Extend the ban on assault weapons: In 19 days--on September 13--president Bush and Congress plan on letting Uzi's, AK-47s, and Tec-9's back on American streets. That's the day the Assault Weapons Ban enacted by Clinton in '94 expires, and the Republicans have no plan to reinstate it. It makes no sense: since the law began, police reported a 66 percent drop in the incidence of assault weapons traced to crimes. And while a majority of Americans want the ban extended--and 64% of gun-owning households support the ban--there's little political momentum to do so. "I don't think there is an appetite in Congress to extend this ban and wage a battle on the gun issue in a presidential election year," said Andrew Arulanandam, director of public affairs for the NRA. (The NRA has been withholding its endorsement of Bush, and some insiders say they'll announce their affiliation for the election on September 14.) Learn more, donate or sign a petition to extend the ban at stoptheNRA.com.

In related news: In a press conference called to expose the "ideological extremism" of his Democratic opponent, Barack Obama, Illinois Senate candidate Alan Keyes asserted that the Constitution protects ordinary citizens' right to own machine guns, declaring that "the front line of the war against terror once again involves the citizens."