The New York Times reports the Obama administration abandoned a series of gun control measures one year ago as the 2012 election approached and House Republicans pushed a probe of the gun sting “Operation Fast and Furious.” Drafted after the January 2011 shooting rampage in Tucson, Arizona, the Justice Department recommendations centered on improving and expanding the national background-check system to reduce access to weapons for criminals and the mentally ill. The list included several proposals that Obama could have enacted by executive order had he chosen to take action.