-Caveat Lector- > http://www.rollcall.com/pages/news/00/2001/02/news0208c.html > > February 8, 2001 > McCain Planning Gun Control Bill > > By Mark Preston > > Seizing on Congress' failure to reach a bipartisan agreement on gun > safety > legislation, Sens. John McCain (R-Ariz.) and Joe Lieberman (D-Conn.) > are > quietly working together to draft an alternative compromise that both > parties can support. > > The discussions between McCain and Lieberman are still in the infant > stages, > but the bill is likely to include a reworked version of the > controversial > gun show loophole, trigger locks and more funds and support for the > law > enforcement community, aides to both Senators said. > > Some of McCain's GOP colleagues believe that the Arizonan's interest > in the > gun issue and other hot topics, such as HMO reform, is an attempt to > undercut President Bush's agenda. > > "[McCain] is just trying to set the presidential agenda, and there is > a > discomfort with that," griped a GOP Senator close to the Republican > leadership team. > > McCain, however, sharply denies that he's trying to sabotage Bush. > > "I have supported President Bush in his campaign," he said. "No one > campaigned harder for him. No one campaigned harder for [GOP] > candidates, > and I have supported literally [Bush's] entire agenda." > > "So I don't think I would fail any kind of loyalty test," he added. > > Staffers for both McCain and Lieberman have been talking about a > compromise > gun bill since late last year; however, the two Senators were able to > discuss the issue in greater depth during their official visit to > Munich, > Germany, this past weekend. > > "This is not done," a source close to McCain cautioned. "But we are > working > on it." > > A spokesman for Lieberman acknowledged that the Connecticut Democrat > is > eager to work with the Arizona Republican, whom he "deeply respects." > > "This would be an opportunity to chart a third way on stopping gun > crime by > dedicating more resources to enforcing existing gun laws while also > fixing > some of the loopholes that persist in those laws," Lieberman > spokesman Dan > Gerstein said. > > The McCain-Lieberman alliance is also expected to be the first of > many > ventures the two independent-minded Senators are expected to partner > on > during this Congress. The move could cause heartburn among members of > both > parties, since McCain sought his party's presidential nomination last > year, > while Lieberman was the Democrats' unsuccessful vice presidential > candidate. > > The two Senators are also talking about drafting legislation to curb > violence on television and in the movies, as well as foreign policy > initiatives, sources said. > > The original gun safety measures passed Congress in 1999 in the wake > of the > Columbine High School massacre but stalled in conference committee > when > Republicans and Democrats reached an impasse over several provisions. > > McCain's interest in the subject could force the Republican > leadership to > address this issue, which has largely been pushed to the side and > virtually > forgotten. > > "With Senator McCain joining Senator Lieberman on this debate, you > are all > but guaranteed it is going to register on the public's radar screen," > said a > senior Senate Democratic aide, who noted that the Senate Democratic > leaders > would likely embrace Lieberman's efforts to pass a gun safety bill. > > "McCain is unbelievable," the aide added. "He has got absolutely no > fear of > antagonizing his leadership." > > McCain's decision to tackle this issue is likely to further infuriate > his > Senate GOP colleagues, who are working hard to implement Bush's > legislative > priorities. > > "There is a lot of frustration," a Republican Senator said. "He has > got his > own agenda." > > The coalition with Lieberman is just the latest in a series of > partnerships > the Arizona Republican has formed on high-profile issues that pits > him > against the Republican leadership and many of his GOP colleagues. > > He drew private scorn Tuesday from some Republican Senators for > joining Sen. > Edward Kennedy (D-Mass.), among other liberal Democrats, in > sponsoring a > managed care reform bill that most Congressional Republicans oppose. > > That move, which blindsided many Republicans, comes on the heels of > McCain's > repeated efforts to bring up campaign finance reform - oftentimes > against > the wishes of the GOP leadership. > > "I think it is not good if he thinks he is going to go in on every > issue > where we have had a dispute and try to take a few Republicans with > him and > settle these issues with the Democrats," a