Obama often caught in the middle on gun control debate

President Obama has often found himself in the middle when it comes to gun control.

Gun control advocates have long questioned what they call Obama's inactivity on the issue, and their demands for new laws are amping up after the Friday shooting in which 28 died, including 20 children and six adults killed at an elementary school in Connecticut.

Yet, the National Rifle Association and other gun owners' groups have claimed for just as long that Obama has some sort of secret plan for more gun restrictions.

In February, NRA Executive Vice President Wayne LaPierre said: "All that first term, lip service to gun owners is just part of a massive Obama conspiracy to deceive voters and hide his true intentions to destroy the Second Amendment during his second term."

Gun control supporters scoff at those attacks, and are now demanding Obama do something in the wake of the tragedy.

Sen. Dianne Feinstein, D-Calif., told NBC's Meet the Press that she will introduce a bill when the new Congress convenes early next year to revive the assault weapons ban.

New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg, on the same program, said: "It's time for the president, I think, to stand up and lead and tell this country what we should do -- not go to Congress and say, "What do you guys want to do?"

Bloomberg also said: "The president campaigned back in 2008 on a bill that would prohibit assault weapons."

In his Saturday radio address, Obama said, "We have to come together and take meaningful action to prevent more tragedies like this, regardless of the politics."

Obama didn't specify what he means by "meaningful action," but that is likely to change in the days ahead.