Actually, to be honest, I think it depends on what they think their constituents want and then they get it wrong anyway since constituents typically refers not to the voters but to the biggest industries (contributors) in their constituency...

Before the Congress changed over, it was a HUGE issue but since then that has changed. Now, both weapons registration and loss of our rights have shifted into the background and seldom get mentioned. That usually only happens when the public loses interest in the subject and that is the most disturbing of all. If the representatives in Congress and the Senate are no longer focusing on it then there isn't any pressure from the public. What's up with this country????



>But how about the original premise. Do you disagree with my statement that those same senators (Reps or dems) who feel that gun registration is an invasion of privacy, have no problem at all with the wiretaps and with reading citizens' emails and snail mail? And then, does this make sense?
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>>I'm with you on this one. Congress, our new Democratic majority one at that, had ample opportunity to turn this around and did not. They never even attempted it. They chose not to focus on one of the most important issues today yet it is one of the issues of the current administration cited during the Presidential run. I blame Bush for a LOT, but both Congress and the Senate hold a lot of responsibility as well. I do find it interesting that anything that occurs during Bush's terms is blamed solely on the administration and anything that occurred during Clinton's time is blamed on Congress and the Senate...
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>>>>>>Ok, let's make this more generic. How many republican senators find no fault with the wiretaps, incommunicado incarcerations, reading of citizens' mail, etc but feel that gun registration is an invasion of privacy. My bet (with no numbers to back this up) is probably only a very few short of 'all'.
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>>>>>Honestly, lose the (R) moniker there. There are plenty of (D) representatives who like nothing more than spy on their citizens. Once again think Japanese Internment, FBI spying on MLK Jr., Echelon... not to mention the current incarnations which have been overseen by committees with members of both parties. There is no left/right distinction in practice, there is only government/citizens.
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>>>>I used the Reps as the example because they are in power they are the ones doing the wiretapping and the mail reading etc. If the Dems do the same when they take over, then we can make the substitution.
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>>>Fair enough. Just remember to give proper credit to the Dem legislators who signed off on it.