Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas, and Sen. Dianne Feinstein, D-Calif., had a frank exchange of views concerning gun control legislation and its relationship with the Second Amendment of the United States Constitution.
Cruz and Feinstein clash
According to RealClearPolitics, during a hearing of the Senate Judiciary Committee, Cruz asked Feinstein whether the same principles she would apply to the Second Amendment, that it applies to some situations and fire arms and not others, would also apply to the First Amendment and the Fourth Amendment, the latter having to do with unlawful searches and seizures, in her bill to ban so-called assault weapons. Feinstein retorted that she was not a sixth-grader, has been on the Senate Judiciary Committee for 20 years, was a mayor for nine years, and has seen people who have been shot. And the children at Sandy Hook Elementary were dismembered.
Media reaction has been just as one might expect.
Red State lauds Cruz
Daniel Horowitz, writing for the conservative website Red State, suggested that Cruz was spot-on in his constitutional analysis. Horowitz accused Feinstein of acting "like a pugnacious school child." He notes that Cruz has some expertise in Second Amendment litigation, having represented litigants in the Heller Case, which overturned a law in the District of Columbia banning the private possession of handguns on Second Amendment grounds.
Rachel Maddow takes a dimmer view of Cruz
According to the Huffington Post, Rachel Maddow of MSNBC tore into Cruz, implying that he was being sexist for questioning Feinstein in such a manner, noting that she had come to prominence after the assassination of San Francisco City Supervisor Harvey Milk and Mayor George Moscone. She also referred to, without attributing it, "men who you defeat in arguments will still respond to you by calling you hysterical and telling you to calm down."
Hot Air takes a middle ground
Hot Air's Allahpundit notes that Feinstein fumbled the answer to Cruz's inquiry. He pointed out that two senators finally came up with the more intelligent response, that the First Amendment is not absolute because speech such as defamation, incitement to violence, and child porn are prohibited. The piece does bemoan the fact that the debate was cut off at that point, since Cruz might have had a response to it. In any event, the assault weapons ban went on to pass out of the committee on a party line 10-8 vote, where it is likely to die in the full Senate.
Texas resident Mark Whittington writes about state issues for the Yahoo! Contributor Network.
