NRA Begins Push To Tarnish Obama On Guns

CBSNews.com Reports: As Pro-Gun Group Tries To Make Gun Control Into Wedge Issue, Some Gun Advocates Remain Wary Of McCain

(CBS)  This story was written by CBSNews.com political reporter Brian Montopoli.

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The defining moment in the National Rifle Association's eight-figure advertising offensive against Barack Obama takes place about 15 seconds into a new spot featuring Karl Rusch, a white, middle aged Virginian clad in hunting gear.

After claiming that Obama supports "a huge new tax on my guns and ammo," Rusch closes the door of his truck and turns directly to the camera.

"Where is this guy from?" he asks. "He's probably never been hunting a day in his life."

The spot, the Washington Post points out, is a "huge stretch" - the claim that Obama wants to institute a large tax on guns and ammo, for instance, rests on a few words in an essentially irrelevant and vaguely-worded newspaper article from nine years ago.

But the point is clear: If you're a hunter, Barack Obama is not anything like you. And if he doesn't understand your concerns, he sure doesn't deserve your vote.

Obama has been fighting the notion that he opposes gun rights, stressing on the stump that he backs Second Amendment protections. His campaign has released a radio ad featuring American Hunters and Shooters Association head Ray Schoenke telling hunters the Democratic nominee won't come for their guns.

"The bottom line is this. If you’ve got a rifle, you’ve got a shotgun, you’ve got a gun in your house, I’m not taking it away," Obama said earlier this month in Pennsylvania. "Alright? So they can keep on talking about it, but this is just not true."

(Obama also said at the time that even if he wanted to take hunters' guns away, he "couldn't get it done" since he doesn't "have the votes in Congress" - a statement that did not exactly put sportsmen's fears to rest.)

Obama's running mate Joe Biden, meanwhile, suggested recently that Republicans will use the issue to scare voters away from the Obama-Biden ticket.

“I guarantee you, Barack Obama ain't taking my shotguns, so don't buy that malarkey," Biden said in Southern Virginia. "Don't buy that malarkey. They're going to start peddling that to you. I got two, if he tries to fool with my Beretta, he's got a problem."

The NRA's political arm has been going after the Democratic nominee hard: In addition to an advertising blitz that includes four new television spots running on national cable and in New Mexico, Colorado, and Pennsylvania, as well as radio and print ads, the organization is suggesting that Obama would be "the most anti-gun president in American history." It has sent mailers and emails to members hammering the Illinois senator, including one from NRA President Wayne LaPierre suggesting that Obama has a "deep-rooted hatred of firearm freedoms." Earlier this week, there was a minor dustup when West Virginia union leaders said an NRA film crew tried to coerce miners into badmouthing the Democratic nominee on camera.

"Barack Obama has throughout his entire career embraced the radical agenda of extremist gun control groups," NRA chief lobbyist Chris W. Cox said. "He's going all over the country trying to mislead gun owners and sportsman that he is some sort of friend. It's shameless. We're going to arm gun owners with the facts so they can make an informed decision on Election Day."

The Democratic presidential nominee has voted to leave gun makers and dealers open to lawsuits, and as a state lawmaker he supported tighter restrictions on firearms and a ban on semiautomatic weapons.

"Obama has the audacity of claiming to support the second amendment," Cox said. "This is a politician who has shown nothing but disdain and mistrust of law abiding gun owners in America."

Largely absent from the NRA's rhetoric has been much mention of Obama's rival, GOP presidential nominee John McCain. Though NRA officials made conciliatory statements concerning McCain after he secured the GOP nomination, the Arizona senator has not always been a favorite of the gun lobby: He earned a C+ from the NRA in 2004 after backing legislation to close the so-called "gun show loophole," legislation that this 2003 NRA document claimed "is about eliminating gun shows." McCain is also the co-author of the McCain-Feingold campaign finance legislation that the NRA saw as an unfair restriction on its free speech.

"We've had disagreements with Senator McCain, those disagreements are well known, but it would be foolish to disregard over 20 years of high profile agreements," Cox said. McCain opposed an assault weapons ban and favored shielding gun makers and dealers from lawsuits, and his addition of lifetime NRA member and hunter Sarah Palin to the GOP ticket was widely lauded by gun advocates.

The NRA, which claims roughly 4 million members, plans to spend $40 million on election related advertising, a large chunk of it devoted to tearing down the Democratic nominee. But the organization has not yet endorsed a candidate. In the October issues of its three magazines, the NRA plans to include a political preference chart which details the candidates' positions and encouraging members to support the candidate whose positions best matches their values.

