Clinton says gun controls could
take years
By SANDRA SOBIERAJ
Associated Press Writer
June
4, 1999
Web
posted at: 9:50 a.m. EDT (1350 GMT)
WASHINGTON (AP) -- Set on the defensive about his resolve to tighten
gun controls, President Clinton said today he prefers sweeping restrictions
-- such as a mandate that people "register guns like they register cars"
-- but they could take years because he is hamstrung by a Republican Congress
"out of touch with the American people."
The president and his wife, Hillary, aimed their anti-youth-violence
campaign at family breakfast tables nationwide today, appearing on ABC's
"Good Morning America" with 40 teen-agers -- some from schools made infamous
by shootings last year -- for a live brainstorming session.
Anchor Charlie Gibson opened the broadcast from the White House's Roosevelt
Room with a separate interview with the president. The journalist quoted
an unnamed Clinton ally as saying the president, after the Littleton, Colo.,
school massacre, "had a chance to roar and he meowed."
Clinton narrowly won Senate passage last month of a limited bill requiring
mandatory background checks for all transactions at gun shows, then lost
a fight to have the House follow suit before its Memorial Day recess.
He has -- as a matter of political practicality, he said -- deferred
until later the battle for additional gun controls, such as background
checks for explosives sales, increasing from 18 to 21 the legal age for
owning handguns and assault weapons, and limiting gun purchases to one
per month.
"Look, let's join the real world here," Clinton said to Gibson in response
to the "meowed" characterization. His eyes narrowed and his finger pointed
accusingly, Clinton continued:
"You want to have an honest conversation, let's have an honest conversation.
I am the first president who ever took on the NRA. I got my party in Congress
to stand with me on the Brady bill. ... Now wait a minute, you talk about
roaring and meowing -- then I came forward with this legislation."
Clinton pounded his left fist into his right palm.
"For you to say I shouldn't take what I can get and instead I should
ask for things that I am absolutely positive will be defeated in the Congress
is quite wrong," he said.
He said the House delayed a gun vote until after the holiday recess
in order to give the National Rifle Association time to lobby and water
down the legislation.
"I made it clear I want to do this in sequence. I think this is going
to take years. The Congress is out of touch with the American people."
Following the president's one-on-one interview in the Cabinet Room,
he and Mrs. Clinton sat down with students from Littleton, Springfield,
Ore., West Paducah, Ky., Conyers, Ga., and other areas for an uninterrupted
discussion of youth violence.
After 45 minutes, the Clintons agreed to scrap their schedules and stretch
it another 10 minutes. "We can stay longer," the first lady said. "I want
to hear from them."
One student, Albert Smith, questioned the president skeptically. "How
spectacular is this legislation and why will it make a difference?" Another
student in the discussion was Missy Jenkins, who was paralyzed from the
waist down on Dec. 1, 1997, when a classmate opened fire inside her West
Paducah high school.
Mrs. Clinton, with apologies for pulling "the nosey mother routine,"
beseeched kids to ask questions and demand safe surroundings. "If you guys
are going to a party make sure there are no guns around," she said.
The first lady also asked students to speak out for tougher gun controls.
"There's no reason why a lot of you who are about to be or are already
18 can't let your voices be heard too."
The Clintons saw "Good Morning America" and its estimated 7 million
viewers as a ripe opportunity, White House spokesman Jake Siewert said.
"The Clintons can talk directly to families as they get ready for another
school day."
Earlier this week, the president ordered a joint investigation by the
Justice Department and Federal Trade Commission of marketing practices
by the motion picture and video game industries to see if they are targeting
children with their violent wares.
Associated
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