Sen. Joe Manchin (D-WV) shot back at a National Rifle Association ad in which the gun industry lobby slammed him for being on the same side as President Obama and New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg on background checks for gun purchases.
“The Washington NRA could spend one hundred million dollars on ads against me; it still won’t make what they say true,” Manchin said in a statement provided to TPM. “If they were honest with their members they would see that my bill not only protects 2nd Amendment rights, it enhances and strengthens them.”
“Unfortunately, the NRA leadership in Washington has lost its way and is more concerned about political power than gun rights and gun safety,” he said. “I am the same proud gun owner and NRA member that I have always been and I believe that criminal and mental background checks are a commonsense approach to protect our neighbors and children without infringing on our 2nd Amendment rights. I think most NRA members agree with me.”