Gun issues have largely remained low profile for much of the campaign, except during a short period in June following a Supreme Court's decision to toss out the D.C. gun ban. At the time, McCain unequivocally applauded the measure and signed an amicus brief supporting it; Obama said that while he supports the Second Amendment, "I also identify with the need for crime-ravaged communities to save their children from the violence that plagues our streets through common-sense, effective safety measures."

McCain also took an opportunity in the wake of the decision to take a shot at Obama's infamous comment that small town voters frustrated by economic stasis "get bitter, they cling to guns or religion or antipathy to people who aren't like them or anti-immigrant sentiment or anti-trade sentiment as a way to explain their frustrations." The comment is referenced in Rusch's NRA advertisement.

"Unlike the elitist view that believes Americans cling to guns out of bitterness, today's ruling recognizes that gun ownership is a fundamental right -- sacred, just as the right to free speech and assembly," McCain said.

According to Democratic political consultant Dave "Mudcat" Saunders, a former John Edwards advisor who is known for pushing Democrats to take rural voters' concerns more seriously, it is McCain, not Obama, whom gun owners should fear. Saunders argues that while Obama has essentially vowed to leave the gun owners alone, McCain has stood by his position on gun shows.

"One of Obama's young volunteers called me up and asked me what he could do to help," Saunders, who casts himself as more pro-gun than the NRA, told CBSNews.com. "I told him to go down to the Hillsville (Virginia) gun show with some fliers with [McCain's] picture on them that said, 'if you elect this guy John McCain president, don't plan on coming back next year.'"

McCain told Field And Stream that his position in favor of closing the gun show loophole is the issue most likely to cause friction between himself and sportsmen.

"I think that gun shows are marvelous, and we now have the capability for instant background checks," he said.

Dennis Fusaro, a Republican and pro-gun activist in Virginia who served for a time as Ron Paul's national field director, said he would not be voting for either Obama or McCain. A lifetime member of the NRA, Fusaro was director of state legislation for the Gun Owners of America, a hardcore gun-rights group that describes itself as "no compromise."

"On paper, Obama appears worse than McCain," he said. But McCain is more dangerous, he argued, because he is more likely to successfully enact legislation that would result in fewer rights for gun owners. Obama, Fusaro believes, simply won't make the issue a priority.

Saunders said Obama should continue to stress that he backs Second Amendment rights. He argued that McCain's ten-point lead among rural voters in 13 key states would be higher if the GOP nominee had more credibility when it comes to gun issues.

"The single issue voters on guns are not the anti-gun people, it's the pro-gun people," he argued.

But Fusaro said it was unlikely that many pro-gun voters would support Obama in November.

"There are people who are looking at Barack Obama and are scared," he said. "They may just say, 'I can live with John McCain.'"

[hisxlnc1]

"I have seen more than once someone mention the gun bans in the UK have increased crime rates. I dont know where this is info from but crime rates in the UK are falling faster than they ever have."

That''s not entirely correct. The public misconception is that the UK is a safe country and the US violent, but the truth is just the opposite. Depending on which numbers you choose, the violent crime rate in the UK is five times higher than the rate in the US.

http://wheelgun.blogspot.com/2007/01/crime-in-uk-versus-crime-in-us.html

[hisxlnc1]

"The reality is, that no one is going to take your guns away from you or enact legislation that will limit gun ownership. However this writer who has owned guns, has hunted and spent 8 years in the US Army does have one suggestion that will drive NRA nuts, is require registration of all automatic weapons. They are not legitimate hunting weapons.

Posted by rchapin38 at 01:11 AM : Sep 25, 2008"

If you truly had all the qualifications you listed, you''d know that automatic weapons are already highly regulated and registered with the ATF.

Also, Barack Obama does plan to limit gun ownership, by instating a purely symbolic and pointless ban on guns that are responsible for less than 1% of gun related crimes.

Simply because you hunt, that doesn''t make you a proponent of the second amendment. The second amendment is not about hunting. People hunted far before the second amendment came along and they will hunt after the second amendment is gone, albeit without guns. True second amendment proponents support all firearms, not just "hunting weapons".

And until Barack gets that through his head, he is unqualified to speak in support of the second amendment. Obama''s support of the second amendment is feigned at best. If Barack truly is a constitutional scholar, he must have ditched class on the day they discussed the second amendment. Or maybe he went to a liberal school.

