Bob Hennelly
WNYC's Bob Hennelly is an award-winning investigative journalist. While at WNYC he has reported on a wide gamut of major public policy questions ranging from immigration and homeland security to power outages and utility mergers.
This Week in Politics: Guns And Butter
Friday, January 18, 2013
WNYC
This week New York Governor Andrew Cuomo pushed through major gun control legislation. New Jersey Governor Chris Christie appointed a panel to study gun violence. But he did take aim at the NRA for an ad painted President Obama as a hypocrite for pushing for stronger gun laws because his children have 24-7 armed protection. Complicated politics for Christie, who's running for re-election in a largely Democratic state, but has to keep in mind the early, South Carolina primary if he runs for president in 2016.
For Cuomo, things were simpler — the governor got to notch an early victory, and add a progressive feather to his cap. Still, it wasn't Cuomo on Time Magazine's cover — it was Mayor Michael Bloomberg.
For his part, Bloomberg couldn't find common ground with teachers or school bus drivers even as the campaign to pick the next mayor picks up steam.
WNYC's Eddie Robinson catches up with me and Anna Sale about how the two governors face the same issue and how Mayor Bloomberg's legacy with the city's municipal labor unions could be a real headache for his successor.
Comments [3]
Christie's obesity is a mental health issue. Until he can reduce his weight by 200 lbs., he is NOT qualified to run for anything. Can he run?
The mental health issue is a red herring. We need gun control in the U.S. period. No one in this country should own assault weapons with multiple round magazines. First, pass gun control legislation. Second, deal with our inadequate mental health oversight.
Christie's commission could move the discussion and come up with some consensus policy proposals (mental health services/reporting and WMD control) and charges to commercial gun and media interests to get ethical for the sake of the public good.
If, however, he is playing to the NRA and libertaran besotted south and west and that controlling branch of what used to be my parents' Republican party, he will pull his punches to the disservice of New Jersians.
As a former US Attorney and person of common sense he should know better.
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