Romney On The 2nd Amendment?

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Slightly better than Giuliani, but he still doesn't appear to "get it". His knowledge of gun RIGHTS issues seems superficial at best.

He probably wouldn't PUSH gun confiscation the way Giuliani would, but don't count on him to resist it either.
 
from wikipedia: (emphasis mine)

Gun control
See also: Governorship of Mitt Romney#Other issues
Romney has said "I support the right of individuals to keep and bear arms as guaranteed under the U.S. Constitution",[53] though in past campaigns he has described himself as a proponent of moderate gun control, supporting a ban on semi-automatic firearms, which he still supports.[54] However, it is further reported that "Romney had taken steps to support gun rights as governor, including his signing of an NRA-backed bill last year[...]."[55][54]

For Romney's 1994 US Senate campaign, he supported the Brady Bill, which imposed a five-day waiting period on gun sales, and a ban on particular semi-automatic rifles.[54] In a 2002 debate during Romney's campaign for governor of Massachusetts, Romney said: "We do have tough gun laws in Massachusetts; I support them. I won't chip away at them; I believe they protect us and provide for our safety."[56] As governor, Romney signed a 2004 measure instituting a permanent Massachusetts ban on semi-automatics, to take the place of a Federal ban, which was then about to expire. The bill made Massachusetts the first state to enact its own such ban on semi-automatics, and Romney supported the law with the comment: "These guns are not made for recreation or self-defense. They are instruments of destruction with the sole purpose of hunting down and killing people."[57] As Governor Romney extended the term of firearm licenses from four to six years, reinstated a 90-day grace period for citizens renewing their gun licenses, and signed a law providing free replacement licenses.[citation needed]

When he supported the Brady Bill in 1994, Romney said, "That's not going to make me the hero of the NRA. I don't line up with the NRA." [56] Just before declaring his candidacy for the 2008 Republican nomination for president, Romney joined the National Rifle Association (NRA).[58][55][54] In 2005, Romney declared the 31st anniversary of the Gun Owners' Action League "Right to Bear Arms Day" [59]

Romney said in his 2008 campaign:

"I have a gun of my own. I go hunting myself. I'm a member of the NRA and believe firmly in the right to bear arms. In our state... there are a series of laws restricting gun ownership in various ways. Over the past four years, I've worked very closely with the Gun Owners' Action League here, which is an affiliate of the NRA, and we've made some changes which I think they feel have been positive steps. And so you are going to see that, I think, hopefully, in other states as well, as they make progress, perhaps further than Massachusetts has."[56]

"So I'm a hunter and believe in Second Amendment rights, but I also believe that assault weapons are not needed in the public population."[60]

Romney later clarified that he did not 'own' a gun and said that one of his sons keeps two guns at the family vacation home in Utah; presumably those he 'has' and uses when hunting.[55]

I will not vote for Romney in the primary... and I'm a Mormon.

He just doesn't "get it." Typical East Coast Politican in my book.
 
IMO, from the GOP he may be as good as it gets this election, too bad he stained by Massachusetts style politics.

He shows a bit more principle than some of his opponents, a la NPR interview last week, he outright refused to incorporate his faith into his politics, I was impressed. If Dr. Ron was his VP I'd vote for him :D:D:D:D:D
 
I wouldn't vote for a big time, east coast liberal RINO like Romney under any circumstance. He only became 'pro gun' when you decided to run for president and knew his long time anti-gun stance was a loser. Another lying weasel politician.
 
My favorite right now is Duncan Hunter, but no one but me has ever heard of him. At least we have a few months to figure it out.
 
Being a voter from Massachusetts I know a lot about Romney.He does like to flip flop.However,from my standpoint,who else can I vote for?Forget about any Demmies.Guiliani is a typical NYC anti gun nut,McCaine has voted for a few anti gun bills,and Thompson cannot win.That being,I will vote for Romney even if he is a phony,he has publicly joined the NRA. If anyone has a better idea please let me know.
 
Being a voter from Massachusetts I know a lot about Romney.He does like to flip flop.However,from my standpoint,who else can I vote for?Forget about any Demmies.Guiliani is a typical NYC anti gun nut,McCaine has voted for a few anti gun bills,and Thompson cannot win.That being,I will vote for Romney even if he is a phony,he has publicly joined the NRA. If anyone has a better idea please let me know.

Ron Paul?
ronpaul2008.com/gunowners

As a United States Congressman, I have:

- Led the fight to restore the Second Amendment rights to all Americans, without infringement, that have been stripped away;

- Introduced legislation to repeal the so-called "Gun Free Zone" victim disarmament law of 1990;

- Introduced legislation to repeal the 1993 National "Instant Background Check" gun registration bill;

- Authored legislation to stop taxpayer funds from going to the anti-gun United Nations;

- Opposed all gun control schemes that would register ALL private sales and mandate government "Lock-up Your Safety" devices;

- Introduced legislation to protect American citizens' freedom to carry in our national parks.

- Publicly Opposed legislation just this year that would allow government-appointed psychiatrists to ban U.S. veterans experiencing even mild forms of Post Traumatic Stress Syndrome from EVER owning a gun.

If you want a 100 percenter on gun rights, Paul's your man.
 
Everytime I hear Congressman Paul speak I'm encouraged that there is, in fact, intelligent life on earth. But then he goes off about the war which, IMHO, disqualifies him.
 
jlbraun is right. RP has a perfect record, and can actually pull dem and independent voters. He's also pulling in lots of money. The big media just needs to wake up.

