To the delight of the GOP...

Obama to Seek New Assault Weapons Ban

(and Maybe Invade Mexico?)

Not learning from the Clintons, the Obama administration is going to seek to reinstate the assault weapons ban, said Attorney General Eric Holder.

"As President Obama indicated during the campaign, there are just a few gun-related changes that we would like to make, and among them would be to reinstitute the ban on the sale of assault weapons," Holder told reporters.

Holder said that the ban would not only be a positive for the United States, it would help cut down on the flow of guns into Mexico, which is struggling with heavy violence among drug cartels.

"I think that will have a positive impact in Mexico, at a minimum." Holder was speaking after arrest of more than 700 people in a drug enforcement crackdown on Mexican drug cartels operating in the U.S.

Mexican government officials (well, I guess those not on the take from the cartels?) have complained that the availability of sophisticated guns from the United States have emboldened drug traffickers to fight over access routes into the U.S.

A State Department travel warning issued Feb. 20, 2009, reflected government concerns about the violence. This is, in your Cap'n's opinion, setting up US Army incursions into our Mexican neighbor before the end of the year. That's right, I am predicting Iraqi War veterans to conduct the Mexican-American War 2.0... at the very least, an "advisory role" in the Mexican attempts to "stop the violence" from those cartels. (MORE)

As it stands today, the Mexican Army is conducting operations on their own soil fighting the cartels. It's getting very serious.

Meanwhile, in a brief interview with ABC News (in an attempt to get both sides of the gun angle to this story), Wayne LaPierre, president of the National Rifle Association, said, "I think there are a lot of Democrats on Capitol Hill cringing at Eric Holder's comments right now."

During his confirmation hearing, Holder told the Senate Judiciary Committee about other gun control measures the Obama administration may consider.

"I think closing the gun show loophole, the banning of cop-killer bullets and I also think that making the assault weapons ban permanent, would be something that would be permitted under Heller," Holder said, referring to the Supreme Court ruling in Washington, D.C. v. Heller, which asserted the Second Amendment as an individual's right to own a weapon.

For you Blasphemer's too young to remember, or those of you who just don't give a rip, The Assault Weapons Ban signed into law by President Clinton in 1994 banned 19 types of semi-automatic military-style guns and ammunition clips with more than 10 rounds. You'll also remember that Newt and the boys came in an kicked half the Democrats out of Congress... some attribute the Assault Weapons Ban as the catalyst that made it happen.

"A semi-automatic is a quintessential self-defense firearm owned by American citizens in this country," LaPierre said. "I think it is clearly covered under Heller and it's clearly, I think, protected by the Constitution."

Bottom line: We're gearing up for an incursion into Mexico, and the administration is using this opportunity as an excuse to reinstate the assault rifle ban.