Your Family-Friendly NRA

The CBS News Political Unit is tracking the latest campaign commercials. Jane Ruvelson analyzes a new ad from the National Rifle Association (NRA) aiming to sport a kinder, gentler image for that group as the Million Mom March for more gun control approaches.

The Ad:

The week before the Million Mom March in Washington, D.C. and 63 other cities, the National Rifle Association (NRA) has released two commercials touting its Safe Kids Fund. Both 60-second spots - which are airing nationally - feature two actors-turned-NRA types: Charlton Heston, the Association's president; and Susan Howard, an NRA board member and a former star on the TV show Dallas.

Audio:

Howard: Can we talk woman to woman? You see, this week you're gonna hear lots of disagreement about gun politics. But we can all agree on gun safety. We all want safe kids. And the NRA knows how to make kids safe. You see, we've taught millions of kids gun safety, more than everyone else combined. But every kid in every school deserves gun safety education. And together, we can make that happen.

Heston: We're putting up the first one million dollars to put gun safety education in every classroom in America - ours or an equivalent program.

Howard: That's a million NRA moms, challenging a million more moms just like you to put up just a dollar each, to give every kid in America gun safety education that saves lives.

Heston: And we've put up the first million dollars to do it.

Howard: We can all make arguments. Or we can make a difference.

Heston: This week, let's put politics aside.

Howard: Let's put safe kids first.

Visual:

Howard and Heston each address the camera directly. An NRA logo perched in the corner of the screen disappears when the 1-800 number for the Safe Kids Fund is displayed.

Fact Check:

Though the NRA does offer (and publicize) a gun safety program, gun control proponents believe the NRA's youth safety courses are ineffectual in preventing most gun accidents. In fact, a spokesperson for Handgun Control, the largest gun control lobbying organization in the country, argues that the NRA safety courses actually glamorize gun use.

The Strategy:

With hundreds of thousands of gun control supporters hitting the streets this Mother's Day, the NRA's ad campaign is a preemptive strike to shield itself from attack. This ad exemplifies the NRA's attempt to present itself as a proactive player for gun safety in the political debate over guns. Sarah Brady, head of Handgun Control, calls the NRA's commercials "little more than a publicity stunt" intended to distract the public, presumably from the massive amount of publicity their Million Mom March will receive.

This weekend's march will focus on gun control legislation that has stalled in Congress for more than 10 onths. Though the Senate and House have reached agreed on trigger locks, high capacity ammunition magazines, and semiautomatic weapons, they remain at odds over gun show background checks. The NRA hopes its Safe Kids Fund ads will muddy the waters on gun safety and prevent this legislation from passing.