If we are all armed, we can stop the terror

That seems to be the Bush Administration's thinking as they let the assault weapons ban lapse starting tomorrow. Might I mention it's another flip-flop for Bush, as he campaigned on renewing the thing just four years ago. But hey, 9/11 changed everything, right? Including Bush's ability to keep a promise, apparently.

Kerry came out swinging on the issue Friday:

"In the al-Qaida manual on terror, they were telling people to go out and buy assault weapons, to come to America and buy assault weapons," Kerry said.

"Every law enforcement officer in America doesn't want us selling assault weapons in the streets of America," Kerry said. "But George Bush, he says, `Well, I'm for that.'"

(snip)

"I've handled all different kinds of guns and I've gone out and I've shot - I've shot birds and deer and you name it," Kerry said Friday night during a rally in Allentown, Pa. "And I believe in the Second Amendment. But I'll tell you this - I have never thought about going hunting with an assault weapon, with a weapon of war."

He said earlier in St. Louis: "Heavens to Betsy, folks, we've had that law on the books for the last 10 years and there's not a gun owner in America who can stand up and say, `They tried to take my guns away.'"

The Kerry camp was also quick to point out that a majority of Americans support the ban.

I'd like to see John Kerry invite the head of the NRA out on a hunting trip one weekend. Just to see what would happen, you know?