You probably remember from last week that Gov. Ed Rendell, standing alongside Lancaster Mayor Rick Gray and city police Chief Keith Sadler, called on Congress to reinstate a ban on assault weapons like the one used recently to kill three Pittsburgh police officers. On Sunday, the governor faced off with the National Rifle Association’s top gun, Wayne LaPierre, on CBS’ Face the Nation.

From The Philadelphia Inquirer:

… Rendell said there was no “rational reason” to allow the sale of assault weapons. “They are used for only one reason . . . to kill and maim people,” he said.

Cue LaPierre:

… there (is) “no functional difference at all” between an assault weapon and any other gun.

Back to Ed:

“That is unbelievably untrue,” Rendell said. “The assault weapons that are used that are sold in sporting goods stores now because the ban has been lifted, they put out a tremendously high amount of fire.”

On and on it went for 10 minutes.