Rendell under assault on weapons ban

Governor Rendell is making headlines with a renewed push for a federal ban on assault weapons. But a man expected to be the stiffest competition for Pennsylvania Senator Arlen Specter in next year’s Republican primary, Pat Toomey, says Rendell is off target.

Governor Rendell is making headlines with a renewed push for a federal ban on assault weapons. But a man expected to be the stiffest competition for Pennsylvania Senator Arlen Specter in next year’s Republican primary, Pat Toomey, says Rendell is off target.

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[audio: 090421sdguns.mp3]

In the wake of Pittsburgh’s recent police shootings, Rendell has made an all-out effort to promote new gun control bills.

He wants Congress to renew the expired federal ban on assault weapons like AK-47s, and is also calling for several state gun control measures.

Pat Toomey disagrees with that approach.

During an appearance at an economic forum outside Camp Hill, Cumberland County, Toomey argued banning weapons won’t keep them off the streets.

Toomey: You can say it’s illegal to have a gun, but these are people who are willing to rob and maim and kill. It’s not obvious that all of the sudden you can pass a law against a gun they’re going to say, ‘well, I’ll follow that law.

Rendell says most of the assault weapons used in crimes were originally bought at stores through straw purchases.

Toomey’s primary opponent, Incumbent Arlen Specter, voted against the original assault weapons ban, and has said he’d oppose efforts to reinstate it.