McCain to criticize Giuliani on guns

[2000silverz28]

WASHINGTON - Republican presidential candidate John McCain lobbed a thinly veiled attack at fellow rival Rudy Giuliani, describing the former mayor's "devious" attempt with a lawsuit "to bankrupt our great gun manufacturers." Giuliani said he preferred to focus on the lion's share of issues on which he and the National Rifle Association agree.

Sen. McCain, R-Ariz., and the former New York mayor are among several officials speaking Friday at a National Rifle Association conference.

In his prepared speech, McCain refers to a lawsuit by Giuliani and other mayors against the gun industry, to Giuliani's shifting Second Amendment position and to Giuliani's use of the term "extremists" in relation to the NRA.

"My friends, gun owners are not extremists; you are the core of modern America," McCain said in the prepared remarks. "The Second Amendment is unique in the world and at the core of our constitutional freedoms. It guarantees an individual right to keep and bear arms. To argue anything else is to reject the clear meaning of our founding fathers.

"But the clear meaning of the Second Amendment has not stopped those who want to punish firearms owners — and those who make and sell firearms — for the actions of criminals," McCain said.

He mentioned "a particularly devious effort to use lawsuits to bankrupt our great gun manufacturers."

"A number of big-city mayors decided it was more important to blame the manufacturers of a legal product than it was to control crime in their own cities," McCain said.

Ironically, a federal court in New York will hear arguments Friday on the lawsuit Giuliani filed as mayor against gun makers and distributors over violent crimes involving guns.

Giuliani said Thursday he doesn't comment on pending lawsuits.

"I think right now, the best approach is to focus on what can be done at the state and local level to deal with criminals who use guns, given the level of crime in this country and what's happened with it, as opposed to where we were maybe 10, 12 years ago," he said at a news conference in northern Virginia.

"What's needed in this country right now is to focus on people who use guns and use them illegally," he said.

Giuliani said candidates sometimes disagree with interest groups.

"Tomorrow, when I go before the NRA, I'm going to emphasize the areas in which I think there is a great deal of agreement," he said, adding that he would outline those commonalities on Friday.

Borrowing a phrase from President Reagan, he said, "As I've said many, many times, my 80 percent friend is not my 20 percent enemy."

On the Second Amendment, Giuliani has said the right to bear arms applies to militias but also said recently that it applies to individuals.

He described the NRA as "extremists" in a 1995 interview with PBS' Charlie Rose: "The NRA, for some reason, I think goes way overboard. It's almost what the extremists on the other side do. I think the extremists of the left and the extremists of the right have essentially the same tactic — the slippery slope theory. `If you give one point, then your entire argument is going to fall apart,' and we kind of get destroyed by that," Giuliani said.

[davej48]

Being a former mayor of NYC is no more of a qualification to be president of the US as is being a congressman from IL, where even dead people have been elected to office. I seem to recall a recent story about NYC executives trying to entrap several legitamate gun dealers with false " Strawman " purchases. I shudder to think of these people actualy running the country.

[saintsfanbrian]

Fred Thompson - Good to gun owners.

[towerclimber37]

Fred Thompson- Good to gun owners and NOT A Waffle!!!!

[K191145]

If Rudy Giuliani is the GOP nominee, I'm staying home election day and storing some guns and ammo in sealed containers and hiding them. Maybe I'll go and vote for a write in but IMO, Rudy Giuliani would be no different than Hillary or Obama. I couldn't hold my nose tight enough to vote for him, I'll just prepare to survive the next 4 years the best I can.

[molonlabetn]

Just watched ol' Rudy at the NRA convention on C-Span... It wasn't encouraging, but not altogether unexpected. Pretty much the only thing he said, between all of his words, was that the government should enforce the laws which are already in place before considering more laws...

Listening to Mike Huckabee afterward made me feel much better.

[Mike.357]

If Rudy is going to change his stance I would respect it more if it were for the reason that America wants a PRO-GUN president than what seems like a way to attempt to hide his true feelings.

[towerclimber37]

I loved what Fred said...

"I don't need to do any apologizing here...and I think that Jeri would make a better looking first lady than Bill Clinton would"

[Guest macho999]

I'm glad McCain, co-author of numerous gun control bills, feels obligated to point out how anti-gun someone else is.

[The Rabbi]

Giuliani's record on guns is pretty clear. How he expects to get the nomination is beyond me. If he is nominated I'm sitting home and watching a movie instead of voting. Let Hillary rule for 4 lousy years.

[fury2neon]

Giuliani's record on guns is pretty clear. How he expects to get the nomination is beyond me. If he is nominated I'm sitting home and watching a movie instead of voting. Let Hillary rule for 4 lousy years.

Your are so right, whether Rudy or Hillary won it would not make any difference at all.

[The Rabbi]

Your are so right, whether Rudy or Hillary won it would not make any difference at all.

Actually Hillary would be better in some ways because it would force the GOP to rethink who they are and how they are going to get back into power. After Watergate the GOP was almost finished as a party. They had a reputation somewhat above child molester. And out of that came Ronald Reagan and literally revolutionized the party and American politics.

[fury2neon]

Actually Hillary would be better in some ways because it would force the GOP to rethink who they are and how they are going to get back into power. After Watergate the GOP was almost finished as a party. They had a reputation somewhat above child molester. And out of that came Ronald Reagan and literally revolutionized the party and American politics.

Very true, you are not the first I have heard say a defeat for the GOP would be the best thing for the party.

I personally think that a major defeat for the Democrat party could possible save it from itself for some of the same reasons you mentioned.

[Cannon Fodder]

Actually Hillary would be better in some ways because it would force the GOP to rethink who they are and how they are going to get back into power. After Watergate the GOP was almost finished as a party. They had a reputation somewhat above child molester. And out of that came Ronald Reagan and literally revolutionized the party and American politics.

Yeah but think about what Hitlery would f-up in 4 years and make it permanent.

[DaveTN]

Giuliani said he preferred to focus on the lion's share of issues on which he and the National Rifle Association agree.

Giuliani said Thursday he doesn't comment on pending lawsuits.

Sorry Rudy… when you are running for pres you don’t get to play that card.

<O:p</O:p

[Guest DonRickles]

"Iran's president ... wanted to lay a wreath at Ground Zero, but his critics said, 'No, no. You are trying to exploit Ground Zero for political gain, and that is Rudy Giuliani's job.'" --Bill Maher

[ZZRguy]

I'm glad McCain, co-author of numerous gun control bills, feels obligated to point out how anti-gun someone else is.

I am reminded of a quote here " This is like the pot calling the kettle black"