Read the rest of Slate’s coverage of the Sandy Hook school shooting.
In the wake of the tragic shooting at a Newtown, Conn. elementary school, New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg has emerged as one of the most outspoken voices among new calls for gun control.
Appearing on NBC’s Meet the Press, Bloomberg questioned the National Rifle Association’s political clout, telling host David Gregory, “The NRA’s No. 1 objective this time was to defeat Barack Obama for a second term,” he said. “Last time I checked the election results, he won and he won comfortably. This myth that the NRA can destroy political careers is just not true.”
Bloomberg called for a ban on assault weapons, a step President Obama has said he supports.
Gregory noted that of the 31 invitations extended to pro-gun rights senators to appear alongside Bloomberg on the program, “We had no takers.” Insisting on the need for immediate action on gun control, Bloomberg said, “If 20 kids isn’t enough to convince them, I don’t know what would be.”