[jerrion1]

I have seen more than once someone mention the gun bans in the UK have increased crime rates. I dont know where this is info from but crime rates in the UK are falling faster than they ever have. About 50% of "violent crimes%u201D in the UK are made up of verbal threats, harassment or petty arguments which aren%u2019t even recorded in US stats. The other 45% is made up of simple assaults resulting in minor injuries. Only about 5% of violent crime in the UK causes serious injury. The FBI defines %u201CViolent crime %u201Cas composed of four offenses: murder and non-negligent manslaughter, forcible rape, robbery, and aggravated assault. This means that only about 5% of what the UK calls violent crime would be recorded under the FBI definition. In the UK in 2006 they had 46 gun crime deaths; in the US we had around 10,000 yet our population is only 5 times that of the UK. The UK Murder rate was around 765 in 2005 (including the London Bombings) in comparison the US had 16,740 murders 20 times the UK. So basically when you allow for the changes in police recording practices, violent crime turns out to be falling in the UK. The two main sources of crime figures%u2013the police and the British Crime Survey (BCS) both indicate that, allowing for these recording changes, violent crime has fallen since 1998. Stop using the UK as a example for the failure of gun control laws because it%u2019s not, if anything it%u2019s proof that gun control laws reduce crime and save lives.

[brolin_1911a]

The disingenuousness of the Obama position is outrageous. He claims to support the 2nd Amendment, then claim that the Constitution and its amendments can be ignored when a city government feels it''s for a greater good. He talks of hunting and shotguns as though the 2nd Amendment is about sporting goods, not a fundamental right. And where is the mention in this article of his support as an Illinois state senator for a so-called "assault weapons" ban that would have allowed ANY firearm to be banned merely upon a determination of the Attorney General?

Sure, Obama doesn''t need to "push" such legislation if he''s elected President. Hard core antigun Democrats in both chambers have already introduced such legislation. And they can be counted upon to introduce it again. All he need do is sign it and sign it he would. Come on, CBS, quit lying to us as though we are children.

[brolin_1911a]

The disingenuousness of the Obama position is outrageous. He claims to support the 2nd Amendment, then claim that the Constitution and its amendments can be ignored when a city government feels it''s for a greater good. He talks of hunting and shotguns as though the 2nd Amendment is about sporting goods, not a fundamental right. And where is the mention in this article of his support as an Illinois state senator for a so-called "assault weapons" ban that would have allowed ANY firearm to be banned merely upon a determination of the Attorney General?

Sure, Obama doesn''t need to "push" such legislation if he''s elected President. Hard core antigun Democrats in both chambers have already introduced such legislation. And they can be counted upon to introduce it again. All he need do is sign it and sign it he would. Come on, CBS, quit lying to us as though we are children.

[willbill51]

clovisbuford wrote:
"The bottom line is this is just NRA supporting republicans , do they ever support anyone else?"

Yes they do. The NRA has consistently supported Democrats that support our Second Amendment Rights. The problem is that Democratic National Committee has made citizen disarmament a priority.

[Kristen182]

''Nobody Knows Obama''s Record on Guns Better Than I Do,'' says Illinois State Rifle Association Executive Director Richard Pearson

http://www.isra.org/

[bigapplejake]

Don''t be fooled by the American Hunters and Shooters Association endorsement of Barack Obama. A quick check online show that the leaders of that organization are all heavily involved with other organizations such as Handgun Control, Inc. and the Brady Campaign.

[bigapplejake]

Don''t be fooled by the American Hunters and Shooters Association endorsement of Barack Obama. A quick check online show that the leaders of that organization are all heavily involved with other organizations such as Handgun Control, Inc. and the Brady Campaign.

[bigapplejake]

Don''t be fooled by the American Hunters and Shooters Association endorsement of Barack Obama. A quick check online show that the leaders of that organization are all heavily involved with other organizations such as Handgun Control, Inc. and the Brady Campaign.

[rchapin38]

Thanks "thatoneogirl", you are absolutely right in your comment. I sometimes get fed up with NRA drivel and I have say something.

[thatoneogirl]

Okay lets think about all the things that have been talked about at the coffee shop all these mornings for the last several years. It has been that our jobs are gone and that the hiring of illegal workers is helping to drop wages like a rock, that you can''t hardly afford the gas to get to the job you did find two counties over, that your loved ones are sick and can''t get anyone to see them, that the housing prices are shoving people out of town, that our school''s aren''t teaching our kids anything about what they need when they get out and that college is going to be an even bigger financial burden if they do make it there, that our roads, towns, parks, schools, and neighborhoods are falling apart and we can''t get any funding to fix them. Now, on the eve of the election are you seriously going to let the NRA erase all rational political thought and focus entirely on the single minded fearful thought that they are pushing upon you? Think about your jobs, your families, your health, your children''s future, Think about the Trillion Dollar Bailout that''s being talked about for Wall Street, when a Bailout for our own communities has always been considered welfare. Don''t dwell on the one lone thought a single organization is trying to cloud your mind with. We are all so much more complex than that.

