Under assault from Hillary Clinton over what she claims is a weak record on gun control, socialist Democratic presidential candidate Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) has suddenly reversed a position that Clinton has been using to hammer him for weeks.
Sanders' office confirmed Thursday that he will co-sponsor legislation that will allow the victims of gun violence to sue firearms manufacturers and dealers who sell the weapons to individuals who later commit crimes -- despite the fact that, in 2005, Sanders supported legislation that shielded the firearms industry from such lawsuits.
The bill is highly unlikely to pass the Republican-controlled Senate, but Sanders has come under withering attacks from the gun control lobby and from Clinton in recent months as she tries to slow Sanders' momentum. Sanders leads Clinton in the polls in both Iowa and New Hampshire.
“I’m pleased that this legislation is being introduced,” Sanders said on Jan. 16. “As I have said for many months now, we need to look at the underlying law and tighten it up."
Despite his socialist views, Sanders has been a relatively strong Second Amendment advocate over the years, as there are many gun owners in his home state of Vermont. Since the 90's, Sanders has opposed various Democrat-sponsored gun legislation, such as the Brady Bill and background checks. But, as we all know, intra-party battles can make a candidate change their tune fairly quickly. Given how high of a priority liberals have put on getting the guns out of the hands of law abiding Americans, Sanders' shift during a presidential bid probably shouldn't be a surprise.