Dem Rep: Women should serve in combat, but shouldn't use assault weapons

On the very same day that Defense Secretary Leon Panetta lifted the ban on women serving in active combat zones, a Democratic congresswoman from New York argued that assault weapons are actually difficult for women to handle and should therefore be banned.

Rep. Carolyn McCarthy -- a strong proponent for women serving in military combat roles -- appeared on CNN's Piers Morgan Tonight Thursday to make the case for Sen. Dianne Feinstein's assault weapons ban.  To that end, McCarthy argued that women should use traditional rifles rather than assault rifles because the former would would be "easier for a woman" to use.

WATCH (via WFB):

PIERS MORGAN: I have an interview coming up with two young women who wrote a piece in which they said they wanted the rights of the AR-15 weapon at home because they feared they would be attacked and they wanted a gun that would guarantee they would murder or would kill their attacker. How do you respond to that particular argument, which is they believe under their second amendment right they should be allowed an AR-15?

CAROLYN MCCARTHY: I will tell you, if you talk to professionals, hunters and certainly sportsmen, they’ll tell you that’s not the gun to use. A rifle is more accurate. It’s certainly easier for a woman to be able to do that.

If this were actually true, McCarthy would seem to be admitting that there are limitations on what women can do in a combat position and perhaps the Defense Department's ban should stand.  More than likely, though, is that McCarthy is using gender-based arguments to try and bolster her stance against assault rifles.  In other words, it's...

See video of the full segment after the jump.