The money bit’s at 38 seconds in if you’re pressed for time. After a day spent paying lip service to both sides of the debate while studiously avoiding the issue of whether the actual statute at stake in Heller was unconstitutional, he finally bites the bullet (no pun intended) and addresses it. See Marc Ambinder for a list of the things you’d have to believe to convince yourself that this isn’t an opportunistic reversal. I wonder if the latest news from Gallup played any role.

After FISA, public financing, and now his reactions over the last few days to Court rulings, the time is ripe for a poll on his conspicuous tack to the right. In particular, I’m curious to see what percentage of well informed voters from each side think he’s honestly changing his mind about this stuff versus what percentage think he’s acting out of pure political expedience. (Lesser informed voters probably don’t realize he’s flip-flopped at all, a fact he’s surely counting on.) Wouldn’t be the first time a politician’s maneuvered during the general election to claim the center, but of course the Messiah is no ordinary politician according to his apostles. Is any of this doing damage to his aura as the avatar of liberal Hopenchange? Get crackin’, Rasmussen.