Touring his Birmingham-area district today, U.S. Rep. Spencer Bachus started the day in Trussville, where he treated a breakfast of municipal and county leaders to his thoughts on guns, socialists and the federal budget.

As for President Barack Obama, the Vestavia Hills Republican said he has "some hope."

"He's a better listener than George W. Bush," Bachus said. "He tries to get ideas from people."

But he said he is worried that he is being steered too far by the Congress: "Some of the men and women I work with in Congress are socialists."

Asked to clarify his comments after the breakfast speech at the Trussville Civic Center, Bachus said 17 members of the U.S. House are socialists.



Bachus did not support small city officials who asked if he would oppose all gun bans. Instead, he said, it may be necessary to support some assault weapon bans in order to keep all guns from being outlawed.