Dr. Kelli Ward, challenging Sen. John McCain in an Arizona Republican primary, is condemning President’s Obama’s new gun-control executive order as a “blatant assault on the Second Amendment.”
In a statement to Breitbart News, Ward weighed in:
Barack Obama is once again attempting to violate Americans’ rights by abusing a tool he has used in the past when he doesn’t get his way – issuing an executive order.
President Obama’s blatant assault on the Second Amendment and disregard of the proper role of the Executive Branch and the powers of the Legislative Branch are simply unacceptable. Our Second Amendment rights cannot be curtailed by the stroke of a President’s pen. As a US Senator, I will make it clear that I will not stand for this behavior and I will fight tirelessly to uphold the Constitutional rights of American citizens.
Gun Owners of America endorsed Ward in December over McCain, based on the former State Senator’s record of Second Amendment support.
GOA Executive Director Larry Pratt told Breitbart News: “People at Gun Owners have met with Senator Ward, they are very impressed. She has a great record in the Arizona Senate and she will be quite an upgrade from what we’ve had so far.” Pratt went on to remark, “Senator McCain does not respect the Constitution” before citing the McCain-Feingold Act.
Breitbart News asked Ward to comment on McCain’s record on the Second Amendment. Ward’s campaign responded:
John McCain’s record is clear, during election time he is pro-2nd amendment, but once the ballots are counted and he is safely back in the Beltway his true colors surface.
Arizona and America deserve a Senator that is firm on their stances. If John McCain’s true feelings are that Americans gun rights should be severely limited he needs to be honest with the voters. Just recently, McCain joined with Democrats in the Senate to push for stronger gun control measures.
McCain’s response to Obama’s executive action on gun control, as reported by the Arizona Daily Star was:
President Obama has once again ignored the separation of powers and disregarded the rule of law. These issues must be debated and decided by the representatives of the people – not by executive fiat.
McCain has supported various forms of gun control, according to the Washington Post. Ads run in Colorado and Oregon in 2000 by gun control organization Americans for Gun Safety featured McCain promoting ballot initiatives that, according to the New York Times, “would require people who buy firearms at gun shows to undergo criminal background checks.” AGS is the creation of billionaire Andrew J. McKelvey.
Senators Chuck Schumer (D-NY) and McCain pushed for gun control legislation in 2013. The White House faced criticism from gun control advocates for failing to sufficiently push a measure on the issue, according to U.S. News and World Report. McCain’s response to such criticism was to call it pointing fingers while saying, “I don’t know what the administration could have done.”
Obama is answering that.
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