by David Safier
Raúl Grijalva gave his usual strong, eloquent statement on the gun regulation issue (Man, can that guy speak, and write). Ron Barber is showing a willingness to take a prominent place in the discussion (I think he was on MSNBC a few minutes ago).
And then there's Representative-elect Ann Kirkpatrick. When the Star's Tim Steller asked "what her position is on a possible assault-weapons ban or a ban on selling high-capacity magazines," he got back the following reponse:
"We need everything and everyone at the table if we are going to engage in an earnest, productive conversation about taking action. I have always been a strong supporter of the Second Amendment right to responsibly bear arms. But we have to take a hard look at our safety laws and procedures, our mental-health system, and the ways that gun violence is afflicting our society."
If there's ever been a check-the-boxes statement that throws a crumb to every possible interest group and makes sure no one is offended, this is it. And that I find offensive. As a Democratic member of the House of Representatives, Kirkpatrick needs to be more than just "Not Paton."
I received all Kirkpatrick's campaign email, which means I should continue to get her media releases. Let's hope she's still in the process of clearing her throat and will make a better statement soon.