first, we're joined by paul barrett from bloomberg businessweek. his latest book is called, "glock: the rise of america's gun." welcome back to "democracy now!" talk about what happened on friday and put in context of gun violence in this country. >> what we saw is yet another one of these huge the disturbing mass killings that i think is the almost inevitable outcome of a society that is permeated by firearms, some 300 million guns in private hands right now. the intersection of a society like that with mental illness, which is almost inevitable in society. once again, and that a young man, for reasons we do not yet know and may never know, snapped. guns are readily at hand. that would be my first cut to the awful thing that happened in connecticut. >> just what hours, something like that before in china, another mentally disturbed man went into a school and knifed 23 people, 22 of them children. i think one has died. the difference was, he had a knife. adam lanza had a gun. >> the united states, for better or for worse, is a gun culture. we are a

i want to turn to paul barrett, who we had on yesterday's, author of "bloch: the rise of america's gun i asked about senator feinstein's announcement that she will reintroduce the ban on assault weapons on the first of the senate. >> i will read the legislation very closely when it is out. i have to say i'm skeptical. the 1994 so-called assault weapons ban was one of the most porous, ineffective pieces of legislation that i personally have the opportunity to study. it was shot through with loopholes. it had no applicability to weapons that were made and sold on the day before enactment. and the fact it was coming for a period of years gave gun manufacturers an opportunity to run their factories overtime and to build up huge stockpiles of the weapons. so we will see. but if congress is not proposing to ban weapons that are already out there, then that leaves millions and millions of weapons already out there. >> that was paul barrett, author of "glock: the rise of america's gun." rebecca peters, if you could compare to the legislation that was passed in australia after the massacre, and

paul barrett, senior writer and author of book "glock."nd the book that made head lines across the country. gentlemen, i want to start with you. "the washington post" has reported that the president has put the vice president in charge of putting a stop to violence. yesterday, the president met with biden, along with other cabinet members to discuss this issue, along with arne duncan there, we see kathleen sebelius there, eric holder to formulate a plan. how many opportunity is there for something to get done, with public sentiment the way it is after newtown? >> well there say window, people are obviously outraged at what happened. while there is a political will to do something, they have to move and they have to act. they have to get through the fiscal. there may be talks about sb immigration as well. so it's a bit crowded right after the honeymoon. second-term honeymoons do lot last long. a moment they have to seize. >> they have not given a reaction. the facts, however, on social media. there's a radio silence from them. paul, your bo

. >> paul barrett has reported on the powerful gun policy on glock.sacre is no more likely to put limits on firearms than any preev one it's almost impossible to imagine them taking on the nra and defying the nra. and that being the case i just think it's very very unlikely as a pragmatic political matter for anything to be enacted. >> but there is going to be a push for action in congress. tomorrow the brady campaign to prevent gun violence named for president reagan's press secretary who was shot in the assassination attempt on the president, the brady campaign plans to bring survivors and victim families from the shootings in aurora colorado arizona, and columbine to capitol hill. >> thank you. the fiscal cliff negotiation is suddenly making progress. john boehner broke the log jam with a phone call on friday. major garrett is also at the white house. good morning. >> good morning charlie. there could be a deal as early as this week. many words from senior officials, the log jam has been broken. how has it been broken? in a phone call on friday. in

barrett, sixth district, david rubin, seventh district, barbara hines, eighth district, don abernathy, ninth district, mary jo shepherd, 10th district, will initially tell -- william shalikto, 12th district, paul, 13th district, james polk -- pope. thank you. let's give them some applause. [applause] it is now my tremendous pleasure to ask chief justice sarah parker of the north carolina supreme court to administer the oath of office to the members of the electoral college. justice parker has served the people of the north -- of north carolina as a practicing attorney, as a judge on the north carolina court of appeals, and now as chief justice of the north carolina supreme court. justice parker? >> if you would please, please your left hand on the bible and raise your right hand. do you and each of you solemnly and sincerely swear that you will support the constitution of the united states, that you'll be faithful abate true allegiance to a softer line and the constitutional authorities that are or which may be status -- established at the governor's wishes, that you will maintain the constitution of a sad state, not inconsistent with the constitution of the united states, to the best of your