Jonathan Easley
The Hill ^[1]
December 18, 2012

New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg on Tuesday urged President Obama to “lead from the front” on gun control regardless of whether any White House proposal for more restrictive laws gets passed by Congress.

Speaking on MSNBC, Bloomberg said it’s not enough for Obama just to say something needs to be done. Instead he offered blunt advice on the nature of being an executive. He said the president, even before gun legislation is proposed or approved, could act immediately to crack down on rogue gun dealers and people who lie on gun applications.

“We always have an agreement that something needs to be done, that’s a cover for nothing,” Bloomberg said on “Morning Joe.” “Number one, it’s the president’s job to promote a plan that satisfies the needs of the country. He is the Commander-in-Chief – he’s the Consoler-in-Chief – but he’s the Commander-in-Chief. Whether the legislation that he proposes gets passed or not, that shouldn’t be his first consideration.”

Bloomberg, the co-chairman of Mayors Against Illegal Guns, has emerged as one of the foremost advocates of stricter gun laws in the wake  of last week’s rampage at Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown, Conn. that left 20 children and six adults dead.

Full article here ^[1]