“Gun Firms On Verge Of Winning New Shield / Liability Bill Reflects Industry, NRA Clout” is a front-pager in the Washington Post today. As reporter Jim VandeHei notes, Congress is about to pass a bill to keep victims of gun crimes (and, perhaps more important, anti-gun city governments) from suing gunmakers. He says that the bill’s success is a testament to Democrats’ fears of the gun lobby. That’s true. But it’s worth noting that one reason for the bill’s success is that the gun lobby chose its battle wisely: Policy-driven lawsuits against gunmakers have polled badly since they became an issue–even in the immediate aftermath of the Columbine killings. The real test of pro-gun “clout” will be whether the assault-weapons ban goes down.