Kerry Derides Bush for Letting Weapons Ban Expire

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The New York Sun

WASHINGTON – Democrat John Kerry blamed President Bush yesterday for the expiration of a federal assault weapons ban, accusing him of failing to use White House clout to cajole Congress to renew the 10-year prohibition.


Speaking at an anti-crime event in Washington, Mr. Kerry said the president had made “the job of terrorists easier and made the job of America’s law enforcement officers harder” by putting first “his friends” in the gun lobby.


“George Bush made a choice today. He chose his powerful friends in the gun lobby over the police officers and the families he promised to protect,” charged the Democratic nominee as he outlined a $5 billion, 10-year anti-crime agenda that includes reversing proposed cuts to a federally funded community policing program.


The Kerry attack drew a robust response from the Bush-Cheney campaign, with presidential spokesman Scott McClellan dismissing the Kerry accusation as a false one. He insisted that Mr. Bush would have been happy to sign a renewal of the assault-gun ban, if Congress had passed one.


Traveling with Mr. Bush on Air Force One, Mr. McClellan said the president had a good record on crime and pointed out that violent crime was at a three decade low. He also questioned Mr. Kerry’s assertions that his $5 billion anti-crime proposals could be paid out of Customs fees, claiming that there are already 16 bills on Capitol Hill that would tap Customs fees.


The prohibition of the 19 types of military-style weapons, including firearms like AK-47s,Uzis and TEC-9s,expired at midnight last night. There have been conflicting conclusions drawn by studies into the effect of the ban that was signed into law by President Clinton. Loopholes allowed manufacturers to sell some of the prohibited weapons.


New York Police Commissioner Raymond Kelly said the Police Department was “disappointed” with the failure to extend the weapons ban.


“We sent a letter to Congress, and assault weapons kill people. It’s as simple as that. They have no other function other than to kill human beings,” Commissioner Kelly said. “It’s the police officers who are at risk. They’re the ones responding to these calls.”


Mr. Kerry’s advisers believe that their candidate’s attack on Mr. Bush for apparently favoring a renewal of the ban but failing to do anything about it will resonate with suburban moms.


The Bush camp, though, calculates that by targeting the gun issue Mr. Kerry could harm himself in states such as West Virginia. Election analysts believe that the gun issue was a key factor in the state going Republican in 2000.


Many House Democrats fighting competitive re-election campaigns this election season were reluctant to press for the ban’s renewal, fearing the consequences of doing so.


While Mr. Kerry focused yesterday on the firearms ban and other law-enforcement issues, Mr. Bush was as un compromising in his attacks on his Democratic rival, painting him as a tax-and-spend liberal.


Campaigning in the battleground state of Michigan on domestic issues that traditionally favor Democrats, the president warned that health-care proposals adopted by Mr. Kerry would see a government takeover of health care and a hike in taxes.


“We have a difference of opinion in this campaign,” Mr. Bush said. “I’m running against a fellow who has got a massive, complicated blueprint to have our government take over the decision-making in health care.”


The president added: “Not only is his plan going to increase the power of bureaucrats in your life, but he can’t pay for it unless he raises your taxes.”


Mr. Bush outlined his health-care proposals, which include allowing small businesses to pool resources to buy discounted health insurance and expanding health saving accounts, as well as plans for a tax credit to help poor families and individuals buy coverage.


Mr. Bush’s dubbing of his rival as a tax-and-spend liberal was echoed later by Vice President Cheney, who claimed that Mr. Kerry’s health-care proposals would cost more than a trillion dollars, a charge disputed by the Kerry camp, which says Mr. Bush has not done enough to help ordinary Americans afford health insurance.


“While health insurance and prescription drugs have set record prices during the last four years, George Bush has taken money from drug and insurance companies hand over fist, making their profits the priority when he should have been focusing on the needs of everyday Americans struggling to pay for their insurance and prescriptions,” said Kerry-Edwards spokesman Phil Singer.


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