The political pendulum is always swinging -- The gun lobby.

A House bill sponsored by the gun lobby was approved last week by the Judiciary Committee. The legislation bars injured citizens and communities from suing gun manufacturers and dealers for damages.

Why does the firearms industry want this legislation? To scuttle a dozen court cases and allow a repetition of the $2.5 million settlement won by families victimized in the Washington-area sniper shootings.

Since the gun lobby probably picked up more supporters in last year's elections, chances are pretty good that the Senate will go along with this legislation.

The pigs get fat and the hogs get slaughtered. Regardless of your opinion on such things as gun registration, safety locks and restoring the ban on semi-automatic weapons that expired last year, it is hard for me to understand how the gun manufacturers were responsible for the Washington-area sniper shootings.

(For a contrary viewpoint, see 5-30-05 editorial in The New York Times.)