Bloomberg Assails N.R.A.

The New York Times reports:

Raising his oratory against illegal guns, Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg sharply assailed the National Rifle Association on Wednesday during a visit here that also included a fund-raiser for the re-election campaign of Senator Joseph I. Lieberman of Connecticut.

Mr. Bloomberg joined Mayor Richard M. Daley of Chicago at a news conference to promote a gathering of officials from 22 Midwest cities who are to discuss gun-control strategies on Thursday. Similar meetings are scheduled in Boston on Nov. 9 and Atlanta on Nov. 30.

The Mayors Against Illegal Guns Coalition, which Mr. Bloomberg and Mayor Thomas M. Menino of Boston began with a meeting at Gracie Mansion in April, has grown to 109 mayors in 44 states — surpassing the goal of 50 mayors by the end of the year. But none of the officials, including the mayors of Milwaukee; Tulsa, Okla.; and Rockford and Palatine, Ill., who attended the news conference, on Wednesday at the Chicago Police Department, said they were close to success.

“Congress has not been an ally of those who favor common-sense gun legislation,” Mr. Daley said. “In fact we’ve had to work hard just to keep Congress from making things worse.”

Still no word from Mayor Daley on why Chicago cops like William Hanhardt should be able to carry a gun but not honest citizens.Also,no word yet on when Chicago's City Council will hold hearings to find out how Hanhardt rose to Chief of Detectives.