Good evening, everyone. There are new and remarkable stories emerging from the Colorado tragedy including a young woman who was shot in the head who's not only up and walking already but may soon walk out of the hospital and back to a normal life. Though we hesitate to use the word miracle, her survival at the very least is the story of a rare and nearly miraculous pre-existing condition that she didn't even know she had. 

 

Her story and more just ahead. We begin tonight, though, "Keeping Them Honest", with a few lawmakers on Capitol Hill talking today about toughening gun laws in response to the shooting. But most politicians, especially President Obama and Mitt Romney, trying hard not to talk about it. Trying, it seems, to take gun control, whatever you think about it, off the table. 

 

Now at the same time, what little they are saying, both of them differ sharply from positions they once held. And again, it isn't for us to decide what's right or wrong when it comes to gun control. That's for you, the voters, to decide. We'll leave that up to you. 

 

But "Keeping Them Honest" tonight, both President Obama and former Governor Romney have either flip-flopped on the issue or backed away from it. And now, well, see if you can spot any difference between the two candidates. 

 

I still believe that the Second Amendment is the right course to preserve and defend and don't believe that new laws are going to make a difference in this kind of tragedy. 

 

It's Mitt Romney last night. Here's White House press secretary Jay Carney on Sunday. Quote, "The president's view is that we can take steps to keep guns out of the hands of people who should not have them under existing law. And that's his focus right now." 

 

Did you see much difference? Neither did the Republican House Speaker John Boehner today. 

 

As the president has made clear that he is not going to use this horrific event to push for new gun laws. I agree. 

 

Gun laws such as the ban on assault weapons that was passed during the Clinton administration. It barred the sale of assault rifles, specifically including the AR-15, and high capacity magazines(弹仓) like the 100-shot drum the Aurora shooter used. That law, though, had a built-in expiration date eight years ago. 

 

Four years ago, then candidate Obama supported reviving the law. 

 

The reality of gun ownership may be different for hunters in rural Ohio than they are for those plagued by gang violence in Cleveland. But don't tell me we can't uphold the Second Amendment while keeping AK-47s out of the hands of criminals? 

 

Well, he apparently felt the same last year in the wake of the Tucson shooting where the killer used a 30-shot clip(子弹夹) which would have been illegal under the expired law. 

 

The president, again, since I've been with him in 2004, has supported the assault weapons ban and we continue to do so. 

 

Well, this year, however, even before the Colorado massacre, the White House was already backing away from the issue. 

 

The ban expired in 2004, has the president taken a stand on extending that? 

 

I'll have to get back to you on that. I don't have any new information on that. 

 

Just today White House spokesman Jay Carney says the president continues to support the weapons ban but described it as an issue for the future, not now. And as you heard at the top, Carney also said that existing laws are enough. But if President Obama has recently started downplaying the former position as the presidential campaign has gotten started, Mitt Romney has done a complete 180 on the issue. 

 

Here's what he said when he was running for governor of Massachusetts. 

 

We do have tough gun laws in Massachusetts. I support them. I won't chip away at them. I believe they help protect us and provide for our safety. 

 

That was in 2002 running for governor. Two years later Governor Romney signed a permanent assault weapons law. Deadly assault weapons had no place in the commonwealth, he said at the time. Yet the next year in anticipation of a presidential run, he began shifting his position on gun control. He designated May 7th the Right to Bear Arms Day in Massachusetts and he began quoting the National Rifle Association. 

 

Then in 2007, he became a lifetime member. "I'm after the NRA's endorsement," he said at the time. "I'm not sure they'll give it to me, I hope they will." 

 

Also that year when asked on "Meet the Press" whether he would bring back the Federal Assault Weapons Law - well, decide for yourself what he's saying here. 

 

I supported the assault weapon ban. 

 

And you're still for it? 

 

I have signed … 

 

Let me describe it. 

 

But you're still for it? 

 

Let's describe what it is. I signed, I would have supported the original assault weapon ban. I signed an assault weapon ban in Massachusetts as governor because it provided for a relaxation of licensing requirements for gun owners in Massachusetts, which was a big plus. And so both the pro-gun and anti-gun lobby came together with a bill and I signed that. 

 

And if there is determined to be, from time to time, a weapon of such lethality that it poses a grave risk to our law enforcement personnel, that's something I would consider sign …