By Colin Campbell 1/30 9:33am

Numbers Game

(Photo: Getty)

Poll: Cuomo’s Popularity Takes a Tumble After Gun Control

Governor Andrew Cuomo reached his all-time high job approval last month, with 74 percent of the state’s voters telling Quinnipiac University that they approve of the governor’s performance and only 13 percent taking the opposing position. As Mr. Cuomo himself predicted yesterday, however, his support dropped after he quickly pushed the passage of a new gun policy package earlier this month. He now stands at a still-respectable 59 – 28 approval rating.

In a Quinnipiac survey released this morning, Republicans appear to be a key factor in Mr. Cuomo’s doubling disapproval number, likely due to the controversial gun control issue. Indeed, while only 34 percent of New Yorkers said the new legislation went “too far,” 59 percent of the state’s Republicans begged to differ. Mr. Cuomo’s GOP approval fell from an astounding 68 – 18 percent on December 12–just two days before the Newtown massacre–to 44 – 43 today. Read More

By Colin Campbell 12/18/12 2:20pm

opening shot

(Photo: Getty)

White House Signals Support for New Gun Control Measures

Since last Friday’s massacre at a Newtown, Connecticut elementary school, President Barack Obama has used vague phrases like “meaningful action” to express his administration’s response to the slaying, while avoiding delving too far into specific plans. At a media briefing earlier today, however, White House press secretary Jay Carney listed some of the gun control measures Mr. Obama would actually support.

“He is actively supportive of, for example, Senator Feinstein’s stated intent to revive a piece of legislation that would reinstate the assault weapons ban,” Mr. Carney said. “He supports and would support legislation that addresses the problem of the so-called ‘gun show loophole,’ and there are other elements of gun legislation that he could support. People have talked about [restricting] high capacity ammunition clips, for example. That is certainly something he would be interested in looking at. My point is that it goes beyond that.” Read More