e House, has shied away from talk of a proposed ban on assault weapons, disappointing some gun control advocates.   The liberal Democrat’s cautious path shows the altered thought process of a new senator now representing one of the nation’s most politically balanced states-one with a strong hunting tradition-rather than just one of its most left-leaning congressional districts.  It also illuminates the rocky road ahead for the provision in the Senate.  Six Democratic senators from Baldwin’s neighboring states have either declared as co-sponsors or supporters of the ban.  But Baldwin has stressed the broader support for gun control measures based on expanded background checks.