Tuesday, September 15, 2009
NRA throws support to McDonnell
The group once endorsed Deeds, before he supported closing the "gun show loophole."
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RICHMOND -- The National Rifle Association endorsed Republican Bob McDonnell's candidacy for governor Monday, four years after backing his Democratic opponent in the pair's first statewide race for attorney general.
The NRA's support in McDonnell's rematch against Creigh Deeds fortifies the Republican's efforts to build support in rural areas, particularly with conservative-leaning voters who feel strongly about gun rights. The organization, which has 120,000 Virginia members, backed Deeds over McDonnell in their 2005 race.
But Deeds, a state senator from Bath County, fell out of favor with the NRA by supporting legislation that would require criminal background checks for private firearms transactions at gun shows. Deeds changed his position on the issue after the 2007 shootings at Virginia Tech and has said his decision was influenced by victims' families who advocated for the legislation.
The bill failed in the state Senate this year, but Deeds' support for it doomed his chances of getting the NRA's endorsement in the governor's race.
Chris Cox, chairman of the NRA's Political Victory Fund, said "a lot's changed" since the 2005 election.
"Two things that haven't changed are the National Rifle Association and Bob McDonnell," Cox said in a conference call with reporters. "The one thing that did change was Creigh Deeds. I got to be honest with you. Gun owners were shocked and disappointed when Creigh flip-flopped and voted for arbitrary and unnecessary restrictions on Virginia gun shows, and certainly that played into our decision-making."
Deeds' campaign attributed the NRA's move to the Democrat's support for closing the so-called "gun show loophole."
Gov. Tim Kaine pushed for the legislation after the Virginia Tech shootings, even though gunman Seung-Hui Cho did not purchase his firearms from gun shows. The legislation would have required the same background checks for private sales as those performed by licensed dealers, closing off another avenue for gun buyers to avoid background checks. Deeds pushed through amendments that exempted buyers with concealed carry permits and antique weapons sales, but the bill still failed.
"While it appears that his work on closing the gun show loophole following the Virginia Tech tragedy may have lost him this endorsement, Creigh looks forward to working with the NRA as governor to continue to protect our Second Amendment rights," Deeds spokesman Jared Leopold said.
Cox said McDonnell earned the NRA's support by being "steadfast and forthright in his support of gun rights and has gone really above and beyond the call of duty."
Cox noted that McDonnell was one of 31 state attorneys general that urged the U.S. Supreme Court to overturn the District of Columbia's handgun ban and affirm that the Second Amendment is an individual right. McDonnell also played a role in ending unauthorized "straw purchases" of firearms by agents for New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg, who has argued that illegal gun sales in Virginia contribute to violent crime in New York.
"Mayor Bloomberg needed to be reminded that New York City mayors have no jurisdiction in the commonwealth of Virginia," Cox said.
McDonnell, who built his political base in Virginia Beach, said the NRA endorsement is "a huge plus" in his efforts to connect with rural voters. The Republican already had been endorsed by the Virginia Farm Bureau's political action committee.
McDonnell downplayed the significance of the NRA endorsement when it went to Deeds in 2005, arguing that little separated the candidates on gun rights issues.
Deeds earned high ratings from the NRA throughout his 18-year legislative career. He sponsored a state constitutional amendment to guarantee hunting and fishing rights and he opposed landmark legislation passed in 1993 that limits handgun purchases to one per month. McDonnell, then a member of the House of Delegates, voted for the handgun limit, a signature initiative of Democratic Gov. Doug Wilder. McDonnell now says he supports repealing the law.
Deeds can overcome the NRA's endorsement by reminding voters of his long history of supporting gun rights, said Dave "Mudcat" Saunders of Roanoke County. Saunders helped Democrat Mark Warner make inroads with sportsmen in the 2001 governor's race.
"It depends on what Creigh does," Saunders said. "If Creigh fights back against it and says, 'Wait a minute,' I think it [the endorsement] will be negligible."
Deeds on Monday gained the endorsement of the Virginia Professional Fire Fighters, which represents 6,500 paid firefighters and paramedics throughout the state.
