As you’ve no doubt heard by now, everybody was at the White House Correspondents’ Dinner Saturday night, including Sens. Pat Toomey and Joe Manchin, whose joint effort to pass expanded background check legislation isn’t dead yet, despite a defeat in the Senate Apr. 17. President Obama took to the Rose Garden almost immediately following the vote to insist he wasn’t giving up, and it looks like Toomey and Manchin are “totally committed” to reviving their amendment.
The New York Times reported last Thursday that Manchin and Toomey were “quietly” working behind the scenes to revive gun control legislation, and the two confirmed that effort Saturday at “Nerd Prom.”
Reporting ace @KellyO pauses from grilling Manchin & Toomey on gun background check revival effort. @nbcnews #whcd pic.twitter.com/OgMwbxgbOm
— John Harwood (@JohnJHarwood) April 28, 2013
Manchin followed up with an appearance on Fox News Sunday, where he said he would rework the proposal in preparation for another floor vote. Manchin told host Chris Wallace, “If you’re a law-abiding gun owner, you’ll love this bill.”
Manchin says he's working to get another Senate vote on gun background check http://t.co/idnCpnFLNd #NRAStandAndFight
— NRA (@NRA) April 29, 2013
Sen. Joe Manchin: Background check bill “expands your Second Amendment rights” http://t.co/LBF8vLVpC3 via @sharethis
— StarDust Dolittle (@DustyFae) April 29, 2013
Joe Manchin isn't done with gun control. Does it matter? http://t.co/pqsKgWZ49u
— Chris Cillizza (@CillizzaCNN) April 29, 2013
Manchin might have found some inspiration to keep up his fight for background checks from an unlikely source. Robert A. Levy of the Cato Institute published an op-ed in the New York Times making “a libertarian case” for a modified version of the Manchin-Toomey proposal. That argument, however, alludes less to the Constitution than to the belief that “public opinion is overwhelmingly in favor of reasonable legislation.”
A Libertarian Case For Manchin-Toomey: http://t.co/TR0wh9taRV via @dmataconis
— Cato Institute (@CatoInstitute) April 29, 2013
How timely! Why no snicker-quotes around "Libertarian"? RT @CatoInstitute A Libertarian Case For Manchin-Toomey: http://t.co/41ZdgpHfHt
— Martial Autist (@AssOfBalaam) April 29, 2013
@CatoInstitute @dmataconis Doesn't seem very freeing.
— Gregory M. (@NotGregoryM) April 29, 2013
Is there any hope for America when Chairman of Cato backs mandatory background checks 4 all gun sales? http://t.co/IVsEnCCbOq
— SBailey 4 Congress (@Bailey4COCD2) April 29, 2013
Editor’s note: This post originally referred to Chris Matthews as the host of Fox News Sunday. It is, of course, Chris Wallace. We apologize for the error.
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