Giuliani Will "Clarify" Views To NRA

Presidential Hopeful Seeks To Improve Contentious Relationship With Gun Group

(CBS)  This story was written by CBS News' Ryan Corsaro and Michelle Levi.

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Republican presidential candidate Rudy Giuliani said Thursday that he hopes to "clarify” his views on the right to bear arms when he speaks to the National Rifle Association on Friday.

The former New York City mayor is to address the NRA at its “Celebration of American Values” conference in Washington. Other presidential hopefuls on the speaker list include Sen. John McCain, Fred Thompson, New Mexico Gov. Bill Richarson, Mike Huckabee and Newt Gingrich.

"There are certain agreements and disagreements with every single group," noted Giuliani, talking about the event with reporters in Reston, Va. "When I go before the NRA, I'm going to try to emphasize areas I think in which there is a great deal of agreement. And as I have said many, many times, my 80 percent friend is not my 20 percent enemy."

He says his main focus in Friday's speech will be to emphasize making gun laws a local decision, not a federal one.

The NRA and Giuliani haven’t been close in the past. They butted heads while Giuliani was mayor on topics as diverse as Giuliani’s gun control legislation and the attempted opening of an NRA café in Times Square.

In 1994, the group criticized Giuliani’s significant role in the enactment of major federal anti-crime legislation -- for which Giuliani was thanked by President Bill Clinton -- which made it harder for felons to purchase firearms.

The NRA's chief lobbyist, Chris Cox, said that while members will welcome Giuliani to share his views, his record will not be ignored when it’s time to make their endorsement, which is likely to come after primaries have determined the Republican nominee.

"There's no such thing as a clean slate," Cox told CBS News. "The NRA will certainly weigh in past positions and statements."

Giuliani regularly points to the historic drop in New York City crime while he was mayor and has said the change in gun laws was pivotal to the city's efforts.

Some gun-control advocates say the NRA conference is an opportunity for Giuliani to display leadership.

"We hope he will change the way the NRA thinks about gun laws," says Paul Helmke, the president of the Brady Center to Prevent Gun Violence. Helmke, the former mayor of Ft. Wayne, Indiana, stood just a few feet away from Giuliani when Clinton signed the 1994 crime bill.

"Mayor Giuliani is not an extremist like some in the NRA," Helmke says. "He knows after 9/11, we shouldn't allow people on the terrorism watch list to buy guns -- right now they can do that. This event is the perfect platform for him to show where there should be exceptions."

While Friday’s reception might not be especially warm for Giuliani, political analyst Stuart Rothenberg says it’s better for him to be there than not.

“He’s got to go to traditional Republicans like gun owners,” says Rothenberg. “If he didn’t go, the NRA could see it as dissing them.”

And some gun owners think that despite Giuliani’s past views on guns, he still has a chance to win them over.

"Giuliani has a long, uphill road to convince people -- given his record -- that he is sincere about protecting the 2nd Amendment," says David Kopel, research director of the Independence Institute, a conservative think tank in Colorado and a lifetime member of the NRA. "Not every candidate needs an A, but if Giuliani can work himself to be seen as a B or a B minus, that would be progress for him."

[cepe10-2009]

I like felons to be able to have arms. It makes the country safer. The NRA is great. The second amendment protects are right to have arms in general - this includes way more that just firearms. Landmines, bombs, missles, and grenades are protected as well by the second amendment - it does not have any qualifiers. And keep in mind most law enforcement officers like felons ot have plenty of firepower because it makes things interesting. The NRA, keeping felons armed, because that''s what they do:).

[arkham_angel]

Giuliani also said of this:

[In Giuliani''s clearest break from his mayoral record, he renounced the lawsuit that he ordered the city to file against gun makers in 2000. It was one of dozens of suits that state and local governments filed seeking millions in damages from gun manufacturers for what the plaintiffs said was reckless marketing.

"I think that lawsuit has gone in a direction that I probably don''t agree with at this point," Giuliani told several hundred gun-rights supporters at the conference. ]

"I probably don''t agree with at this point". Giuliani is pandering to the NRA and is outright lying in my opinion. He is -not- a conservative and never will be. Just look at his other stances before he changes them as well.

Peace,

-AA-

[whitbyr3]

YOU GO RUDY! I back you up all the way!!!

[dmonet2]

Reminds me of a Groucho Marx quote:

Those are my principles, and if you don''t like them... well, I have others.

[revolushyn]

Giuliano sums up his stand on this issue when he states that "gun control should be a local issue not federal." Spoken like a true Republicrat. Rudy, its a CONSTITUTIONAL issue, and that supercedes the rest. The words "shall not be infringed" seems not applicable to NYC considering that the average subject (citizen in free country)cannot obtain a permit. That is a clearcut infringement which is anti-Constitutional and therefor anti-American. NYC even banned the sale of toy guns! You did a fine job in the aftermath of 911 but on this issue alone, I''m with Fred!

[Krazcarl]

Noes anyone care hes looking for points because he knows hes on his way out even the republicains don''t support him hes fishing for the vice president spot.

[wopples]

Alright I''ll back it all up. Cut and paste this link and learn:
http://www.ontheissues.org/senate/Hillary_Clinton_Gun_Control.htm
The issue is control not outright banishment. My second reference is the 2nd amendment of the Bill of Rights.
"the right of the people to keep and bear arms."
Hilary could never "make all guns illegal" the president doesn''t have that kind of power anyway. It would literally take an act of congress to accomplish that. So relax, control is the issue not banishment.

[gkc99]

Rudy thinks it''s perfectly OK for crooked police commissioners to have guns!

For the rest of you, just look at the laws in New York to see what his views of private gun ownership are.

I urge all progressives who are not gun owners to get a gun and learn how to use it. Otherwise the born-again Geezis people may just mow you down when they think the Rapture is near and they can get away with it. Likewise the neocon "patriots" who think you''re traitors. I suggest a semi-auto AK-47--nice, reliable weapons.

[gkc99]

"Clinton, the female one, said if she could get the votes she would make all guns illegal"--Posted by guysdigdirt


I don''t believe you. I say you''re a liar. Back up your statement with a reference.

[wopples]

To respond to Guysdigdirt:
If someone came into my house to rob me I decidedly would NOT care to have a gun. I''m not one to give in to media fear-mongering and worry about this in the first place BUT I do know that if a man breaks into my house he most likely wants cash and merchandise(to think anything else is paranoid)so I say TAKE anything you want and leave. If I had a gun and he had a gun then what I will most likely cause is a gun fight. By doing that I will have endangered my family far more then letting them take my *** television.