Candidate Positions

Original source:http://www.radioiowa.com/gestalt/go.cfm?objectid=1AE9B6AE-D8A7-6619-6DA493C9771D0676

Former North Carolina Senator John Edwards unveiled a rural agenda this past week that called for a crackdown on gun crimes. “I believe in the Second Amendment and I think it’s important for hunters rights to be protected. It’s part of my culture because of the way I grew up,” Edwards said during a news conference Friday night in Des Moines. “But I don’t think you need an AK-47 to hunt…There’s some weapons that are not necessary for sportsmen and hunters.”

Edwards, who backs a renewal of the assault weapons ban, also mentioned the breakdown in the Virginia system that allowed the Virginia Tech shooter to obtain a gun in the first place. “We need to do a better job of making sure that the registry that’s being used for the instant check includes people who’ve had some history of mental problems,” Edwards said. “There’s a spotted history, but there certainly was some history about this gunman.”

Original source: http://www.cnsnews.com/ViewPolitics.asp?Page=/Politics/archive/200703/POL20070306b.html

Former Virginia Gov. James Gilmore would like conservatives who are shopping for an alternative to the leading contenders for the 2008 Republican presidential nomination to know that he is no “Johnny come lately,” whether the issue is fighting terrorism, securing tax cuts, preserving gun rights, or promoting the right to life.
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Gilmore said that, as Virginia’s governor, he fought to downsize government and cut taxes, including a car tax. He supported “right to life” initiatives and Second Amendment rights and was a member of the board of directors of the National Rifle Association.

Original source:http://www.gopbloggers.org/mt/archives/004795.php

Our Second Amendment rights have also been under threat. The right to keep and bear arms is an absolute right of Americans to protect their families and their communities and their nation with firearms. In this age of post-911, Americans, I believe are comforted by the fact that our ability to resist terrorism is not limited to law enforcement or defense agencies but is also within the ability of all gun-owning Americans. Gun control laws directed at law-abiding citizens are not a crime deterrent. In fact, studies show that private ownership of firearms by Americans reduces crime. You and I both know that the one thing criminals prefer more than any other is unarmed victims.

Original source:http://kucinich.house.gov/news/DocumentSingle.aspx?DocumentID=62819

“The tragic events in Blacksburg, Virginia which took 33 lives are not an isolated example of the effects of gun violence in America. In fact, about 32 people perish each and every day in America in hand gun related incidents,” Kucinich said in a speech to Congress today.
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Kucinich is currently drafting legislation that would ban the purchase, sale, transfer, or possession of handguns by civilians. A gun buy-back provision will be included in the bill.

Original source: http://www1.wsvn.com/news/articles/voice_your_choice/MI44317/

Gun Control: Voted for ban on assault-type weapons and to require background checks at gun shows. Favored leaving gun-makers and dealers open to civil suits.

Original source:

It seems to me that the most gun-friendly candidate from either party at this point is a Democrat, Governor Bill Richardson of New Mexico. He has consistently received endorsements from the NRA and he is the only candidate for president in 2008 who has publicly stated that he holds a concealed carry permit.
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You have to talk about guns in the context of lifestyle, recreation, a way of life,” the Governor argues, “rather than as just a measure to prevent murders and deaths. Democrats need to move into a void in the West. The Bush Administration is scaring off recreationists, hunters and fishermen because of their extreme anti-environmental policies. It’s important to build alliances with these ranchers and fishermen and broaden the dialogue. The West is becoming more fertile Democratic territory. It’s important for Democrats on the East Coast not to make the gun issue a litmus test.
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The NRA endorsement [of Bill Richardson for governor in 2006], announced Monday at a West Mesa shooting range where hundreds of law enforcement officers from around the world took part in an NRA-sponsored shooting championship, wasn’t the first time Richardson has garnered the group’s backing.

“He’s been a pretty solid guy on the gun issue,” Van Horn, a member of the NRA’s board of directors, said.

Original source: http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2007/01/17/politics/main2369157.shtml

Obama regularly supported gun-control measures, including a ban on semiautomatic “assault weapons” and a limit on handgun purchases to one a month.

He also opposed letting people use a self-defense argument if charged with violating local handgun bans by using weapons in their homes. The bill was a reaction to a Chicago-area man who, after shooting an intruder, was charged with a handgun violation.

Original source: http://archives.cnn.com/2000/ALLPOLITICS/stories/05/09/hrc.guns/index.html

U.S. Senate candidate Hillary Rodham Clinton renewed her call for tougher gun control legislation on Tuesday before an audience of newspaper publishers.

“We have to do more to stand up to those who refuse to believe the reality that guns do kill and that common-sense gun measures can make a difference,” Mrs. Clinton said during a speech to the Newspaper Association of America’s annual convention in New York.
Hillary Rodham Clinton

“I believe we need a comprehensive plan to stop gun violence, and it is one of the reasons I am running for the Senate,” the first lady said.

Mrs. Clinton, who is running for the seat of retiring Sen. Daniel Patrick Moynihan (D-New York), added that she supports proposals that would require the licensing and registering of all new handguns purchased in the United States.