Biden says he would not restrict gun ownership

Democratic presidential nominee Sen. Joe Biden of Delaware said Friday that Nevadans shouldn't listen to claims he and Barack Obama would take away the right to bear arms.

"I get a kick out of, sometimes, the NRA saying we're going to take your shotguns away," he said in a telephone interview with the Nevada Appeal. "I've got three shotguns, although my son thinks one of them, the over-under, is his."

"Both of us believe strongly in the Second Amendment," Biden said. "We do not believe in registration. We do believe in limits on some of the weapons. You can't have your own flame-thrower or bazooka. And legislation in relation to assault weapons doesn't affect hunters or sportsmen.

"We are two Democrats who voted against gun control," he said.

But, Biden said, there is room for common-sense laws relating to such things as carrying concealed weapons.

Biden said Nevada has huge potential for developing renewable energy sources that he and Obama believe are vital to the nation.

"We consume 25 percent of all oil produced in the world, but we only have 3 to 4 percent of the reserves," he said. "We can't drill our way out of this."

He said if the nation makes the right investments in solar, wind, biofuels, clean coal technology and other renewables, the U.S. can change those numbers.

"If we set hard goals, we can get 25 percent renewable energy in the next 25 years," he said.

"And we can create five million new, decent paying jobs."

He said Nevada shouldn't just focus on producing energy but also on making the technology to produce that energy.

"There's no reason why Nevada couldn't be the solar capital of the world," he said.

Biden said he believes he and Obama are slightly ahead in Nevada, but that they still regard it as "a toss up."

"The only poll that counts is election day," he said. We think we can win in Nevada, but we've got a long way to go in 18 days."

Biden visits southern Nevada this weekend.

- Contact reporter Geoff Dornan at gdornan@nevadaappeal.com or 687-8750.