Bloomberg demands gun action from Obama and Romney
(CNN) – New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg, an outspoken advocate of stricter gun-control laws, said in a radio interview Friday the two candidates for president needed to take a firmer line in addressing gun violence.
Bloomberg's comments came as police and the FBI were investigating a deadly shooting in Colorado that left at least 12 people dead.
"Soothing words are nice, but maybe it's time that the two people who want to be president of the United States stand up and tell us what they are going to do about it, because this is obviously a problem across the country," Bloomberg said on WOR Radio's "The John Gambling Show."
Bloomberg continued, saying Friday's tragedy should spark greater focus on how guns reach killers.
"I mean, there are so many murders with guns every day, it's just got to stop," Bloomberg said. "And instead of the two people – President Obama and Governor Romney – talking in broad things about they want to make the world a better place, okay, tell us how."
"In the end, it is really the leadership at a national level, which is whoever is going to be president of the United States starting next January 1st – what are they going to do about guns?" Bloomberg asked.
Presumptive GOP nominee Mitt Romney met with Bloomberg in May, but an aide to the mayor said Bloomberg remained undecided about making an endorsement in the presidential race. Bloomberg won his last election as a political independent, but was previously a Democrat, then a Republican.
In his interview Friday, Bloomberg said guns getting into hands of criminals wasn't solely a problem in cities like New York.
"This is killing people every day, and it's growing and it's not just an inner-city, east coast, west coast, big city phenomenon. Aurora is not a big city," Bloomberg said, referring to the suburb of Denver where Friday's shooting took place.
Nothing says "freedom" like "Honey, where's my flak jacket? We're going to the movies."
Nothing like soooooooooooooooooooooooooooo many before and after.
"The nine most terrifying words in the English language are, 'I'm from the government and I'm here to help.'"
WRONG. They are: "Don't worry, all the extra wealth will trickle down."
Let the local police departments handle this the president needs to be addressing the problems of this country not putting on the crying eyes. He can not do anything about what has been done and I don't think he has a clue as to what to do for this nation. Now does Romney probably not but Pres. you have had the ball and have not scored in the 4 years that you have carried it. Time for a new game plan all i have is loose change now and will not have that long. After I had heard the news I stopped and prayed and than I went to work to pay my bills just like you need to while we both still have a job!
Bloomberg, forget dealing with Romney and Obama. Talk to Scalia. He's the only one who can undo the harm he did with his convoluted Supreme Court decision.
Y'sahara people need so many calibers for so many different varieties of hunting. Obliviously you're not a hunter nor a gun owner but there are laws prohibiting people with records from buying or getting ccw . In top of that there are also regulations for weapons and calibers. You can't squirrel hunt with a 30.06 deer rifle.
Obama can't say anything about gun control, he gave guns to drug dealers
Can you say Fast & Furious scandal. While we're at it he can't say anything about releasing records either
Can you say college transcripts, Fast & furious and fake birth cert that took 2 years to produce.
People of America wake up to the corruption in the White House!
I don't know about the President but when the bully bishop was governor of MA he increased fees for hunters (those bad nra people with automatic weapons to shoot defenseless animals) at least four times.
Years later and flip flopping away he goes to their convention and trash talks about how important gun ownership is, yada, yada, yada.
Guns don't kill people. People with guns kill people. We don't know enough about this monster who just opened fire in a crowded theater but we do know that the Trayvon Martin murdered in Florida after attacking a police officer should have NEVER been allowed to purchase a gun!
Thank you New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg !
Its not that easy , i wish it was . The NRA and the Chamber of Commerce have a very very strong lobby .
While I admire the Mayor as a Republican publicly questioning the NRA stranglehold on his party, the truth is the GOP has "pledged" to the nutcase leadership of the NRA, just like they have pledged to Grover Norquist and any other anti-American self-interest group. It takes no genius to see that allowing anybody to have guns simply isn't a good idea. Sure the NRA prattles their lies that "Obama' is gonna git yer guns" knowing full well thatisn't true, but as long as the NRA is in charge- we will have no responsible gun laws in this country. It won't be Obama, it won't be Fast and Furious (itself proof of the no gun law problem) that will take your guns. No, it will be the stewing anger of insanity like today's shooting or the shooting of Ms. Giffords because the NRA believes that even insane people should have guns. When you lose thet righ to have gunst- know you did it to yourselves by not policing your ranks.
