A coalition of Democrat-leaning interest groups has launched a campaign to torpedo President-elect George W. Bush's nomination of former Sen. John Ashcroft as attorney general. Two hundred Democratic-leaning organizations have formed a coalition against John Ashcroft, promising to fight tooth and nail against the confirmation of President-elect Bush's nominee for attorney general. When Bush made Ashcroft, a former senator from Missouri and one of the body's most... (GunPolicy.org)

WASHINGTON — Citing New York as his example, President Clinton gave labor and the Democrats a battle plan yesterday for beating the gun lobby and taking back Congress. Clinton charged that "fear campaigns" by the National Rifle Association were behind the GOP takeover of the House in 1994 and Vice President Gore's loss last year, but "it didn't work at all in New York." Despite the Empire State's tough licensing laws, "there's lots of sporting clubs," Clinton said,... (GunPolicy.org)

Strident Second Amendment activists yelled down SAFE Colorado at the Capitol Monday as the gun-control group outlined its agenda for this legislative session. "Sieg heil!" "Liars!" "Check the Constitution!" The remarks from the so-called Tyranny Response Team at times were so inflammatory that even other gun-rights supporters seemed embarrassed. SAFE Colorado is pushing safe storage of weapons and raising the minimum age of handgun ownership from 18 to 21. Those... (GunPolicy.org)

OTTAWA — Canada's new gun law has created a flow of firearms to the Canadian War Museum in Ottawa.As of January 1st, people who own guns had to have their applications in for a licence. Dan Glenney is the war museum's Director of Programs and Collections. He says in the last three months alone, 300 guns have been donated by owners who didn't want to bother with tougher federal gun control laws:"People are realizing the time is up and they have to do something-either... (GunPolicy.org)

Jason Woods was a gifted artist, a guitarist with an IQ of 138. At 16, he was already 6 feet 3 inches with the kind of eyes that melt from blue to green in a moment. He was a tender, kind boy who liked to tease his brother's girlfriend, Sommer Mitchell. One night, when Mitchell's parents were out of town, she brought out her stepfather's loaded shotgun and fiddled with it on her lap. Unaware it was loaded, Mitchell, then 16, playfully pressed the gun to Woods' forehead... (GunPolicy.org)

Senate Democrats must save George W. Bush from his scarier self. They must reject the appointment of John Ashcroft as attorney general, an appointment that gives the extreme right its most cherished prize-the power to undermine decades of progress in civil rights, free speech and abortion rights. This is not a position for a right-wing ideologue, which Ashcroft certainly is. Outwardly, Bush plays the moderate. That's why he came so close to legitimately winning the... (GunPolicy.org)