Romney courts gun-rights group in presidential bid

[Omaha Steve]

Source: AP-Excite

DAVID A. LIEB

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. (AP) - Running for the Senate in Massachusetts, Mitt Romney once assured voters in a state with strong gun-control laws: "I don't line up with the NRA." Now the likely Republican presidential nominee, Romney will headline the National Rifle Association's annual convention Friday and assure tens of thousands of gun-rights activists that he's squarely on their side.

Coming just days after rival Rick Santorum dropped out of the nomination race, the NRA convention in St. Louis provides Romney an opportunity to shore up his credentials with an important conservative constituency that badly wants to oust Democratic President Barack Obama.

Romney leads a list of prominent Republicans - including Santorum, Newt Gingrich, House Majority Leader Eric Cantor and Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker - who are scheduled to address more than 65,000 convention registrants during a session billed as a "celebration of American values." Although Obama has virtually ignored gun issues during his term, the NRA considers him a foe and plans to mount an aggressive effort against him.

The NRA has spent $20 million to $30 million in past presidential elections, said NRA spokesman Andrew Arulanandam. It hopes to exceed that amount this year in an effort that is likely to include mail, phone calls and TV, radio, Internet and newspaper ads, he said.


Read more: http://apnews.excite.com/article/20120412/D9U3LCSG1.html

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Republican presidential candidate, former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney, speaks to a crowd during a campaign event, in Warwick, R.I., Wednesday, April 11, 2012. (AP Photo/Steven Senne)

[primavera]

1. Why would the NRA consider Obama "a foe"?

He hasn't done anything to restrict access to guns that I know of.

[MidwestTransplant]

2. Because the NRA isn't a gun rights organization anymore, it's an arm of the Republican party.

[msongs]

3. because he is...you know.. at least partly black. its what drove gun sales thru the roof nt

[Hoyt]

4. Exactly. Yet we coddle these right wingers.

[primavera]

5. Sounds like he ought to be their best friend then

What better way to galvanize their base than to sell them on the notion that a black man in office necessitates every man, woman, and child having their own uzi?

[Flatulo]

11. I think it's more an anti-Dem thing than an anti-O thing. During the Clinton years

Gun sales broke all kinds of records.

[mr_liberal]

12. Supreme Court. nm

[AtheistCrusader]

15. Several reasons:

1. Change.Gov included a line about re-instating the AWB, during the last campaign. That's a non-starter with the NRA.
2. Blocked importation of surplus M1's and M14's that we lent to South Korea.
3. Issued a rule requiring that surplus or spent military brass be shredded, rather than sold to the reloading market, which would have massively driven up ammo prices. (Edit: This was rescinded after much public outcry)


On the flipside, confirmation bias prevents them from acknowledging his positives, such as signing the National Parks carry bill.

Where this will get interesting is, Romney signed an AWB in MA, and has spoken out many times publicly in support of it. So he can't even pretend that he was steamrolled by the legislature. So while Obama's site talked about it, and he never actually did it, Romney DID do it, and the NRA knows it.

Be interesting to see if the NRA's leadership overrules the dissent and embraces Romney. It would be strong confirmation of the NRA's entanglement with Republicans, if so. (And the NRA will shed members if it does)

[Iliyah]

6. The NRA loves Pres O

under his administration their profits are sky high. Why because guns rights has taken the place of pro-life, go figure. What better way to keep their profits up if they can't have Pres O as the DEVIL.

[Becka2515]

13. I didnt know

I didnt know the NRA sold guns

[groundloop]

16. You don't believe gun manufacturers are deepley intertwined with the NRA?

It's in both of their self interests to make as much noise as possible when there's a Democrat in the White House. Drives up membership numbers, drives up gun sales. They all win.

[unkachuck]

7. "...the NRA considers him a foe..."

"Although Obama has virtually ignored gun issues during his term, the NRA considers him a foe and plans to mount an aggressive effort against him."

....maybe they racially profile presidential candidates?

[primavera]

14. LOL!

Obama had better not wear a hoodie!

[Major Hogwash]

8. On Friday the 13th!!

Hahahahahaha!!!!!!!!!!

Good luck with that!!!

[Jamaal510]

10. Drum roll, please!

[IMG][/IMG]