BATON ROUGE, Louisiana (Reuters) - In the gun-friendly state of Louisiana, the backlash against President Barack Obama's proposed restrictions on firearms seems to be everywhere.
It can be seen in the frenzied sales and empty racks at Jim's Firearms store in the state capital, Baton Rouge, where customers have rushed to make purchases as Congress weighs several gun-control bills.
It is evident in the state Legislature, where a series of bills aimed at protecting gun owners' rights have been introduced as a counter-punch to Obama's push in Washington.
It is abundantly clear in the sea of hands that pop up when a congressman asks an overflow crowd in Baton Rouge how many are worried about their constitutional right to bear arms being threatened.
Obama's call for Americans to stand up against gun violence after the December massacre of 20 children and six adults at a Connecticut elementary school reignited a national debate over gun control, and drew calls for expanded background checks on gun buyers and a ban on military-style "assault" weapons.
A Senate committee will take up at least four gun-control proposals on Thursday.
But in Louisiana and other states where traditions of gun ownership and hunting run deep, the Democratic president's efforts have not just failed to register: they have galvanized opposition to any attempts to restrict firearms - and complicated the prospects for gun-control measures in Congress.
"This has been a rallying cry for people to draw a line in the sand and say, 'We are not going to allow this to happen to our guns,'" said state Representative Jeff Thompson, a Republican who has launched a campaign called "Defend Louisiana" to fight federal and state gun-control proposals.
The revolt against gun restrictions in states like Louisiana poses a dilemma for some Democrats from conservative, pro-gun states who in recent years have largely managed to avoid dwelling on the issue.
Senator Mary Landrieu of Louisiana is among a half-dozen Democratic senators from such states who are up for re-election next year and are likely to be crucial in determining what gun-control proposals emerge from the Democratic-led Senate.
In Louisiana, Republicans and gun-rights groups are vowing to make Landrieu pay next year if she supports any of the measures. When asked about the pending gun legislation, Landrieu treads carefully.
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