Rand Paul Vows to Stop Obama on Guns--and Obama Might Be Prepared to Lose

Sen. Rand Paul (R-Ky.) thinks Obama's gun control plans, especially the parts Obama thinks he can activate strictly via executive power, must be stopped, and has announced plans to try to stop them legislatively.

As published by Talking Points Memo, here are his intentions in what he calls the "Separation of Powers Restoration and Second Amendment Protection Act."

Paul says his legislation will declare that "Any executive order by President Obama infringing on the Second Amendment rights of all Americans would be declared null and void" and "would prohibit federal funds to implement President Obama's executive orders impacting the 2nd Amendment."

The prospective bill would also allow congressmen, state and local governments, and private persons to sue over such executive orders.

Politico has an interesting analysis arguing that, contra his generally understood policy in his first term of starting only political fights he can win, Obama might be prepared to crash and burn politically on principle on this gun issue, strongarming Senate Democrats to use political capital on possibly damaging (to their prospects, not considering their damage to American liberties, which will be more considerable) legislation that will surely die in the GOP-controlled House. The article says this is because of his deep emotional reaction to Sandy Hook -- and does not point out that no reasonable person could expect any of Obama's proposals to have stopped that from happening.