John Boehner, the minority leader in the House of Representatives, called it "thought crimes" legislation and "radical social policy."

VOA: special.2009.10.31

What he is seeking is opt-outs from swathes of social and employment policy and from chunks of justice and home-affairs legislation something he may stand precious little chance of getting, but it would hardly be the end of the EU if he did.

ECONOMIST: Britain's European problem

Erickson Hatalsky, the director of social policy and politics at Third Way, noted examples of the NRA's influence in the last significant gun legislation -- the Brady Bill of 1993 that required background checks on guns purchased from licensed dealers, followed by the limited assault weapons ban a year later.

CNN: STORY HIGHLIGHTS