After spending the first half of the week acting as a stenographer for Barack Obama, Jon Karl on Wednesday night and Thursday morning finally featured some dissenting voices on the rush to promote gun control. The ABC White House correspondent sought out attendees at a gun show and leaders of the NRA. Yet, he still managed to hype the opposition as "ferocious," a word not often used for liberal resistance.
On Wednesday's World News, anchor Diane Sawyer used the President's preferred language, insisting that Obama "made his move" to "curb gun violence in America." (As opposed to his plan to restrict gun rights?) Sawyer touted, "The powerful NRA responded to him immediately, saying they would fight the President hard." Yet, at least ABC sought out opposition to the proposed legislation.
MAN #1: I'm opposed to it.
MAN #2: Going to have zero effect on school shootings.
WOMAN #1: I really don't agree with Obama.
Yet, Karl also warned, "The ferocity of the opposition does not surprise the White House."
On Wednesday, Karl highlighted Oregon sheriff Tim Mueller. The law officer suggested he won't enforce new regulations: "Making criminals out of honest citizens, that's not the right path to go down."
He also showcased NRA President David Keane vowing, "We're going to be there and we're going to fight it."
Karl continued to harp on a NRA commercial, alerting, "Even before the announcement, the National Rifle Association took a personal shot at the President, calling him an elitist hypocrite."
On Wednesday morning's Good Morning America, Karl lamented the "vicious," "harsh," personal" ad.
A transcript of the January 17 Good Morning America follows:
7:11
GEORGE STEPHANOPOULOS: Now, to those sweeping new proposals of gun violence from President Obama. The reaction has been swift and fierce from the NRA and other gun rights supporters. Some state officials and at least one governor suggesting they won't enforce proposals even if they become law. ABC's Jon Karl has the story.
MAN #1: I'm opposed to it.
MAN #2: Going to have zero effect on school shootings.
WOMAN #1: I really don't agree with Obama.
KARL: In Texas, Governor Rick Perry said he was disgusted the way the President was using the Sandy Hook massacre.
RICK PERRY: We need to be looking at the mental health issue substantially than we are using the death of the young children to further a political cause.
KARL: A Texas state representative went further, vowing to write a bill that would make it a felony for anyone in the state to enforce new gun laws. In Mississippi, the governor had a similar idea, urging the legislature to prohibit the enforcement of any federal laws Obama could get passed.
GOV. PHIL BRYANT (R-MS): I support the current laws. I don't think we need to change anything at all.
KARL: The ferocity of the opposition does not surprise the White House. It's been nearly two decades since any new gun laws were passed.
OBAMA: This will not happen unless the American people demand it. We've suffered too much pain and care too much about our children to allow this to continue.
KARL: The key elements of the President's plan including the ban on assault weapons and requiring background checks on virtually all gun sales, are things the NRA is adamantly opposed to and vows to continue to fight.
DAVID KEANE (Pres. National Rifle Association): There are millions upon millions of people that care deeply about their Second Amendment and are not going to vote for politicians who sell them out to some pie-in-the-sky scheme.
KARL: In recent polls, a significant majority of the public supports each of the major elements of the President's plan. That's why the White House plans to launch an all-out public campaign to support it, tapping into the grassroots network that helped the President win re-election. George?