The NRA is a disgusting organization. Because of them and their views this will keep on happening until some president grows a pair and works either to ban guns or take some sort of action on ammunition. There must be some way of building in a shelf life on the gunpowder. I can just here the NRA fans going crazy right now. But what if it had been your son or daughter? Would you feel the same way?
Mr. Bloomberg
I believe that you have an armed security detail in public places, is your life more important than mine?
Amen! This is one of those taboo subjects that only a strong leader like Bloomberg can address. The NRA, of course, will immediately go on the defensive and start talking about our second amendment rights as well as put their political lobbying machine into high gear. But average voting Americans and their elected officials should try and come to together to achieve some limitations on the quantity and type of guns that are available to the public. Yes, the criminals have guns and we should definitely have a right to defend ouselves, but I don't see why people need access to AK-47s. I keep a legally registered handgun for defense locked up in a safe and fire it at the range on occassion. I understand that we have a second amendment right to bear arms, but that doesn't mean we need to have high powered rifles vailable to anyone that can pass a background check. It is time for regular folks to speak up and push our elected officials to do what we, the people, want and not the lobbyist that give them money for elections. I would like to see compromise by our house and senate on this issue once and for all.
Guns dont kill people.. crazy people do.
Take Americans guns away and the only ones with guns will be cops and criminals !!
Sorry, but it is my right to own a gun.
Now if people were able to carry, this could have ended with fewer dead and injured !
Americans will never give up their right to arm themselves !
Not DaAnswer- The only problem with your automobile analogy is that cars generally have many uses. Guns, only one. They are weapons of death.
if some body would have tried to take this guys guns away before the shootings ,the nra would have gone crazy
As much as Bloomberg is right...this is an election year. Too many Americans overcompensate for their weaknesses with a gun...as cra zy as that is.
Mental health diagnosis in this country is far from where it should be. And so are gun control regulations.
People are the problem. Guns are tools, nothing more. I've never heard of a gun going on a shooting spree. You cannot keep criminals from getting guns in any country. Remember the Norway massacre last year ? This is America, you can CHOOSE not to own a gun or learn to use one. You can CHOOSE to rely on others to protect and defend you and your family. That CHOICE might very well make you a victim. If it does, you lose your right to complain.
And im sorry, this guy as president would be a major mistake !
He seems to think that we need too many laws, everything will be illegal if this guy is in office..
Hey lets take guns away from his body guards and see how he feels
Hey Bloomberg, stick to downsizing coca cola -that ois all you can handle. and stop trying to get in the limelight – you are irrelevant
We are so civilized that we nees to carry guns...
This time it will be to canada, and then we'll have proof that guns are going to both mexico and canada and we'll really need to get rid of the second amendment from the constitution
The N.R.A. poses as a group primarily focused on protection of the 2nd Admendment Rights of citizens. In reality it's a collection of right-wing radicals organized to support the "militia mentality" and often suggesting a "2nd Admendment solution" to political problems. They are a tool of the Republican right-wing and constantly associated with self-generated conspiracies regarding guns. I've got a large gun collection and understand the concept of gun ownership – self-protection, hunting, plinking, and simply collecting them for nostalgia or the historical value. I do not think the founders of our nation wrote the 2nd Admendment to help political radicals arm themselves with military weapons (of a capability never envisioned at the time) for the purpose of organizing militias for the overthrow of our government. That's not protection from tyranny, that's sedition and treason. After this shooting the N.R.A. will be howling about gun rights and declaring if everybody in the movie had been armed the shooter wouldn't have been so successful. The anti-gun crowd will screaming for bans on weapons. Regardless of these positions the United States leads the world in gun violence and gun ownership. We could use an actual honest broker from the gun community to help reform gun laws (if necessary) and provide common sense input to law makers. The N.R.A. is nothing but a political lobby for Republican candidates and cannot be trusted to tell the truth and form reasonable recommendations.
It's puzzling to me that we don't hear the same outrage from politicians when children are murdered on the streets of Chicago and Philadelphia every weekend.
Alcohol kills people everyday, I don't see people pushing to take it out of the market.