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Democrats at odds over assault weapons ban

Minnesota Mayor R.T. Rybak took a forceful stand on Jansing & Co.
WASHINGTON, DC - JANUARY 16:  Flanked by mayors and gun control activists, Minneapolis Mayor R.T. Rybak (C) speaks during a news conference January 16, 2013 on Capitol Hill in Washington, DC. Members of Mayors Against Illegal Guns held a news...
WASHINGTON, DC - JANUARY 16: Flanked by mayors and gun control activists, Minneapolis Mayor R.T. Rybak (C) speaks during a news conference January 16, 2013...

Minnesota Mayor R.T. Rybak took a forceful stand on Jansing & Co. ahead of his meeting with President Obama on gun control legislation, criticizing the Senate Majority Leader and lawmakers who don't want to move on new gun legislation.

Rybak said, "How can Harry Reid--a fellow Democrat and I’m willing to criticize him--say he hasn’t read the bill. Dianne Feinstein, she’s been a mayor, she was there at a shooting, she put her finger in a bullet hole. She knows why we need this action. This is an emergency, so let’s knock off the Washington baloney, support the president and get some things done."

Reid told ABC he was not sure if he would support an assault weapons ban. "I don't know, she [Dianne Feinstein] knows I haven't read her amendment," Reid said Sunday.

msnbc guest host Richard Lui asked what Rybak, who also serves as the vice-chairman of the Democratic National Committee, would like to say to Harry Reid.

"I respect him on a whole lot of levels, but he's dancing around this issue, people are dying in this country and that is not news to anybody...What the president has done is, with all the stuff on his plate, stuck his neck out  and said look, we need to solve this. I saw what the president's face looked like when he came out of meeting those victims. I've been there," Rybak said.

Rybak continued, "These are peoples lives, it could be your kid in that school."

Rybak said Minnesota is a model the nation can follow, but federal legislation is a critical piece.

“First off we need universal background checks, there’s no question about it. I do believe also we need limits on assault weapons and clips and things that would force a shooter in a horrible incident to re-load. That moment of reloading saves a life. My God, if 20 kids in a school went to 18, it would be a massive disaster, but that would be two lives that would be saved,” Rybak said.