The Defeat of the Assault Weapons Ban May Be the End of an Era for the NRA
National Rifle Association Executive Vice President Wayne LaPierre and Democratic California Senator Dianne Feinstein couldn't disagree more about gun policy: LaPierre wants to equip teachers with firearms, and Feinstein recently proposed a ban 153 gun models, and they've stood as figureheads for the gun-rights and gun-control crowds since long before last month's Newtown school shooting. The two may be sworn adversaries, but they wouldn't quite admit as much in sworn testimony at the Senate Judiciary Committee's hearings on gun violence today — after LaPierre's opening statement led to questions from the Senators, Feinstein began her time by telling the face of the NRA that "You look pretty good," before moving on to question a Baltimore police chief.
Here's the full exchange:
And here's that LaPierre response of "You, too" — in GIF form:

As Feinstein hints at, the pair feuded in 1995 when Feinstein proposed to ban the sale and manufacture of assault weapons. But Feinstein's very public — and borderline cute — acknowledgment of LaPierre may also have reinforced that she wasn't going to use much more of her allotted five minutes on him. Follow the latest from the hearings on our live blog, and here's the text of the exchange, for the record:
Feinstein: I want to thank everybody for being here today, particularly our witnesses, [points] even you Mr. LaPierre, it's good to see you again. I guess we tangled —
LaPierre: [laughs] We have.
Feinstein: We tangled what was it, 18 years ago? Um, you look pretty good actually.
LaPierre: [smiles, gestures with hand]
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J.K. Trotter
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