NRA officials announce endorsement of Bush

This area was chosen because many NRA members and gun owners are here.
By DAVID SKOLNICK
and PEGGY SINKOVICH
VINDICATOR STAFF WRITERS
HOWLAND -- The National Rifle Association's political organization announced today it is supporting the re-election of President Bush.
The NRA's Political Victory Fund issued a press release this morning on the endorsement, and was to hold a press conference later today at the Avalon Inn. Officials with the NRA also were to hold similar press conferences today in Duluth, Minn.; Flint, Mich., and Pittsburgh.
"We chose [the Mahoning Valley] to make the announcement because there are a lot of gun owners and NRA members in this area, and we thought it would be especially relevant to them," said Kelly Hobbs, a spokeswoman for organization.
The NRA endorsed Bush in the 2000 presidential election.
In the press release, Wayne LaPierre, NRA executive vice president, said: "NRA stands with President George W. Bush on Nov. 2. If you believe in freedom and want to preserve the Second Amendment for future generations, vote to re-elect President Bush and Vice President Cheney."
LaPierre said Bush and Cheney both love to hunt and fish.
"They know the Constitution gives people the personal right to bear arms," he said. "And they want to pass the values of our nation on to a new generation. & quot;
Helped defeat Gore
NRA Chief Lobbyist Chris W. Cox said NRA members helped defeat Democrat Al Gore in 2000, and will do the same with John Kerry, the Democratic presidential nominee, next month.
"John Kerry and John Edwards are the most anti-gun presidential team in our country's history," he said.
Brendon Cull, spokesman for the Ohio Democratic Coordinated Campaign, said Kerry has been an avid hunter and sportsman since he was a child, and a strong supporter of the Second Amendment.
"He has long supported hunters' and sportsmen's rights," Cull said. "This is election-year rhetoric. There are a great number of NRA members who are supporting John Kerry."
Established in 1871, the NRA is America's oldest civil-rights and sportsmen's group, and has about 4 million members.
Craig Bonar, chairman of the Trumbull County Republican Party, said he was pleased by the announcement.
"We would have been disappointed if they didn't," Bonar said.