On Monday's Morning Joe, the crew discussed New York Police Commissioner William Bratton's appearance on Sunday's Meet the Press. Joe Scarborough played a clip of Bratton begging Congress to pass a law preventing people on the government's terrorism watch list from buying guns. Scarborough echoed the plea as well.
Background checks for terrorists, my Republican brothers and sisters, not a bad idea. Let me say it again. Background checks for terrorists and people on the terror watch list. Okay. We really do need to start focusing on protecting Americans and if you don't like all of the president's self-righteous lectures that focus on his own ideological viewpoints rather than protecting Americans. Let's look at the other side.
Scarborough rebuked Congress: “You worry more about protecting us as Americans than three or four people in a special interest group in Washington D.C.”
John Heilemann joked to Scarborough “You are a menace to the Second Amendment.” The joke is an allusion to the fact that the National Rifle Association has come out in opposition to the attempt to close the loophole. Scarborough would end the segment by declaring that “I guarantee you 95% of the membership of the National Rifle Association across America agree with me.”
If liberal journalists weren't changing their stances along with the latest Democratic scheme, they would note the liberal American Civil Liberties Union has criticized the state of the FBI Terrorist Watch List in 2007, then in 2010, and most recently in 2014.
While it is true that the NRA has offered its own rebuke of the attempt to close the loophole, National Review provided an interesting article about the constitutionality of the terror watch list. That infographic from NRO was made by TechDirt, who received the information as part of a leak, during August of 2014.
It would appear that John Heilemann is correct: “Joe Scarborough, you are a menace, you are a menace to the Second Amendment.” And perhaps the Fifth Amendment as well.
See the relevant transcript below.
2015-11-23-MSNBC Morning Joe
WILLIAM BRATTON: If Congress really wants to do something, instead of just talking about something, help us out with that terrorist watch list. Those thousands of people who can purchase firearms in this country. I am more worried about them than I am about Syrian refugees to be quite frank with you. So if Congress really wants to do something to help the American law enforcement community and the American public, well let’s start getting serious about doing something that they can actually do something about.
MIKA BRZEZINSKI: There you go.
JOE SCARBOROUGH: Amen.
BRZEZINSKI: There you go. New York City’s Police Commissioner. Bill Bratton, asking Congress to close a legal loophole that allows suspected terrorists on the no-fly list to legally buy firearms. Senator Diana Feinstein and Congressman Peter King are leading a bipartisan effort to address this issue. Reaction from GOP candidates to such a proposal was varied. John Kasich told Chuck Todd yesterday it's something that ought to be considered. Donald Trump said that individuals on terror watch lists should be restricted from purchasing guns if they're a known enemy of state.
HAROLD FORD JR: That’s why they are on the list.
BRZEZINSKI: Chris Christie said it should be a state by state decision. What's going on?
SCARBOROUGH: If you remember after Newtown we talked about this. And remember we were talking about increased background checks because there was a terrorist was saying the great thing about attacking the United States was we could just go to gun shows and pick up all the guns without background checks. Background checks for terrorists, my Republican brothers and sisters, not a bad idea. Let me say it again. Background checks for terrorists and people on the terror watch list. Okay. We really do need to start focusing on protecting Americans and if you don't like all of the president's self-righteous lectures that focus on his own ideological viewpoints rather than protecting Americans. Let's look at the other side. You worry more about protecting us as Americans than three or four people in a special interest group in Washington D.C.
BRZEZINSKI: Up next –
JOHN HEILEMANN: Joe Scarborough, you are a menace, you are a menace to the Second Amendment.
SCARBOROUGH: Geez, it is unbelievable, I guarantee you 95% of the membership of the National Rifle Association across America agree with me.
