Proof Romney Flip-flopped on Weapons

In response to Mitt Romney’s answer to question #9 in the October 16, 2012 debate regarding taking assault weapons out of the hands of criminals. President Obama said – Romney was for an assault weapons ban but changed when seeking the endorsement of the NRA – it’s on record; he said we agree on the importance of parents and schools because he believes that if our young people have opportunity they’re less likely to engage in violent acts-we’re not going to be able to eliminate everybody but we can ensure that every child regardless of where they come from or look like have a chance to succeed. He said they’ve worked with 46 Governors to put reforms into place and they’re starting to show progress in math and science; we’ve worked with community colleges to retrain workers for jobs including young people who may have dropped out. Candy tried to stop the President and he pulled a Romney and didn’t stop.

During the 1994 senatorial campaign against Ted Kennedy he said "I don't line up with the NRA” and “That's not going to make me the hero of the NRA." When he ran for governor in 2002 he promised not to chip away at the Commonwealth's tough gun laws. Press releases regarding Romney signing an assault weapons ban are: July 1, 2004 issued by the Commonwealth of Massachusetts (MA) entitled-Romney Signs Off On Permanent Assault Weapons Ban and from Romney - An Act Furthering Regulating Certain Weapons that explained: Like the federal assault weapons ban the state ban put in place in 1998 was scheduled to expire in September. The new law ensures these deadly weapons including AK-47s, UZIs and Mac-10 rifles are permanently prohibited in MA no matter what happens on the federal level. At a bill signing ceremony with legislators, sportsmen's groups and gun safety advocates Romney said "Deadly assault weapons have no place in MA. These guns are not made for recreation or self-defense. They are instruments of destruction with the sole purpose of hunting down and killing people." When asked by a reporter if he supported the renewal of the federal "assault weapons" ban and if he had spoken to the senators about it, Romney replied that it was not really his job to lobby on federal legislation but that he shared Senators Kerry's and Kennedy's position on the issue! Romney joined the NRA August 2006 designated as ‘Lifetime’ member. In February 2007 he touted he and his wife toured the Shooting, Hunting and Outdoor Trade Show in Orlando, Florida with the NRA's executive vice president and said "I'm proud to be among the many decent, law-abiding men and women who safely use firearms." There were several stories of his having a gun and going hunting when he was young but a YouTube video surfaced in 2008 to disprove them. Romney's campaign after a Fox News interview on April 7, 2007 said he'd been hunting twice, once at 15 and in 2006 at a Republican fundraiser. He told NBC’s “Meet the Press” on December 16, 2007 that he favored laws to “keep weapons of unusual lethality from being on the street.” It’s said he’s been practicing the lines he used in this debate about his signed legislation being put together by both pro and anti gun people since 2007. I think his flip-flopping on this issue is well documented.