President Obama's 'Stand Your Ground' Hypocrisy

President Barack Obama would have a lot more credibility as he arm-twists the 31 states with Stand Your Ground laws if he would just admit he was wrong in 2004 when he co-sponsored a bill that strengthened his own state's Stand Your Ground law.

Just say it, Mr. President: "I sponsored bad law."

In his surprise White House press conference last week, Obama said, ... For those who resist the idea that we should think about these Stand Your Ground laws, I just have to ask these people to consider if Trayvon Martin was of age and armed, could he have stood his ground on that sidewalk, and do we actually think that he would have been justified in shooting Mr. Zimmerman who had followed him in a car because he felt threatened?

He continued, and if the answer to that question is at least ambiguous, then it seems to me that we might want to examine those kinds of laws.

Apparently Obama didnt have any of those concerns nine years ago in Illinois when he co-sponsored SB 2386, which broadened that state's Stand Your Ground law by shielding the person who was attacked from being sued in civil court by perpetrators or their estates when a Stand Your Ground defense is used in protecting his or her person, dwelling or other property.

SB 2386 passed the Illinois state Senate 560 on March 25, 2004. Then it sailed through the state House with only two nay votes. Both chambers were controlled by Democrats.

Perhaps he isn't admitting he sponsored bad law because, really and truly, he doesn't believe it is bad law.