While they face an uphill fight, a handful of Democrats have signaled they want to push plans to restrict certain items like large gun magazine clips as a response to the Arizona shootings last weekend.

On its face, one would have to say that this effort seems unlikely to win, given the current makeup of the Congress, which remains overwhelmingly tilted in favor of those who advocate gun rights.

That advantage only got more pronounced after the elections last November, when a good chunk of Democrats were defeated at the polls in the House and Senate.

Still, that is not dissuading some like Rep. Carolyn McCarthy (D-NY), who won election to Congress from Long Island after her husband was killed and her son was wounded in a gun rampage on a commuter train.

"I believe there are many aspects of our nation's gun laws that deserve close scrutiny and updating," said Maloney in a letter to her colleagues that was released on Thursday, as she started by zeroing in large capacity magazine clips.

"The only purpose for the existence of these devices is to be able to shoot as many people as possible as quickly as possible," wrote Maloney.  "There is no reason that these devices should be available to the general public."

There used to be limits on the size of such gun magazines, but those expired when a ban on certain assault weapons ran out during the last Bush Administration.

White House officials reiterated yesterday that President Obama supports renewing that ban on assault weapons and on the size of gun magazines, but it was not a full throated embrace by any means.

"I think we all strive, regardless of party, to ensure that we're doing everything we can to reduce violence," said White House Press Secretary Robert Gibbs, who refused to pick and choose what plans the President might or might not endorse.  

"We'll have an opportunity to evaluate some of the other proposals," Gibbs added.

Obviously, with the House now in Republican hands, the chance of getting such a gun control plan approved is not very likely.

Democrats could force a vote on it in the Senate - if they wanted to - but again, politics could enter the equation, as there might not be Democrats that really want to address that issue, lest it become a big campaign problem for them in 2012.

Stay tuned.