National Review reporter Charles C. W. Cooke challenged Bloomberg’s Mark Halperin to offer his solutions to gun violence in America Friday morning on Morning Joe. After he insisted lawmakers must act to prevent further mass shooting in America, agreeing with President Obama, Halperin failed to deliver a single solution.
"Well, I think that the finding solutions are short-term in terms of legislation, state and federal," Halperin said. "Then also, coming up with ideas."
Halperin did not, however, ever manage to come up with an idea. The co-host of With All Due Respect’s idea was to have lawmakers come up with ideas of their own.
Cooke took issue with the president’s angry words at Washington’s refusal to pass gun control laws so soon after the mass shooting at Umpqua Comminuty College in Roseburg, Oregon. The reporter claimed liberals talk tough as if they have the solutions, but they do not offer specific ideas that could begin a dialogue. Halperin was his case in point.
"Joe Biden doesn't know how to fix this problem. I don't know how to fix this problem. I think it's fair to say you don't know how to fix this problem. It's a very complex question in a country with 300 to 350 million guns on the street," Cooke said. "The way they talk is as if they have the answer and there are these recalcitrant forces in the country that say ‘no, no, no,’ even though deep down they know their legislation will work. That’s simply not the case. It’s far more complicated than that."
Halperin took issue with Cooke’s statement. He argued with Cooke’s attitude of simply labeling the issue as complicated and identifying what will not work. Instead, Halperin wanted leaders to "have a thirst and hunger and passion to try to come up with solutions."
When further pressed by Cooke to offer his plan, Halperin explained he’s "not an expert in the field."
Host Joe Scarborough asserted those advocating for gun control measures do so without knowing if their measure that would restrict Second Amendment rights of law-abiding citizens would even prevent massacres. He noted Oregon has background checks but that did not stop the Roseburg shooting, nor did "aggressive gun control laws" prevent the elementary school massacre in Sandy Hook, Connecticut.