Bush supports semi-auto gun ban. (Insider Report).

Many of President George W. Bush's strongest Republican supporters are stunned. So are many of his Democrat opponents. Neither expected him to flip-flop on a core issue like gun control. Yet, on April 12th, the Washington Post reported that White House spokesman Scott McClellan had stated: "The president supports the [semi-auto ban], and he supports reauthorization of the current law."

What law is this? It is well-remembered by gun owners as the Clinton-Feinstein-Schumer bill. The two prime sponsors of this notorious gun grab were radical Democrat Senator Dianne Feinstein of California and then-Rep. Chuck Schumer of New York. Signed into law by President Clinton in 1994, it is scheduled to "sunset" in September 2004. On May 8th, Sen. Feinstein introduced legislation to reauthorize the ban. Responding to questions from reporters about President Bush's position on the matter, White House spokesman Ari Fleischer confirmed Mr. McClellan's earlier statement. "Often, the president will agree ... with the National Rifle Association," Fleischer said. "On this issue, he does not."

Deja vu all over again. Recall that the president's father made a similar reversal. After having voted for federal gun control legislation while in Congress, the senior George Bush sought to mend fences with the pro-gun voters before his 1988 presidential campaign. So he bought a membership in the NRA and proclaimed himself a champion of the Second Amendment. However, he soon showed his true colors. In 1989, the first Bush administration followed the lead of the radical gun-control lobby and arbitrarily banned the importation of various rifles that have a "military appearance." Then, in 1995, the former president helped the anti-gun fanatics and his liberal successor, Bill Clinton, by staging a dramatic resignation from the NRA. Like father, like son?