Why the Silence, Mr. President?

Having received emails this week from both the Brady Center to Prevent Gun Violence and North Carolinians Against Gun Violence, I'm reminded of President Obama's woeful lack of leadership in this area. Paul Helmke, president of the Brady Center, writes most recently of Obama's failure to appoint a director for the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF). This 18-month vacancy of a permanent leader is the longest in the agency's history.

The Center also issued a report, "President Obama's First Year: Lost Leadership, Lost Lives," in which the president is issued an "F" grade for his "concessions to the 'guns anywhere' mentality of the gun lobby and lack of leadership for common-sense gun laws." Though the report lists the bills that Obama has shamefully signed into law--allowing loaded guns in national parks and in checked bags on Amtrak--his ommissions are equally damning. He hasn't supported efforts to reinstate the assault weapons ban or worked to strengthen Brady background checks; above all, he hasn't stood up to the NRA.

Throughout the report Candidate Obama's strong statements in support of gun laws are paired with President Obama's couched statements in support of the status quo. As an example, when he accepted the presidential nomination in 2008, he said, "[D]on't tell me we can't uphold the Second Amendment while keeping AK-47s out of the hands of criminals." But on Face the Nation in March 2009, he said of the assault weapons ban, "Well, I think the main thing we need is better enforcement."

And so it goes, with one gun safety issue after another.

As we head into the November elections, plenty of talking heads are commenting on Obama's failure to court his base. This is another example. It's also an example of his playing it so safe that he doesn't play at all. He allows others to dominate his agenda. In the case of gun safety, the other player--the NRA--has more money and clout than most of us can imagine.

But doesn't the voice of the President of the United States count for more? Especially when he speaks for the majority of Americans?