GOP Senator said. "I think > he > needs to slow down." > > Slow down does not appear to be a phrase in McCain's vocabulary, > though. His > efforts have forced GOPleaders to work overtime trying to make sure > his > influence does not spread to other GOP Senators. For example, hours > after > McCain stood onstage with Kennedy on Tuesday to unveil the health > care bill, > Majority Whip Don Nickles (R-Okla.) urged Republican Senators at the > GOP's > weekly closed-door policy discussion not to sign onto the bill. > > After the meeting Nickles sternly reminded reporters that Republicans > control Congress and the White House and noted that it is highly > unlikely > Bush would sign McCain's bill into law. > > "I think we should be cognizant of the fact that this is the first > quarter > of the Bush administration, not the fifth quarter of the Clinton > administration," Nickles said when asked about McCain's sponsorship > of the > legislation. "The bill that people are talking about, I don't believe > there > is any way, shape or form that President Bush would ever sign it." > > Another top Republican, Finance Chairman Chuck Grassley, (Iowa), said > he > plans to reach out to McCain to get his input on Bush's tax-cut > package, on > which the Iowan's committee is working. > > "He is a very powerful Senator, and he is listened to by a lot of > people in > this country, and he is bound to have an impact," Grassley said. "I > haven't > talked to non-committee members yet, but he is one I have got to talk > to and > get his view." > > "I hope I will have a bill he will be satisfied with, but I don't > have any > basis on knowing what that is and ... I don't mean that I start out > satisfying [McCain's needs], but I hope that there is some way that > he will > be satisfied," Grassley added. > > While McCain said he favors tax cuts, he will not support Bush's $1.6 > trillion plan until he sees the details. He also added that he will > oppose > the tax package if it contains "special tax breaks for special > interests." > > "I will strenuously object to putting in some special deals for the > special > interests," he said. > > Even though many of McCain's allies do not always agree with him on > every > issue, they said it will be a tough task to try to muffle the Arizona > Senator, who made a spirited run for the GOP presidential nomination. > > "He believes passionately in what he is doing, and he takes his job > seriously," Sen. Chuck Hagel (R-Neb.) said. "He doesn't go out of his > way to > upset people or incite people. But this is just who John is, and his > style. > ... He breaks a little china." > > Added Sen. Mike DeWine (R-Ohio), "John is an independent person and > we know > that." > > McCain's decision to embrace issues such as managed care reform came > when he > met people across the country during his primary campaign last year. > > "Town hall meetings after town hall meetings across this country, > people > stood up and said, 'I am a member of an HMO, and I have been deprived > of my > rights,'" McCain said, adding that these stories prompted him to > cosponsor > the HMO bill. > > His dogged perseverance certainly has paid off on his signature > issue, > campaign finance reform, which will take center stage late next > month. After > advocating an overhaul of the nation's campaign finance system, he > has a > two-week window to pass a reform bill. > > The Senate's showdown over campaign finance reform will commence > either > March 19 or March 26, according to a unanimous consent agreement that > Majority Leader Trent Lott (R-Miss.) and McCain arrived at earlier > this > week. > > The agreement allows for up to two weeks of debate and an unlimited > number > of amendments. > > "Obviously there are opponents of campaign finance reform who will > use > amendments to try and kill it," said one top McCain aide, but he > added that > they nevertheless "feel very good about this. > > "An open amendment process is key to final passage ... to letting the > Senate > work its will," the aide continued. > > Nevertheless, McCain noted in a floor speech yesterday that he hopes > the > Senate will grant the full two weeks for debate on the contentious > issue, > even though the slated time frame for the debate will be "bumping up > against > the April recess." > > "We could even delay the recess, something that none of us like; but > we > really don't want to have this issue clouding the legislative agenda > for the > rest of the year," McCain remarked. > > Amy Keller contributed to this report. __________________________________________________ Do You Yahoo!? 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