(CNN) – President Barack Obama’s suggestion that state “Stand your Ground” laws should be examined after the fatal shooting of Trayvon Martin could amount to an assault on the right of Americans to own guns, Sen. Ted Cruz said in Iowa Friday.
Speaking after addressing a Republican group, Cruz told reporters he hadn’t yet watched Obama’s remarks. But when asked to respond to Obama’s call for a review of laws in individual states, Cruz responded by saying the president was trampling on constitutionally guaranteed rights.
“It is not surprising that the president uses, it seems, every opportunity that he can to go after our Second Amendment right to bear arms,” the Texas Republican said. “This president and this administration has a consistent disregard for the Bill of Rights.”
For example, Cruz said the Obama administration was violating free speech guarantees by “restricting the rights of our servicemen and women to share their faith and not be gagged,” and that the use of drones raised other constitutional questions.
Obama on Friday made his first public comments about the acquittal of George Zimmerman last week in Martin’s shooting death in 2012.
In his speech, Obama called for reconsideration of “Stand your Ground” self-defense laws in Florida and other states.
“I think it would be useful for us to examine some state and local laws to see if they are designed in such a way that they may encourage the kinds of altercations and confrontations and tragedies that we saw in the Florida case, rather than diffuse potential altercations,” Obama said.
Another Texas nut job. Has not even heard what the Prez said but comments on it anyway. The Stand Your Ground Law has nothing to do with the ability to own a gun and our Second Amendment right to bear arms. Besides that the Stand Your Ground Law really had nothing to do with the case. It was a self defense issue. Stand Your Ground was not even brought up in the case.
Another comment from the All-American clown show!!
Ted Cruz is the male Sarah Palin: Shrill, baby, shrill.
Cruz will misconstrue anything the President says. How is this news?
I live in Florida, and I hate stand your ground law. It's a bad law and more people are using it for an excuse, to shoot and kill, rather than true self-defense.You can still have your precious gun, but you need to know when to use them. This is a Republican point of view – any chance they have to criticize they will use it.
This excuse for a human being is unbelievable. Cruz is the most self serving piece of crap since Al Capone.
This clown fits right in with Bachmann, Palin, Gohmert, Akin, S.King, Perry, Coulter, Hannity, and O'Reilly just to name a few of the loose cannon conservatives running around this country. What a loser!!! He must have bought an election in Texas. I can't believe anyone in their right mind would vote for a "tool" like this.
Let's see: "Speaking after addressing a Republican group, Cruz told reporters he hadn’t yet watched Obama’s remarks."
Then he can't knowledgably respond or comment on them.
This guy's a numbskull with no idea what he is talking about and no interest in anyone else. Vote him out.
During the peak of mafia murder or all mafia murders I guess this law could apply as all these guys had a fear for their lives.
Where did this nut come from? I know, Canada threw him out, and he landed in Texas.
Remarkable how much Cruz looks and sounds like Joe McCarthy!
Cruz is just a national embarrassment. If Obama dies tomorrow of a heart attache Cruz will complain he didn't do it right!
Obama should be impeached immediately for trying to put race into this . Before the trial everybody was saying race is not the issue self defense is . But then after the decision the all of a sudden throw race into it again. Obama is a racist and should have never been elected in the first place. IMPEACH OBAMA NOW
Put it to the vote in each state. Let the people decide if they want a stand your ground law or not.
"Stand your ground was not even brought up in the case", says Steve J...Tell that to Trevon Martin Jr ie: the president
What would you expect a republican to say, the law was enacted for glare.
I seem to remember the words "well regulated" as part of the second amendment. His rights are not being disregarded at all.
This POTUS is not one to let facts get in the way.
Cruz is correct.
Cruz is a moron and very bad Senator. Senator McConnell from my state is a bad Senator, but at least he is smart. I really don't know which is worse.
I will say that the worst possible combination to imbue within a person is stupidity, stubborn and power. Cruz definitely fits that bill.
“It is not surprising that the president uses, it seems, every opportunity that he can to go after our Second Amendment right to bear arms,” Creating fear and panic are the only things that these extremist senators are good at. No one is attacking the Second Amendment! The fact that we have the right to bear arms does mean that the we should be allowed to buy and own mass-killing guns. Regulation does not mean prohibition!
The second amendment doesn't say anything at all about your right to shoot guns.
obama taking side in the zimmerman trial is the main reason he was let go .if this fool had kept quiet no one would have even heard about any of it!
Note that all single name commentators work for the administration. Their job is to ridicule anyone who make a sensible comment. They must protect the Fuerher at all cost, oops Obama. Since 2008, this country has steadily gone down the tubes. Carry on with having a democratic government and we will end up as a fourth world contry. We will depend on China and Russia to send us food. W e will be the poorest country in the world, and guess who will be at fault. " ALL OF US" we are allowing it to happen.
Ted Cruz is a very bright, ambitious hack who will take any position for political gain. It makes me sick to agree with him, but Cruz is correct here. This just goes to show that even a blind hog will find an acorn once in awhile.