THE LURCHINGS of embarrassed Republican senators during the gun- safety debate surely are not heralding the imminent arrival of landmark firearms legislation. But those GOP lawmakers closest to their next elections are -- and should be -- fidgety. They sense growing public pressures for relief from gunfire -- and they may even detect justified furor over their outlandish performance in last week's opening round of this latest gun show on the hill.

The initial backfiring happened Wednesday. Under the baton of the Senate's NRA board-member-in-residence, Larry Craig of Idaho, 49 Republicans and two Democrats rejected a proposal to require background checks for firearms sales at gun shows. As cover, the Senate supported a GOP proposal to encourage voluntary checks by non- licensed dealers.