnut base. The President has a mandate from the American people to do anything to control guns. Congress is certainly incapable of enacting even simple, logical gun control measures.

After every massacer we get the same ridiculous 2nd amendment interpretation nonsense and that we need to arm every man, woman and child to stop the gun violence. The NRA owns the Republican party.

[Felipesed]

As the majority of "gun violence" is caused by the illegal ownership of firearms by Hispanic and black gangs in inner city areas, e.g. Chicago, L.A., Philadelphia, Washington, why does he not tell the mayors of those cities to destroy these gangs, by any means possible.

Is Obama worried about losing support among his voter base?

Instead he chooses to target the most law-abiding section of the community - I wonder why?

The "enhanced background checks" and magazine capacity restrictions currently present in California did not prevent the legal acquisition of the firearms used in the San Bernadino shooting, so why does Obama think they would be useful if extended to other states?

[Pinot]

As the majority of "gun violence" is caused by the illegal ownership of firearms by Hispanic and black gangs in inner city areas, e.g. Chicago, L.A., Philadelphia, Washington, why does he not tell the mayors of those cities to destroy these gangs, by any means possible.

Is Obama worried about losing support among his voter base?

Instead he chooses to target the most law-abiding section of the community - I wonder why?

The "enhanced background checks" and magazine capacity restrictions currently present in California did not prevent the legal acquisition of the firearms used in the San Bernadino shooting, so why does Obama think they would be useful if extended to other states?

" Why does he not tell the mayors of those cities to destroy these gangs, by any means possible?" That's simplistic nonsense. Yeah, let's just shoot all the bad guys.

"Is Obama worried about losing support among his voter base?" Oh my Buddha, where do they get this stuff? The American public is overwhelming in favor of gun restrictions.

"Instead he chooses to target the most law-abiding section of the community - I wonder why?" Huh? The law abiding section of the community is being targeted? The old, Obama is coming for your guns nonsense.

We need to oppose "enhanced background checks" and restrictions on magazine capacity because they didn't work in the San Bernardino shootings. Pathetic, just silly.

How do you stop America's incredible gun violence? The answer for the wingnuts is...you don't. Second amendment, man.

This is why you can't let a Republican near the White House ever again. The Supreme Court should rule that guns need to be highly regulated. With the next Democratic President possibly replacing 4 judges it's imperative that some sanity be brought to gun ownership. The alternative is everyone carrying and bullets flying everywhere all the time. That's something these crazy Republicans want to see. When you live in constant fear, nothing is as comforting as a warm gun.

Edited January 4, 2016 by Pinot

[oneday]

Finally, something this president is trying to do I can get behind. I hope he has the cajones to follow it through.

"...The president is expected to use executive action to strengthen background checks required for gun purchases..."

There is no reason the NRA should object to this unless they think crazy people, terrorists and criminals should have guns.

[Felipesed]

Pinot,

I realise that you are probably not interested in any facts that will change your prejudiced opinions, but I suggest you read these and possibly think again:

http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2015/dec/31/obama-gun-control-push-undercut-by-fall-in-prosecu/

http://blogs.rollcall.com/white-house/obama-poised-tighten-gun-laws-holidays/

http://abcnews.go.com/Politics/now-oppose-assault-weapons-ban-doubts-stopping-lone/story?id=35778846

You should also be aware that firearm ownership in the US is at an all-time high, and not co-incidentally crime rates are falling.

This is especially apparent in States that have concealed-carry laws.

What do you think the connection is?

It would appear that your views are not indicative of the general mood in the USA.

I also note that you did not refute any of the factual statements I made.