Please stay away from the gun debate, Mr. President

By putting the president’s face on the proposal, the administration consumes the oxygen that otherwise would have sustained new citizens’ groups, like that headed by former congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords. By talking about executive orders if legislation fails, the administration endorses a strategy that condemns gun safety measures in advance as an overbearing scheme by out-of-touch political elites. I fear this will all end badly.