Republicans predicted the measures — banning new sales of magazines of more than 15 rounds, and requiring background checks on private gun sales — would prove unenforceable and would do nothing to prevent such incidents, both of which were carried out by lunatics.

And they were right.

Even the gun-hating New York Times now acknowledges the “unenforceable” part.

“When Sheriff John Cooke of Weld County explains in speeches why he is not enforcing the state’s new gun laws, he holds up two 30-round magazines,” the newspaper reported on Dec. 16. “One, he says, he had before July 1, when the law banning the possession, sale or transfer of the large-capacity magazines went into effect. The other, he ‘maybe’ obtained afterward.