Reply #67: The ban never was and never will be all semi-autos it always has been by apearance

[Statistical]

Where did you get the idea that Congress was ever considering a ban to ban ALL semi-autos.

You are aware that would be a ban on ALL pistols and 70% of rifles sold today.

Nobody in Congress is stupid enough to think such a ban on virtually all firearms would be held constitutional.

The democratic platform plank is to "revive the Assault Weapons Ban" not some "new ban on all semi-autos".
The AWB didn't ban weapons based on functionality.
The AWB banned weapon based on looks.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Federal_Assault_Weapons_Ban

From change.gov
Address Gun Violence in Cities: Obama and Biden would repeal the Tiahrt Amendment, which restricts the ability of local law enforcement to access important gun trace information, and give police officers across the nation the tools they need to solve gun crimes and fight the illegal arms trade. Obama and Biden also favor commonsense measures that respect the Second Amendment rights of gun owners, while keeping guns away from children and from criminals. They support closing the gun show loophole and making guns in this country childproof. They also support making the expired federal Assault Weapons Ban permanent.

So per both Democratic Party Platform and Obama transition website the only ban being proposed is the AWB. Which one last time bans weapons based on looks.

IF (which has never been proposed or has any chance of passing) Congress banned ALL semi-autos I would agree that wouldn't be a cosmetic. It also wouldn't be constitutional.