Obama, McCain sound off on gun rights ruling

WASHINGTON (AP) — Republican John McCain welcomed a Supreme Court decision invalidating a District of Columbia handgun ban. Democrat Barack Obama sought to straddle the subject by saying he favors an individual’s right to bear firearms as well as a government’s right to regulate them.

McCain heralded the justices’ action as “a landmark victory for Second Amendment freedom.”

Voicing a stance that could help him woo conservatives and libertarians, McCain said, “This ruling does not mark the end of our struggle against those who seek to limit the rights of law-abiding citizens. “

Obama issued a more carefully worded statement apparently aimed at both moderate voters and his liberal base. The statement from Obama did not specifically say whether Obama agreed with overturning the specific D.C. ban. But he said Thursday’s ruling “will provide much-needed guidance to local jurisdictions across the country.”