Mark today as the day when Vice President Joe Biden made many conservative Republicans’, NRA officials’, and no-on-any-gun-regulation NRA members’ (who don’t reflect the opinion of many other NRA members) heads explode: he said that President Barack Obama is considering using executive orders to stem mass shootings in America.
The police better get ready for a host of calls about (imaginary) black helicopter sightings:
President Barack Obama is exploring executive orders to help prevent mass shootings in America, Vice President Joe Biden said Wednesday.
“The president is going to act. Executive orders, executive action, can be taken,” Biden told reporters before meetings with groups representing survivors of mass shootings. “We haven’t decided what this is yet, but we’re compiling it all with the help of the attorney general and all the rest of the Cabinet members.”
Legislative action also is needed, Biden said.
“I’m convinced we can affect the well-being of millions of Americans, and take thousands of people out of harm’s way, if we act responsibly,” he said.
President Obama vowed last month that a new task force overseen by Biden will provide “concrete proposals” by the end of January to reduce gun violence. The group, which includes an array of Cabinet members and government officials, was established in the wake of the massacre in Newtown, Connecticut, that left 27 people dead — 20 of them elementary school children.
In addition to gun laws, the group is looking at mental health care and what the president has described as a culture that often “glorifies guns and violence.”
CNN iReport: The gun control debate
Biden’s brief remarks Wednesday came before what will likely be some of the most emotional testimony before the task force.
NBC’s First Read puts White House aspirations into context in a post written earlier:
*** Two options on gun measures: The White House has a self-imposed deadline of the end of this month to come up with some tangible items. They can go one of two ways: (1) Incremental (magazines and mental-health screenings): This will show the White House trying to create proposals that can pass, but there will be a lot of disappointed people, or (2) Bolder (really pushing for reinstating the assault-weapons ban, mandatory background checks of all purchases, including private sales, a national gun ownership database): But the risk of the bold approach is that it can’t pass Congress. It’s a bit of a political box for the White House; they’d like to do something, and there is a chance to “do something,” but what is possible and what some gun-control advocates really want are not in the same ballpark.
Executive orders would seem a third option. But those who are upset by the issue being raised — and those who will now whip up virtual hysteria to build up their audience shares or Internet hits — know full well that a)an executive order has to be within the law b)if it is an unlawful order it will be challenged in court and struck down. But none of that matters: this is red meat for some politicos and media types to gain viewer/reader attention.
Let the screaming begin.
And (sigh) you can already see it on some of the Tweets. A cross section when you look up “executive order”. Note that nothing has been revealed yet — and Tweets already have Obama seizing all guns. Such is the state of 21st century politics where facts don’t mean as much as screaming and accusing (and the trending for our democracy isn’t terrific on this front):
Razor ?@hale_razor
Biden says it’s a moral issue that Obama deals with guns by Executive Order. You know what’s moral? Obeying the damn Constitution. #tcot15m The Young Cons ?@YoungCons
By executive order I am outlawing guns and presidential term limits. And if you don’t agree with me you’re racist. #BarackismsRT @lachlan: Reminder: an executive order on guns wouldn’t change gun laws. Obama can only affect enforcement. http://slate.me/WtS58R
1h Martin Behm ?@TheBehmmer
If the POTUS releases an Executive Order regarding gun control, civil unrest will ensue as this will cause more commotion than a earthquake!1h Michael Reagan ?@ReaganWorld
Protect Yourself!!Buy now while we can!Biden: Obama Considering ‘Executive Order’ to Deal With Guns http://shar.es/4hxNZ via @sharethis1h Norsu ?@Norsu2
Drudge Compares Obama To Hitler & Stalin http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2976463/posts … Obama/Biden look to ban guns via Executive order. Pure tyranny #tcot #p22h Razor ?@hale_razor
#YouMightBeALiberal if Bush looking at library cards was like Hitler, but Obama imposing gun control by executive order is no biggee.2h HealthRanger ?@HealthRanger
Obama to follow in footsteps of Hitler, Stalin with ‘executive order’ disarmament of the people http://www.naturalnews.com/038615_Obama_Hitler_Stalin.html … via @HealthRanger2h Resist Tyranny ?@ResistTyranny
Like Hitler and Stalin before him, Obama is pondering an executive order to confiscate your #guns: http://peeped.co/?AC #tyranny2h Norsu ?@Norsu2
Obama to use Executive Order on Guns? http://www.weeklystandard.com/blogs/biden-obama-might-use-executive-order-deal-guns_694984.html … This is Treasonous #Oathkeepers #NRA #teaparty #p2 #PitchForks #Tyranny #tcot2h Wayne Allyn Root ?@WayneRoot
I warned about Obama’s 2nd term. I predicted he’d rule as a dictator/tyrant. He will bypass Congress to take guns away: http://www.weeklystandard.com/blogs/biden-obama-might-use-executive-order-deal-guns_694984.html …2h #RepublicanGirlProbs ?@RepubGrlProbs
Today Biden threatened that Obama will sign an executive order on gun control. To top it off, Eric Holder sat next to him at the meeting.Ryan Niino ?@TkRYan4short
Biden: Obama Considering ‘Executive Order’ to Deal With Guns http://shar.es/4hfo9 remember when libs said O doesn’t want to take ur guns?
Of course NOWHERE has Obama or Biden said they will “take ur guns.”
And look up “Biden” on Twitter and you get this (with the inevitable Donald Trump quote):
Donald J. Trump ?@realDonaldTrump
This is how it starts. Obama is now threatening to use an Executive Order for gun control http://bit.ly/10fegYs Welcome to his 2nd term.Underground Express ?@undergroundexp
Why do you think Biden PROMISED a gun grab bill would be signed by the end of this month? http://bit.ly/ZHSMSZWork Today ?@GetToWorkToday
Biden task force chills gun stock rally: A gun-related stocks rally of recent weeks halts on talk that Vice Pres… http://bit.ly/VHRfH5Norsu ?@Norsu2
Biden: Obama Will Use Executive Orders To Grab Guns http://patdollard.com/2013/01/biden-obama-will-use-executive-orders-to-grab-guns/ … No one stopped Hitler from usurping power w gun grabs #tcot #p2
Let the polemics begin (they already have).
head exploding grahic via shutterstock.com
Joe Gandelman is a former fulltime journalist who freelanced in India, Spain, Bangladesh and Cypress writing for publications such as the Christian Science Monitor and Newsweek. He also did radio reports from Madrid for NPR’s All Things Considered. He has worked on two U.S. newspapers and quit the news biz in 1990 to go into entertainment. He also has written for The Week and several online publications, did a column for Cagle Cartoons Syndicate and has appeared on CNN.