Gov. Malloy answers question on background checks two ways: long and short

From a recording of Gov. Dannel P. Malloy’s remarks in the Capitol today, in reaction to the release of details on the Sandy Hook School shooting.

Blogster: “Governor, there’s a faction of lawmakers here who believe that on the transfer of weapons within a family, background checks are not needed. There’s evidence of a holiday card and a check from Nancy Lanza to Adam for the purchase of a weapon. Does this report kind of blow up that idea?”

Malloy: “Listen, our country needs to change its ways. Forty percent of guns change hands outside of background checks. So I’ll go back to the thing I keep saying.

I cannot get on a plane in this country without somebody doing a background check on me, every single time I get on a plane. But we allow 40 percent of guns to change hands without a background check? It makes no sense. In fact it makes no sense to such a degree that the NRA once understood that and now has changed its position. And it needs to change its position again or it needs to be overridden by some number of people in Washington who have the gumption, the guts and the morale fortitude to get the job done.”

Blogster: “Is that a yes, governor?”

Malloy: “Yes”