Yes, the NRA leaders put their economic interests before the economic interests of America’s gun owners.
As widely reported, this year, the NRA is spending $40 million to defeat Barack Obama. But why? Obama isn’t a threat to anyone’s gun. But, John McCain is a threat to the economic future of most Americans.
The leaders of the NRA are very well paid – as are their legions of consultants. In the book, Ricochet: Confessions of a Gun Lobbyist, Richard Feldman documents the excessive salaries and cushy lifestyles of the NRA elite--they’re doing very well for themselves, trust me.
In contrast, most Americans aren’t.
I said that in the radio ad I did for the Obama campaign, which was running in battleground states. This year is different. In June, the Supreme Court made it crystal clear that our gun rights are finally protected by the United States Constitution.
Now, we need to protect our jobs, our environment, and our future. Don’t expect any help from the current NRA leadership with any of that. They’re only putting their interests first. If the NRA cared about gun owners, they’d be honest about the great victory for gun owners in the D.C. gun ban decision -- but they aren’t. They're ignoring that case and playing their same old political games.
That’s why I was so happy to see earlier this week that the United Mine Workers are fighting back. They get it:
Union leaders say a National Rifle Association film crew tried to coerce West Virginia miners into bad-mouthing Presidential hopeful Barack Obama on camera, and that the union plans a brief work stoppage in protest.
The United Mine Workers will call for the stoppage at Consol's Blacksville No. 2 mine next week, union President Cecil Roberts said Monday at a news conference with representatives of Obama's West Virginia campaign in Charleston.
Roberts said the union, which has endorsed Democrat Obama for president, is unhappy that Consol allowed the camera crew to ask miners leading questions about the candidate such as: "What do you think about losing your Second Amendment rights?"
"This, I think, is an attempt to try to twist the facts here," he said. "We're just hoping people aren't misled."
The NRA is spending millions to mislead people. Three independent sources-- FactCheck.org, CNNand the Washington Post, have found the NRA’s ads misleading and false. The NRA is an embarrassment to the gun owners.
From his penthouse office to the private jets and the huge salary, the NRA’s top honcho, Wayne LaPierre, lives very well. Wayne also has the luxury of spending millions from his members on lies in order to keep his job secure. But, gun owners can’t let those NRA lies cost them their jobs. Not this time.
I’m committed to getting this message out. Last week, I was in Southern Ohio campaigning for the Obama/Biden ticket. I’ll be on the road campaigning for Obama over the next couple days in Colorado and New Mexico. Gun owners can’t afford to be fooled this year. And, we won’t be.