Louisville Courier-Journal: McCain Courts NRA
He attacks Democratic rival's stance on talks with enemies

By Joseph Gerth, Louisville Courier-Journal
May 19, 2008

Article Excerpts:

Sen. John McCain used his speech to the National Rifle Association convention in Louisville yesterday to criticize Sen. Barack Obama, his likely opponent in the presidential race, for taking the position that the United States should talk with its enemies.

"The American people have every reason to doubt whether he has the strength, judgment and determination to keep us safe," McCain, the presumptive Republican presidential nominee, told 6,500 people at the Kentucky Exposition Center.

Obama, the front-runner for the Democratic nomination, took issue yesterday with remarks made by President Bush a day earlier in a speech to the Israeli parliament -- remarks that some perceived as an attack on Obama, though he was not mentioned by name.

Bush said that "some seem to believe that we should negotiate with the terrorists and radicals, as if some ingenious argument will persuade them they have been wrong all along."

Obama has said that as president he would agree to meetings with the leaders of rogue states such as North Korea and Iran without preconditions. However, the Illinois senator also has said he would insist on certain groundwork being laid before meetings took place . . .

In Louisville, McCain departed from his scripted remarks to respond to Obama's statement.

"It is reckless to suggest that unconditional meetings will advance our interests," the Arizona senator said. . . .

For its part, the McCain campaign focused its response on Iran.

Campaign spokesman Tucker Bounds said Obama "has pledged to unconditionally meet with Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad -- who pledges to wipe Israel off the map, denies the Holocaust, sponsors terrorists, arms America's enemies in Iraq and pursues nuclear weapons."

Courting the NRA

In his appearance in Louisville yesterday, McCain spent most of his 22-minute speech courting the NRA vote in November and smoothing over past differences with the nation's largest gun-rights lobby.

He said that even though he still favors closing a "gun show loophole" allowing the sale of some firearms at such events without background checks, he is more in line with the NRA's positions than Obama or Sen. Hillary Clinton, the other Democratic presidential hopeful.

Obama and Clinton will face off Tuesday in Kentucky's primary election, with Clinton expected to win easily. McCain long ago clinched the Republican nomination.

"Those disagreements do not detract from my long record of support for the Second Amendment (guaranteeing the right to bear arms) and the work we have done together to protect the rights of gun owners," McCain told 6,500 in the fairgrounds' South Hall and another 2,000 watching on closed-circuit TV.

McCain was the keynote speaker at the event, in which speaker after speaker hammered Obama -- and to a lesser degree, Clinton -- for their positions on guns. Neither Obama nor Clinton was invited.

One of the few allies Obama had was Kentucky Lt. Gov. Daniel Mongiardo, who didn't mention the presidential race in his remarks to the convention.

Karl Rove, Bush's former political adviser, listed positions Obama has taken over the years that he said go against the beliefs of gun owners.

"Make no mistakes about it, the stakes are very, very high when it comes to the Second Amendment in this election," Rove said.

Democrats attacked

Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., who was awarded the NRA's Defender of the Constitution Award, mocked Clinton's statements that she supports the Second Amendment. And he highlighted Obama's recent statement that some people get "bitter" over their economic circumstances and "cling to guns or religion."

Someone who says that "doesn't say it because he misspoke," McConnell said. "He says it because it's what he really believes."

McCain noted that both Obama and Clinton support banning some weapons and favor legislation that would allow people injured by guns to sue gun and ammunition manufacturers.

"They claim to support hunters and gun owners," he said. "But just because they don't talk about gun control doesn't mean they won't support gun control. Let's be clear. If either . . . is elected president, the rights of law-abiding gun owners will be at risk."

William Stanczyk, of Niles, Mich., said that he was pleased with McCain's speech and that areas where the senator differs with the NRA don't bother him.

"He said he supports instant background checks (at gun shows). I support them too," Stanczyk said. "I want to know that bad people who are trying to get guns will be stopped."

Howard Nagel, of Crossville, Tenn., agreed, saying, "I think it's a very moderate approach."

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