Politics: Obama vs. the NRA

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Politics Obama vs. the NRA Obama always promised to take on the special interests. Now he is set to square off against the strongest interest group of all.  By John Dickerson Posted Thursday, Dec 20, 2012, at 12:28 AM ET There are two ways to kill a policy idea in Washington: Broaden it to include every interested person with an opinion, or appoint a commission. If you broaden it, it quickly becomes a cacophonous mess, and everyone throws up his or her hands. Commissions, almost by design, are where action goes for a nap. So when President Obama unveiled his preliminary response to the Newtown, Conn., massacre in his news conference on Wednesday—a commission headed by Vice President Joe Biden to drum up some wide-ranging recommendations—you might have had reason to worry that Obama wasn't serious about committing himself to gun control. But not so fast. Obama might have sensed your pessimism, and he is very aware of the dreary history of Washington commissions. Indeed, he spoke directly to that point. "This is not some Washington commission," he said. "This is not something where folks are going to be studying the issue for six months and publishing a report that gets read and then pushed aside." Instead, he called for quick action and then more action, backed up by the power of his office. Still, who wouldn't be doubtful? After all, Obama has done that before. Why won't he wimp out or drift away in frustration as he did with his promise to close Guantanamo Bay or push for comprehensive immigration reform? Of course, he might. But in the five days between the shooting and Wednesday's news conference, the president has raised the moral ... To continue reading, click here. Join the Fray: our reader discussion forum What did you think of this article? POST A MESSAGE | READ MESSAGES Also In Slate Obama vs. the NRA Please, Do Not Tip Your Server And the Loveliest Tree in America Is …	Advertisement
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