Have you noticed that every time the conversation shifts from guns to mental health, the administration and Democrats are no longer interested? One must wonder, in the wake of the horror of Newtown, what their goal really is: to keep slaughters like that from ever happening again, or banning guns. All of them.
After Dianne Feinstein's histrionics yesterday on her draconian gun bill that would ban 150 types of firearms and require forfeiture to the government of those grandfathered upon the death of the owner, I think we know the answer. But a Senate panel hearing on mental health, the first one in six years, publicized the administration's foot dragging. It has yet to even develop rules for implementing the 2008 Mental Health Parity and Addiction Equity Act--despite the fact that mass shootings have raised public concern over the lack of attention to mental health issues, and the fact that many of these mass shooters have a history of mental illness. Even a few Democrats are acting annoyed. According to Politico:
“HELP Chairman Tom Harkin (D-Iowa), who said this was the first time in six years that the panel had really returned to a focus on mental illness, called it a ‘shame’ that the administration hasn’t released final rules on the parity law, even though four years have passed. Officials have said they’ll be ready soon, but haven’t given a specific date.
’I don’t know what soon means, but I certainly hope it means what we take it to mean — which means soon,’ said Harkin, prompting ripples of laughter throughout the packed hearing room.”
Based on their clear desire to focus on banning guns rather than finding real solutions, it's doubtful we're going to see much movement on mental health issues by an Obama White House caught up in its pursuit of scoring political points.