Right now, it's looking like we won't have a clear front runner until the convention, so it's likely to be a brokered convention. I wouldn't count out anyone right now. Giuliani, Romney and now Huckabee all look like they'd lose against any dem.
 
If you want a candidate that is solidly pro 2A and has a chance to get elected, huckabee is your guy...Emphasis is mine

Mike Huckabee said:
No candidate has a stronger, more consistent record on Second Amendment rights than I do. Our Founding Fathers, having endured the tyranny of the British Empire, wanted to guarantee our God-given liberties. They devised our three branches of government and our system of checks and balances. But they were still concerned that the system could fail, and that we might someday face a new tyranny from our own government. They wanted us to be able to defend ourselves, and that's why they gave us the Second Amendment. They knew that a government facing an armed populace was less likely to take away our rights, while a disarmed population wouldn't have much hope. As Ronald Reagan reminded us, "Freedom is never more than one generation away from extinction." Without our Second Amendment rights, all of our other rights aren't inalienable, they're just "on loan" from the government.

Other candidates say gun control doesn't affect hunting. Now I'm a very avid hunter, but the Second Amendment isn't really about hunting. It's about tyranny and self-defense. The Founding Fathers weren't worried about our being able to bag a duck or a deer, they were worried about our keeping our fundamental freedoms.

I once saw a bumper sticker that said, "Criminals prefer unarmed victims." Criminals will always find a way to get guns. By disarming our law-abiding citizens, we take away the strongest deterrent to violent criminals - the uncertainty that they don't know who is helpless and who is armed. Our law enforcement officials can't be everywhere, all the time. Lawfully-armed citizens back them up and prevent robberies, rapes, and the murder of innocents. Right after Katrina, with law enforcement non-existent, many victims were able to protect their lives, their homes, and their precious supplies of food and water only because they were armed.

Other candidates believe gun control should be determined geographically, but Second Amendment rights belong to individuals, not cities or states. Your Second Amendment rights don't change when you change your address.

Other candidates filed frivolous law suits against gun manufacturers. When I was Governor, I protected gun manufacturers from exactly those types of suits. I allowed former law enforcement officials to carry concealed handguns and removed restrictions on concealed handgun permit holders. I was the first Governor in the country to have a concealed handgun license, and of course I'm a lifetime member of the National Rifle Association..

Other candidates have supported banning assault weapons. When the federal ban on assault weapons expired in 2004, I said, "May it rest in peace." It won't be returning in the Huckabee Administration.

Zealously protecting your Second Amendment rights is another way that I will lift all law-abiding Americans up, by consistently championing your right to defend yourself.
 
My biggest beef with Huckabee is that he doesn't recognize seperation of church and state. Granted, a lot of other candidates do not either, it just makes it especially worse because he is a pastor.
 
"I wouldn't vote for a big time, east coast liberal RINO like Romney under any circumstance. He only became 'pro gun' when you decided to run for president and knew his long time anti-gun stance was a loser. Another lying weasel politician."

Bingo. Romney is the only anti-gun presidential candidate who ever signed anti-gun legislation into law.
 
warning. this thread will be locked as soon as a moderator sees it.

:)

Politics is now off topic, even gun politics.

My take is that most politicians do not care about much of anything but getting elected. They say what it takes to get enough people to vote for them. I would not be all that worried that he is not a Ron Paul kind of 2A hardliner. Very few people will find any candidate that they agree with 100%. That means most of us have to make a choice between candidates that you may have issues with in one or more areas.
 
I could have sworn I saw somewhere that discussion of specific 2A agendas with candidates was allowed.

If not, I'm sorry.
 
I go hunting myself.

Romney just does not get it. Pisses me off when candidates throw out the hunting thing to show they are pro 2A.

Huckabee gets my vote if the election was today. Maybe somone else will step forward that is more worthy by the actual election day. At least Huckabee gets what 2A is all about
 
I have heard Romney admit he was wrong in the past. Might be irrelevent to the discussion, but worth keeping tucked away for upcoming debates.
 
I don't see anything wrong with being a hunter. Or being a politician that supports hunting. It just has nothing to do with the 2A, and only indirectly with guns at all.

My guess is he is a John Kerry type hunter. Go shoot at a few ducks using someone else's dogs, guns and equipment, carry some dead ducks around that you may or may not have personally shot so your handpicked media can take some photos, then hand off the dead birds to someone else to deal with, and not go hunting again until the next election cycle.

The fact that a lot of candidates are afraid of the "gun lobby" (thats us, in case you did not realize it) is a good thing.
 
The answer Fred! gave at one of the recent debates (paraphrased):

"I have a few guns, but I'm not going to tell you what they are or where they are."

shows me he gets it very clearly indeed, without having to advertise.
 
Huckleberry looks like the clear winner to me, at least regarding 2A which is about all I care about passionately.
 
Unfortunately it doesn't look like Ron Paul has a chance. Some of his ideas are a bit too radical for most Americans to swallow. I'd like to see him win, but it doesn't look like it will happen. That being said, even though Romney's a mormon, and I live in Utah, for every Mitt Romney sticker I see on a car, I see ten Ron Paul and Mike Huckabee stickers.

Huckabee's stance on the 2A is pretty strong, and he has a bit more of a chance. He's got my vote.
 
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