Dems split on Supreme Court’s gun ruling

Sen. Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif.) said she was “profoundly disappointed” that Supreme Court Chief Justice John Roberts and Justice Samuel Alito voted to overturn Washington, D.C.’s handgun ban.

“I guess I didn’t really think they would do this,” said Feinstein, who supported confirming the two justices nominated by President Bush but decided against supporting a filibuster of Alito.

{mosads}She described the decision as monumental in suggesting the Second Amendment grants individuals the right to own guns, and is not limited to states forming militia groups. She also singled out the court for striking down the District’s trigger lock requirement, describing that part of the decision as unbelievable.

“I remember both Justice Roberts and Justice Alito sitting in front of us and indicating how they would respect stare decisis and precedent — and this decision takes down 70 years of precedent,” Feinstein said during a business meeting of the Senate Judiciary Committee.

While Ways and Means Committee Chairman Charles Rangel (D-N.Y.) said he was disappointed in the Supreme Court, Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) said the decision could leave room for the District’s government to regulate guns.

“I think it still allows the District of Columbia to come forward with a law that’s less pervasive,” she said at her weekly briefing Thursday. “I think the court left a lot of room to run in terms of concealed weapons and guns near schools.”

Not all Democrats were disappointed with the ruling. While liberal Democrats decried the decision, some colleagues from rural or more conservative districts and states hailed the court for protecting the right to bear arms.

“I don’t think that any jurisdiction in the country has the legal authority to ban possession of handguns and I don’t think the people of Washington, D.C. are second-class citizens,” said Rep. Artur Davis (D-Ala.), a member of the Congressional Black Caucus and top surrogate for Democratic presidential candidate Sen. Barack Obama (D-Ill.).

“Certainly there can be reasonable restrictions for certain classes of weapons like assault weapons, but the core right to possess guns for your personal use is a constitutional right.”

Sen. Jim Webb (D-Va.), a possible vice presidential candidate, also applauded the ruling. “With today’s decision, the right to gun ownership is now the settled law of the land,” said Webb, one of 55 senators and 250 House members to sign an amicus brief in favor of overturning the ban.

An aide to Webb was arrested last year when he attempted to enter the Russell Senate Office Building with a handgun. The aide, eventually cleared of charges, said Webb had given him the gun for “safekeeping” and that he had forgotten it was in his briefcase as he passed through security.

Jordy Yager and Mike Soraghan contributed to this story.