In an interview with Reuters, the head of the federal affairs division at the National Rifle Association’s Institute for Legislative Action acknowledged that a controversial ad released by the NRA earlier this month — which referenced President Obama’s daughters — was “ill-advised.”
“I don’t think it was particularly helpful, that ad,” Jim Baker said. “I thought it ill-advised.”
“I think the ad could have made a good point, if it talked about the need for increased school security, without making the point using the president’s children,” he said. The NRA has advocated putting armed guards in schools
Baker was the NRA’s representative at a meeting with Vice President Joseph Biden on January 10 to discuss the administration’s plans to reduce gun violence in the wake of the school shooting.
He said he was not involved in creating the ad, and once it appeared, he had let others at the NRA know what he thought. “I got to say my piece,” he said.
Baker gave no details of the their response to him, but said, “Believe it or not, there are occasionally differences of opinion in this building.”