Courtesy of sterling commentor LAMH, so you can set your watches/recording devices:
President Barack Obama is mounting a final-year push to make gun control part of his legacy despite Republican opposition and is expected to announce unilateral action early this week.
He will join CNN’s Anderson Cooper Thursday for an exclusive one-hour live town hall on gun control at George Mason University in Fairfax, Virginia, in hopes of mounting a final pitch to the public…
Obama will sit down with Cooper at 8 p.m. ET for the event, titled “Guns in America.” The event’s timing coincides with the fifth anniversary, next Friday, of the shooting of former Rep. Gabrielle Giffords, D-Arizona, in a rampage that left six dead and 13 others wounded.
In addition to discussing gun issues with Cooper, Obama will also take questions from the audience on the issue.
Obama has repeatedly expressed his frustration with Congress’ inability to pass new gun laws, and has frequently spoken out about increased gun control in the wake of mass shootings.
Ahead of Thursday’s town hall, Obama plans to meet Monday with Attorney General Loretta Lynch to discuss options for tougher gun restrictions. He is also expected to announce in the coming days a new executive action with the goal of expanding background checks on gun sales.
Plans for the action are not yet complete, and those familiar with the process warn that unforeseen circumstances could delay an announcement. But gun control advocates are expecting the new actions to be revealed next week, ahead of Obama’s annual State of the Union address, set for January 12…
Obama foreshadowed his actions in his weekly address.
“Change, as always, is going to take all of us,” Obama said in his address. “The gun lobby is loud and well organized in its defense of effortlessly available guns for anyone. The rest of us are going to have to be just as passionate and well organized in our defense of our kids. That’s the work of citizenship — to stand up and fight for the change that we seek.”…
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