"I think that the Second Amendment means something. I think that if the government were to confiscate everybody's guns unilaterally, then I think that would be subject to constitutional challenge," Obama said in 2004.
In a separate interview, Obama said, "I have said consistently that I believe the Second Amendment is an individual right."
So he can read. And he is firm, firm, in his commitment to Constitutional rights that were plainly spelled out 230 years ago.
The junior U.S. senator from Illinois has insisted that he supports both the law-abiding use of firearms and reasonable gun control. The NRA and the McCain campaign, though, claim Obama's record in the Illinois General Assembly shows him to be a gun grabber.
Obama was among just eight state senators who voted against a new law making it legal for Illinoisans to use guns to defend themselves in their own homes, even if their own hometown should have a law saying that's not legal.
Sure, just call the cops, so when they finally get there, they can clean up the bloody mess that used to be you and your family.
There is something wrong, something very basic, when a politician votes that way on such an important matter as defending your home and family. Either the politician (a) believes such a position is good and just, or (b) adopts such a position just to win public favor.
I find both (a) and (b) severely lacking, in various ways.
He can't run in a general election on that stance. So he will now have to dance for us, and pretend that it is our best interests to allow judges and legislators to hammer out some kind of fuzzy gray area between "guns are a Constitutional right" and "reasonable gun control".
That always works out so well.