In a heated debate today in a Senate Judiciary Committee hearing on the proposed assault weapons ban authored by Dianne Feinstein, the senior Senator from California lashed back at newly elected senator Ted Cruz, a Tea Party candidate from Texas. Cruz asked Feinstein if she would support similar exceptions to the First and Fourth Amendments as the ones this bill proposes on the Second Amendment, and a visibly riled up Feinstein shot back, "I'm not a sixth grader."

She went on, "Senator, I've been on this committee for 20 years. I was a mayor for nine years. I've walked in and seen people shot... It's fine you want to lecture me on the Constitution. I appreciate it.... I'm reasonably well educated. But thank you for the lecture... [This bill] exempts 2,258 weapons. Isn't that enough for the American people? Do they need a bazooka?" Enjoy it all below.

The bill passed by a 10-8 vote, along party lines, in the committee, however it faces a tougher road in the full Senate. As CBS points out, in the Democratic-controlled Senate, there are six Democrats facing re-election next year in Republican-leaning states. Add to that the fact that a filibuster is all but guaranteed, and it seems that even in these post-Sandy Hook times, a ban on just semi-automatic weapons with high-capacity magazines is too much to handle — especially with fools like Sen. John Cornyn of Texas spinning it as, "We’re going to give American citizens a pea shooter to defend themselves with." Oh, for god's sake. Hopefully Jon Stewart will have some fun with that line.

[CBS 5]