[clovisbuford]

The bottom line is this is just NRA supporting republicans , do they ever support anyone else ? They are a subsidiary of the republican party, Considering this as an independent group is like saying Michael Jackson doesnt like kids. You can say it , doesnt mean its reality . How long has it been since the NRA has done anything but support the Washington branch of the Republcian party ? a true advocacy org . would say here is what we support , and why . and here is where our money will go irregardless of party .The NRA has pimped itself to Mr. Dead eye *** cheney etc. NRA feel that breath on your neck? thats you becoming irrelevant .,sponsoring attacks instead of discussion , there is common ground ..but yanno you have to look for it and actively participate

[rchapin38]

Cwazywabt, it is sad that you apparently live in fear all the time. What does that say about our society. Oh, by the way you really can''t equate a Colt revolver with a Glock 9MM--get real.

[clovisbuford]

Obama, in my opinion, is the most dangerous threat to personal liberty that the US has ever seen.
Posted by Gideon_70 at 11:45 PM : Sep 24, 2008
This from a person who has no problem with a president claiming all encompassing powers , a Vice president who says he is neither legislative or executive branch , an administration that says torture is an american value. A party that supports a free market until a company fails . privatised profit , socialized loss.its funny how that works . YOU think a government that is allowed to claim you as enenmy combatant and throw you away forever without a trial even as US citizen is less a threat than legislators saying , "you know most police chiefs and law enforcement support denying Easy access to assult weapons ". I was raised hunting ,had my first 22 and 4/10 at like 10 or 11 but you boys are less about responsible gun ownership than fringe politics .

[rchapin38]

Woodpiggie, you seem to be flailing at windmills. I think you really need to go back to school and study the US Constitution and think about what it says. I dare say that the founding fathers would have had second thoughts when it comes automatic weapons. Also they would have questioned weapons like 9MM Glock etc.
we need to use common sense when it comes to guns. I am a hunter, gun owner and a veteran of 8 years in the US Army. I do not believe that Obama/Biden will take away our guns so you need to get over your paranoia and become an informed voter.

[thatoneogirl]

Alright Puppets Your Strings are Showing!!! All the NRA heads have to do is say boo and ya''ll go jumpin'' like Bambi in November! Grow an actual pair and think for yourselves for a change, the NRA doesn''t care about you or this country, they have their own agenda SURPRISE!!! They don''t care if you get paid a fair wage, you''re family can go to the doctor, or that your kid can actually manage in the real world with the crappy education he''s getting in your hometown. Come On, Don''t fall for their B.S. again.

[thatoneogirl]

Alright Puppets Your Strings are Showing!!! All the NRA heads have to do is say boo and ya''ll go jumpin'' like Bambi in November! Grow an actual pair and think for yourselves for a change, the NRA doesn''t care about you or this country, they have their own agenda SURPRISE!!! They don''t care if you get paid a fair wage, you''re family can go to the doctor, or that your kid can actually manage in the real world with the crappy education he''s getting in your hometown. Come On, Don''t fall for their B.S. again.

[woodpiggie]

The one leathal weapon common to most DC and most other (euphemistically called) "minority" community murders is the illegitimate, welfare raised crackhead,gangbanger thug. If we fail to elect polititions who will pass laws and make judicial appointments aimed squarely at these murdering "mammas", nothing else will matter. Most certainly counterproductive to safer streets in America, is Obama,s inclination to effectively disarm law abiding citizens (Sorry, I forgot,he respects the 2nd ammendment). Actually, his voting record and statements concerning gun ownership suggest that he''d rather see you on the ground, outlined in chalk, than have an effective means of self defense at hand. His gun policies will most assuredly accelerate what is now an incrimental advance toward 3rd world standards in many crime ridden cities.I think it''s alerady too late for political reasons (look at the Democrat power base),but if we were to get these killers off of American streets, gun ownership won''t be much of an issue. Obviously, Obama''s judicial appointments will be disasterous for public safety....and occordingly, race relations.

[woodpiggie]

Obama is the last thing we need in the presidency or anywhere in government for that matter. He''s a proven lying sleezebag and his wife is a flake. Don''t 20 years of afiliation with, and financial support for a hate mongering preacher and long term friendship with a domestic terrorist couple say enough about his philosophical orientation and his character?
I see in his past affiliations, statements and voting record much reason to fear that an Obama adminstration agenda for America would entail a radical shift to the left enabled by the agenda driven judges that he will most certainly push through a Democrat congress. Accepting comprimise of our constitutional rights, beginning but not ending with 1st and 2nd ammendments,(fairness doctrine and "gun safety" legislation,respectively) will become the new patriotism. His brand of "HOPE" when subjected to scrutiny is "DOPE" for a depenadnt, and ultimately deprived people. Dr. King''s dream could well become a bloody nightmare as the people, particularly whites who were intoxicated by his flamboyant immatation of substance awaken.