White House gun control initiatives: #SmartTakes on what Obama faces

http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/2013/jan/16/obama-gun-control-obstacles-smarttakes

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As Barack Obama unveils his gun control proposals, the internet has been considering the various obstacles his reforms now face.

We gathered news and commentary from around the web that examines the chances of Obama's legislative proposals ever making into the law, and the potential impact of the measures he can introduce without congressional approval.

(• Interactive: Gun control laws in the US state to state)

Obama faces opposition from not only the GOP-controlled House, but Senate Democrats and, of course, the NRA

Steve Kornacki of Salon highlights the obstacles the president faces from Senate Democrats who represent gun-friendly states. Mentioning North Dakota's Heidi Heitkamp, West Virginia's Joe Machin and Montana's Jon Tester, Kornacki writes:

None of these senators are particularly eager to go far out on a limb on gun control; especially if the House refuses to take action – or is only willing to take the most modest, watered down steps – don't expect these senators to do much more.

There is of course, the view that any proposals on firearm regulation will be tarnished by a Republican-controlled House. But in a view favorable to Obama, Kornacki suggests that the Sandy Hook tragedy has compelled all congressional leaders to seriously consider the president's measures, regardless of party affiliation.

There is enormous pressure on all leaders, Democrat and Republican, to do something, anything to try to curb gun violence. Stonewalling everything that Obama proposes may not be a viable option for the House GOP.

And you can't forget the NRA, a group that, according to this Washington Post piece by Phillip Rucker, had this less-than-flattering commentary to say about the president yesterday:

Obama's gun control proposals are sure to face stiff opposition from the National Rifle Association, which released a video Tuesday on its Web site calling Obama an "elitist hypocrite" for having the Secret Service protect his daughters at school while voicing skepticism about an NRA effort to place armed guards in all schools.

And today, the White House and the NRA sparred over the group's new web ad, which included choice lines like: "Are the president's kids more important than yours?"

What can Obama actually do by executive order?

The idea of the president issuing an executive order has been spurned by House republicans, conservative punditry and senator Rand Paul, who in response to an executive order said he's "against having a king." But according to this lengthy read by the Guardian's Harry J Enten, Obama was projected to use the executive order anyway.

Obama outlined his 23 executive initiatives for gun control on Wednesday and vowed to use "the power of this office" to get them passed, but Enten is still wary of how the public would reaction to an executive order:

The president would almost certainly be better off passing any law through Congress. It not only looks better, but it lessens the chance of any political blowback I may be underestimating. The danger, of course, is that if a bill fails to get through Congress, it would look like awfully sour grapes then to obtain gun control measures through executive orders. It's quite possible that the public would see that as executive over-reach.

Political and historical implications of gun control signal a drawn-out battle

Going back to Steve Kornacki's Salon piece, we get a sense that gun control is an issue that arises in America's political dialogue periodically, but is often forgotten about. Kornacki cites a simple trend in American gun laws dating back to the Federal Firearms Act of 1938--they come and go. Citing Lyndon Johnson's 1968 push to control firearms, Kornacki explains:

Still, it marked the first legislative action on guns since the Federal Firearms Act of 1938, proving if nothing else that it was still possible to enact gun reforms through Congress. It took 25 years after LBJ's '68 law for further gun restrictions – the Brady Bill, with its mandatory five-day waiting period – to be added to the books, and an assault weapons ban was added a year later. Since then, there's been nothing.

As for 2013, Kornacki says Obama's push for firearm control might be mostly symbolic:

Like with LBJ in '68, the best achievement for Obama here may simply be proving that it's possible to do something, anything on guns – and re-establishing the issue as a priority for Democrats going forward.

A greater emphasis on mental health could mean yet another lengthy debate in Congress

Several of Obama's initiatives deal with dedicating more attention and resources to mental health professionals. What's the temperature in Congress? A Politico piece by Jonathan Martin and Jake Sherman quoted Fred Upton, chairman of the house energy and commerce committee, who advocated a concerted effort to provide better mental healthcare in the United States:

"The string of attacks in Newtown, Aurora, Tucson, and at Virginia Tech force us to ask what we can do as a nation to care for and treat those who suffer from mental illnesses," Upton said, adding: "We must seek to gain a better understanding of societal factors, potential causes, and their overall impact upon outbreaks of violence."

What would you add? Submit links to our reading list by sharing your favorite news and commentary on gun control on Twitter using #SmartTakes. Some recent suggestions:

• The NRA's shadowy (and huge) board of directors (MoJo) • Where Congress stands on guns (ProPublica)