0 this time we won't back down. this time, we're not going to let the threats stand in the way of progress and protecting our kids. with me now, washington post columnist and msnbc contributor, this week, he wrote about the need for republicans to get on board with gun control. and melissa harris perry host here on msnbc. thank you both for joining me tonight. >> good to be with you. >> e.j., what are you hearing about what the administration is looking to pass here? we're getting different reports. >> well, what i understand, first of all, i think the folks freaking out are freaking out for a reason. there is momentum and they are starting to pick up support. what i understand is there is a lot of support for universal background checks, where, right now, 40-50% of gun sales are through pry vat dealers, unlicensed dealers, gun shows. closing that loophole seems to have a lot of support on congress. so does the ban on the high capacity magazines. that idea seems to have grabbed the imagination of a lot of people including, i am told, republicans. what they're worried about is the assault weapons ban. they are going to propose it. they are going to push for it. >> he is going to propose the weapons ban? >> he is going to propose it. by that's where they're getting more pushback. apparently, from some democrats. on the one hand, the good news is i think there's a really good shot we're going to get some action, which is amazing, if you think of where we were four months ago. i think there's going to have to be a lot of struggle and organizing. >> now, the assault weapons ban, melissa, even the pushback from some democrats, why would democrats push back on an assault weapons ban. and can we get enough of the other things that would really make a difference? >> i want to say two things. one, i think we ought to be really careful about saying this is a fundamental democrat issue. whenever we do that or it's framed that way, we already know how that's going to go down. republicans will not give even an inch. this is a fundamental issue about the civic duty. there is a second amendment that provides for americans to have the right to bear arms. and, at the same time, it requires within that same language that the right to bear arms comes along with a specific set of duties that mean we have to have responsible, reasonable law. so why do you get the pushback from democrats? it's the simplest, easiest answer. there is a lot of money in assault weapons. and that money carries with it enormous lobbyist power in washington. those lobbyists show up in democratic offices. the pressure to allow those putting guns on the streets. >> e.j., let me ask you this, though. in your article on melissa's point, you point out house republicans, 12 in new jersey and new york, 20 from the west coast. they may be the ones that really make this point that is not republican or democrat. but they're inclined to vote for gun control and side with what is the civil and right thing to do. >> yeah, i think melissa makes an important point. 38 republicans back in '94, when the assault weapons ban was originally passed, it's since expired, 38 different republicans voted for it. i think a lot of those republicans from the northeast, particularly from new york and pennsylvania, a lot of these republicans know there's a problem for them and a problem for their party. if the entire tone of the party is set by the most right wing members, many of them from the south. and so we'll never get anything done on this unless there is significant support from republicans. and there does seem to be developing support from them particularly on the big ban on the magazines and universal background checks. when they say if i don't get what i want, i'm going to start killing people. your first reaction is whoa. >> that's why i wanted to show people when you have freakouts, you usually look freaky in doing them. >> it's a good rule. >> the nra wane lapierre said in december that school should employ armed officers. listen to this, both of you. >> the only thing that stops a bad guy with a gun is a good guy with a gun. we need to have every single school in america immediately deploy a protection program proven to work. and, by that, i mean armed security. >> the only thing that stops a bad guy with a gun is to take the gun from him in the first place. and then he's an unarmed bad guy. there's not even logic to that. but the fact is that i think this kind of rhetoric has really united americans across party lines and geographic and regional lines because people are saying, wait a minute. when you look at virginia tech, they had their own police force on campus and look what happened. >> i think there are two fallacies there. one is the assumption that most of the gun violence that we experience is a bad guy with a gun who comes into a certain chance of unarmed people. as important as newtown is, that is not what most gun violence is and most people are dying from guns. the second piece assumes we know who the good guys are. i'm a supporter of teachers, but we took corporal punishment out of schools that we didn't want teachers beating our kids with belts. and now we want them to be armed, yes. well, let me ask you this, e.j. also, the money in this, when gun makers are looking at the fact they made a lot of money and they've given a lot of money to the nra gun industry donations in the last six years, up to an estimated $39 million and has paid off, the huffing ton post has reported the tune of $12 billion. let's not talk about there's not a profit motive involved in a lot of this. >> well, i think this is really important. i think the more people realize this, that it's really about manufacturers and not the average gun owner in america. the more people who own guns is going to say wait a minute, is it representing my interest or more interest to the manufacturers. what you'd like to see is start new organizations. the nra was mostly about teaching gun safety. it wasn't this hard-lying political organization. and i think all of this data really makes a point that a gun owner needs a different organization. >> e.j., dion and melissa harris perry, thank you both for your time this evening. and don't forget to tune in saturdays and sundays at 10:00 a.m. here on msnbc. coming up, president obama's big step toward demolishing the mess that bush created. leading with afghanistan's president and making a big announcement. plus, remember when todd "legitimate rape" aiken sent the republican party scrambling into embarrassment mode? today, a sitting congressman said aiken was partly right. what are these people thinking? i guess they're not. and should president obama be on mount rushmore? it's a provocative question getting a lot of debate today. that's coming up. you're watching "politics nation" on msnbc. with the spark cash card from capital one, olaf gets great rewards for his small business! pizza! 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