Bloomberg Fires Off Stinging Criticism Of Romney, Obama Over Gun Control
NEW YORK (CBSNewYork) -- Mayor Michael Bloomberg continues to take shots at both presidential candidates for failing to say what they would do to get guns off America's streets.
"President [Barack] Obama spoke of comforting families after a shooting. Well, a lot of those families are demanding a plan from both candidates and neither has delivered," Bloomberg told reporters, including 1010 WINS' Stan Brooks, on Wednesday.
Bloomberg lamented that Romney, who signed an assault weapons ban as Massachusetts governor, has "changed his mind" and that a bill Obama was "going to introduce...to ban assault weapons" has never seen "the light of day."
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"One candidate's had four years to do something and hasn't and the other candidates says he won't even do what he once did," Bloomberg criticized.
The mayor continued: "Words and empty promises aren't what's going to do it or flip-flops. We need leadership. It's one thing to say 'I feel your pain,' but it's an awful lot more humane and shows an awful lot more leadership to stop the pain from occurring in the first place."
During Tuesday night's debate at Hofstra University, President Obama stated that "we have to enforce the laws we've already got, make sure that we're keeping guns out of the hands of criminals" in response to a question about limiting the availability of assault weapons.
Obama also asserted that education should be part of a "comprehensive strategy" to make sure "we catch violent impulses before they occur."
"What can we do to intervene, to make sure that young people have opportunity; that our schools are working; that if there's violence on the streets...we can catch it before it gets out of control," Obama said.
Meanwhile, Romney said that he is "not in favor of new pieces of legislation on guns and taking guns away or making certain guns illegal," while stating "We don't want to have automatic weapons."
Romney did agree with Obama about the role of education in addressing the issue of gun violence.
"I believe if we do a better job in education, we'll give people the hope and opportunity they deserve and perhaps less violence from that," Romney said.
However, Bloomberg, who has participated in numerous campaigns to strengthen gun laws, said he doesn't believe the candidates are hitting at the core of the issue.
"Guns are a plague and I don't think education is going to keep guns out of the hands of gang members. The solution is to prevent all people who shouldn't have guns from getting them," he said.
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