Obama and the D.C. Gun Ban

According to ABC News, just before the D.C. v. Heller decision was announced, Senator Obama was trying once again to distance himself from, well ... himself:

ABC News' Teddy Davis and Alexa Ainsworth Report: With the Supreme Court poised to rule on Washington, D.C.'s, gun ban, the Obama campaign is disavowing what it calls an "inartful" statement to the Chicago Tribune last year in which an unnamed aide characterized Sen. Barack Obama, D-Ill., as believing that the DC ban was constitutional.

"That statement was obviously an inartful attempt to explain the Senator's consistent position," Obama spokesman Bill Burton tells ABC News.

The statement which Burton describes as an inaccurate representation of the senator's views was made to the Chicago Tribune on Nov. 20, 2007.

In a story entitled, "Court to Hear Gun Case," the Chicago Tribune's James Oliphant and Michael J. Higgins wrote ". . . the campaign of Democratic presidential hopeful Barack Obama said that he '...believes that we can recognize and respect the rights of law-abiding gun owners and the right of local communities to enact common sense laws to combat violence and save lives. Obama believes the D.C. handgun law is constitutional.'" [emphasis added]

Allow me to translate for the non-politicians: "I was for the D.C. gun ban before I was against it. (But I'm really still for it -- it's a 'common sense law', after all -- only please don't tell the bitter rubes. Because that would be truly 'inartful'.)"

For the highly-educated "news" reporters, here's the more nuanced translation: "This is my position today, which is consistent with my position today. (Disclaimer: Consistency not guaranteed; may or may not be consistent with prior inconsistent statements or positions, which may not consistently reflect past positions; your mileage may vary; past performance is no guarantee of future results; Position expires 6/26/2008. Do not reuse. Use no hooks. Not dishwasher safe.)"

[Hat tip: Flopping Aces]