Today the ban on assault weapons expires. The President says he would have signed the bill if it came to his desk, but he knows full well that the Republicans in Congress will not allow a bill to pass. If Bush had pushed the issue, if he had shown the slightest bit of leadership in wanting to protect Americans from being killed by assault weapons, he could have made it happen. He chose not to.

In effect since 1994, the ban was not perfect, but it went a long way towards making the argument that semiautomatic weapons are not needed by hunters or homeowners. The law banned weapons with magazines containing more than 10 rounds. If there is a good reason for having more than 10 rounds, other than to kill someone, we would certainly like to hear it.

The students at Columbine High were killed with assault weapons. Al Qaeda training manuals encouraged operatives in America to purchase assault weapons. One in five police officers killed in the line of duty are shot with assault weapons.

Yes, the NRA punishes politicians who vote for gun control. But leadership is about standing up for the people, not those who have the money. Bush’s silence on this issue is nothing short of deadly.