Rocker Ted Nugent calls Obama’s gun violence proposals ‘nonsense’

WASHINGTON — Rocker Ted Nugent heard little to like in President Obama’s State of the Union address, dismissing the president’s proposals to stem gun violence as “more nonsense.”

“Nothing he proposed, or nothing that has been proposed, would have stopped any of the shootings,” Nugent told reporters after watching the speech from the House chamber as the guest of a Republican congressman.

“Who doesn’t know this? Who doesn’t know that registration and limitation on magazine capacity and the color of guns has anything to do with saving lives or reducing crime?”

Obama had, in fact, made the point that not all shootings would be stopped by his gun proposals.

“Our actions will not prevent every senseless act of violence in this country. In fact, no laws, no initiatives, no administrative acts will perfectly solve all the challenges I’ve outlined tonight. But we were never sent here to be perfect. We were sent here to make what difference we can,” the president said.

Nugent, a guitar pro and 2nd Amendment advocate, was invited by freshman Rep. Steve Stockman (R-Texas). His arrival in Washington came as a counter to the decision by many lawmakers to invite victims of gun violence to emphasize the need for new laws after the shooting this year at an elementary school in Newtown, Conn.

Nugent has been an outspoken, often colorful, opponent of the Obama administration. He was seated in a top row of the guest gallery, in a corner where he remained during the address.

“We’ve heard it all before,” he said. “You just can’t get more of a predictable, flowery script every time he speaks.”

Reporters stopped him in the halls to hear his review.

“My favorite part is what I couldn’t hear clearly,” he said. “I didn’t have to get angry.”

Nothing, it seemed, swayed his view: “The scam rages on.”

lisa.mascaro@latimes.com

Twitter: @LisaMascaroinDC