Hillary Clinton: Hey, This Executive Action Thing Seems Like Fun! I'll Implement Gun Restrictions By Fiat.

Hillary has proposed to close the so-called, "gun show loophole" by executive fiat. Well, she generously has agreed to allow Congress a chance to do it first but if they don't, well, as Queen she will rid herself of this troublesome body and do it herself.

Clinton’s campaign says that this could theoretically be accomplished via a new rule by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms that would more clearly define what it means to be “engaged in the business” of selling firearms. Gun control advocates point out that under federal law, those “engaged in the business” of selling firearms must perform background checks, but federal regulations defining that phrase are too vague, allowing too many gun sales to proceed without such a check. Such federal regs, they say, could be changed through executive action that, for example, would set a clearer threshold defining “engaged in the business” of selling firearms in terms of the number of guns sold.

So in a Clinton II administration they will simply decide that the Gun Control Act of 1968 is suddenly too vague to enforce and they will decree what Congress has refused to define because....go to hell, that's why.

Something to consider...these "common sense reforms" are supposed to address the "epidemic" of mass shootings and rampant gun violence in general. But all of the mass shootings of late have been committed by people who acquired their guns legally from federally licensed dealers. So adding this restriction on private sales (and that's what this about) wouldn't do anything except expand the role of the federal government into ever more private activities.

As for gun violence in general...do you think people selling weapons to gang members are going to be deterred by yet another federal rule? Of course this new proposal ignores the fact that it's already illegal to sell a gun to someone who isn't eligible to purchase or own one and there are substantial criminal penalties to doing so.

But GUN SHOW LOOPHOLE!

The real challenge here is the mainlining of the idea that if a Republican Congress doesn't bend to the will of a Democrat President, then Congress can be by-passed (because you damn well know the press wouldn't allow a Republican to do this).

The real question in the House leadership races should be about which candidates have a plan to restore the legislative branch's rightful place in our Constitutional system. But that would mean Congress would have to write laws that are more than first drafts for regulators and then fight the President (of either party) who encroaches on their authorities. But that would mean work and doing stuff which is way beyond the competency and interest of most of these people.

posted by DrewM. at 10:53 AM

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