PYSBRIoM: E.J. Dionne and the Gun Lobby

E.J. Dionne writes a column for the Washington Post. He's not earth-shattering or strident. He's just a decent, common-sensical, somewhat liberal columnist. He also pops up on NPR periodically to debate something or other with the NYT's David Brooks. Dionne usually makes more sense.

On the tenth anniversary of the Columbine massacre, it's a fine idea to contemplate just how much sway the gun lobby holds in our country.

Dionne puts it in some perspective here.

Try to imagine that hundreds or thousands of guns, including assault weapons, were pouring across the Mexican border into Arizona, New Mexico and Southern California, arming criminal gangs who were killing American law enforcement officials and other U.S. citizens.

Then imagine the Mexican president saying, "Well, we would really like to do something about this, but our political system makes helping you very difficult." Wouldn't Mexico's usual critics attack that country's political system for corruption and ineptitude and ask: "Why can't they stop this lawlessness?"

That, in reverse, is the position President Obama was in last week when he visited
Mexico. The Mexican gangs are able to use guns purchased in the United States because of our insanely permissive gun regulations, and Obama had to make [an] unbelievably clotted, apologetic statement at a news conference withMexicanPresident Felipe Calderón.

BO's statement, and more, at the link.