A Cryptic Statement From A Cryptic Politician

According to The Huffington Post, Barack Obama had this to say about the United States Supreme Court ruling today, June 26, 2008, striking down the District of Columbia's law on handgun possession:


I have always believed that the Second Amendment protects the right of individuals to bear arms, but I also identify with the need for crime-ravaged communities to save their children from the violence that plagues our streets through common-sense, effective safety measures. The Supreme Court has now endorsed that view, and while it ruled that the D.C. gun ban went too far, Justice Scalia himself acknowledged that this right is not absolute and subject to reasonable regulations enacted by local communities to keep their streets safe. Today's ruling, the first clear statement on this issue in 127 years, will provide much-needed guidance to local jurisdictions across the country.


As President, I will uphold the constitutional rights of law-abiding gun-owners, hunters, and sportsmen. I know that what works in Chicago may not work in Cheyenne. We can work together to enact common-sense laws, like closing the gun show loophole and improving our background check system, so that guns do not fall into the hands of terrorists or criminals. Today's decision reinforces that if we act responsibly, we can both protect the constitutional right to bear arms and keep our communities and our children safe.

At first glance, this is a sensible position advocating the kind of gun control favored by most Americans- a statement supporting reasonable restrictions which are politically acceptable.

But look again- "I know that what works in Chicago may not work in Cheyenne." Mr. Obama is not running for mayor of Chicago or even governor of Illinois. He is running for President of the United States. He will be responsible, among other things, for consideration of the advisability of gun control in the United States of America. And the remark about Chicago/Cheyenne suggests, in the unlikely event that Obama is being sincere, that he would not favor restrictions unrealistic in Wyoming or other rural states.... which suggests that he is not in favor of federal gun control at all. Fortunately for all of us Americans, he probably doesn't mean it.