Bice: The drinking age in Wisconsin is 21? That's news to Sen. Ron Johnson

U.S. Sen. Ron Johnson tried to shoot down any suggestion that federal lawmakers raise the age at which young adults can buy guns.

Johnson told a liberal talk show this week that 18-year-olds should be able to purchase a firearm since, among other things, they can legally drink beer at that age.

Except they can't.

Wisconsin's drinking age is 21.

On Thursday, Johnson was quizzed on a range of topics during an appearance on "The Devil's Advocates" show in Madison. Asked whether Congress should raise the age at which people can buy guns from 18 to 21, Johnson offered a resounding no.

"We're sending 18-, 19-, 20-, 21-year-olds over to Afghanistan, and they're dying and sacrificing their lives for our freedom," Johnson said (starting at 7:30 mark). "They ought to be able to vote, they ought to be able to have a beer and they ought to be able to buy a gun to hunt with."

Um, wait a second.

Johnson was then asked to clarify. Was he suggesting that the state lower the drinking age to 18?

"No," the Wisconsin Republican said. "Can't they do that now? What is the age nowadays?"

"It's 21, sir," responded one of the two hosts.

"Yikes," Johnson said. "That's a battle we fought when I was young."

The two-term senator quickly recovered and said, yes, he would be in favor of lowering the drinking age.

"You could get drafted," he said, "you ought to be able to drink a beer."

Contact Daniel Bice at (414) 224-2135 or dbice@jrn.com. Follow him on Twitter @DanielBice or on Facebook at fb.me/daniel.bice.