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NRA hits former ally Manchin with new ads on gun control fight - The Hill's Blog Briefing Room

by Daniel Strauss

By Daniel Strauss - 06/12/13 07:10 PM ET

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The National Rifle Association is targeting Sen. Joe Manchin (D-W.Va.) with new ads urging him not to help President Obama and New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg (I) pass new gun restrictions.

The NRA is spending $100,000 on TV ads set to air for two weeks in West Virginia on local broadcasts.

One of the new NRA ads begins with a clip of a 2010 Manchin Senate campaign ad where he says "as your senator I'll protect your second amendment rights."

"That was Joe Manchin's commitment," a voiceover in one of the ads says. 

"But now, Manchin is working with President Obama and New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg. Concerned? You should be. Tell Sen. Manchin to honor his commitment to the Second Amendment and reject the Obama-Bloomberg gun control agenda."

The ad contrasts Manchin's current relationship with the NRA to the one he had with the lobby group before he and Sen. Pat Toomey (R-Pa.) introduced a proposal to expand background checks to include sales at gun shows and over the Internet. 

Manchin had earlier received an "A" rating on gun rights from the NRA, but is now facing the group's ire.

The NRA's advertising come as Bloomberg urges wealthy Democrats to stop donating money to four Senate Democrats who voted to block expanding background checks for gun sales.  

Those Democrats are Sens. Mark Pryor (Ark.), Max Baucus (Mont.), Mark Begich (Alaska) and Heidi Heitkamp (N.D.).

Even though the proposal by Manchin and Toomey failed to win the 60 votes needed to overcome a Senate filibuster, Manchin has recently expressed hope that the Senate would try again to pass legislation expanding background checks.

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NRA hits former ally Manchin with new ads on gun control fight - The Hill's Blog Briefing Room
http://thehill.com/blogs/blog-briefing-room/news/305231-nra-targets-joe-manchin-with-new-ads

John Hames