Visibly shaken Obama bemoans defeat of gun bill

President Obama was visibly upset as his plan to pass a bill to mandate background checks for all gun purchases failed in the Senate. Obama placed himself and his office squarely behind the issue which was rejected by most Republicans and even some Democrats.

WASHINGTON, DC (Catholic Online) - Obama, visibly angry, called the defeat a "shameful day in Washington" as his pet bill requiring mandatory background checks for all gun purchases was defeated in the Senate.

Republicans saw the bill as an effort to curtail the Second Amendment rights of American citizens and some Democrats said it was just too much after a flurry of activity that has included pushes to legalize homosexual marriages and liberalize immigration policy.

Obama, now as a lame-duck President has been quite busy between rounds of golf. He has attempted to push through sweeping immigration on a number of issues, however restricting the easy access to guns for citizens was his preferred priority, and remains so. Obama called the latest sting a "delay not a defeat."

Senator Barbara Boxer added, "I never saw a president fight so hard."

It's true. Obama invested great resources and political capital to pushing the bill through the Senate, even sending top aides to persuade key voters including Democrats within his own party.

Obama's bill has been a response to the tragic shootings in Newtown, Connecticut where 26 children were murdered by a lone gunman that authorities believe was mentally insane.

However, that gunman, Adam Lanza, acquired unauthorized access to a cache of weapons kept by his family and used them to murder elementary school children. A law requiring background checks would not have stopped him.

It is still a matter of debate, if background checks would provide a reasonable degree of security while not taking away from the fundamental civil rights of citizens. Obviously, there are strong opinions on both sides of the issue.

Both sides agree that gun ownership entails deep responsibility.

It is likely that Obama will renew his push soon, although it is not known if how subsequent effort will be different from the one just defeated.

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