Obama On Supreme Court’s Ruling On DC’s Handgun Ban

According to the Chicago Tribune's DC political blog, The Swamp:

Barack Obama moments ago made his first public comment on the 5-4 Supreme Court ruling striking down the District of Columbia's handgun ban. The candidate issued a highly guarded written statement that compliments the Court for "much-needed guidance to local jurisdictions across the country" but provides little sense of the Democratic presidential candidate's own view of the ruling.

Gun control presents a delicate issue for Democratic presidential candidates as they head into a general election. The party's base of liberals and urban dwellers strongly supports gun control as a way to combat street crime. But rural swing voters, many of whom come from hunting traditions and may face long waits for a police response in an emergency situation, are often suspicious of erosion of Second Amendment gun rights.

Al Gore's close identification with gun control is generally considered to have played a significant role in his loss of several rural swing states in 2000.

Here is Obama's statement in full:

"I have always believed that the Second Amendment protects the right of individuals to bear arms, but I also identify with the need for crime-ravaged communities to save their children from the violence that plagues our streets through common-sense, effective safety measures. The Supreme Court has now endorsed that view, and while it ruled that the D.C. gun ban went too far, Justice Scalia himself acknowledged that this right is not absolute and subject to reasonable regulations enacted by local communities to keep their streets safe. Today's ruling, the first clear statement on this issue in 127 years, will provide much-needed guidance to local jurisdictions across the country.

"As President, I will uphold the constitutional rights of law-abiding gun-owners, hunters, and sportsmen. I know that what works in Chicago may not work in Cheyenne. We can work together to enact common-sense laws, like closing the gun show loophole and improving our background check system, so that guns do not fall into the hands of terrorists or criminals. Today's decision reinforces that if we act responsibly, we can both protect the constitutional right to bear arms and keep our communities and our children safe."