Gun lobby Targets Obama's 'Absolutism'

The leader of the biggest US gun lobby criticized President Barack Obama for condemning “absolutism” in politics, and vowed to stand his ground on gun control.

LaPierre insisted that semi-automatic weapons should remain legal, and attacked Obama’s gun control platform unveiled last week by saying that universal background checks for gun purchases would hurt American traditions.

The gun lobbyist was focusing on a single line from Obama’s second inaugural speech that was largely believed to be aimed at his Republican foes in Congress.

The White House has not called for a universal list of gun owners. Instead, its proposal would require federal background checks in all gun sales from licensed firearms dealers in a bid to keep guns out of the hands of convicted felons, people with mental problems and others deemed dangerous.

The proposal came after a rash of gun violence including the killings of 20 young children and six adults at Sandy Hook Elementary School last month in Newtown, Connecticut.