Weapons Traffic: White House delayed rule meant to stop gun flow to Mexico

White House delayed rule meant to stop gun flow to Mexico: "This spring, President Obama promised Mexican President Felipe Calderon that he would work to deter gunrunning south of the border. Behind the scenes, White House officials were putting the brakes on a proposal to require gun dealers to report bulk sales of the high-powered semiautomatic rifles favored by drug cartels.

Justice Department officials had asked for White House approval to require thousands of gun dealers along the border to report the purchases to the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. ATF investigators expected to get leads on suspected arms traffickers. Senior law enforcement sources said the proposal from the ATF was held up by the White House in early summer. ....

The plan - which officials knew would be strongly opposed by the National Rifle Association - was perceived as too volatile just before midterm elections, the sources said. Last month, ATF Deputy Director Kenneth Melson asked the Justice Department to try again, law enforcement officials said." Dec. 17, 2010, Washington Post