"This story comes at the absolute worst possible time for Bush," says TIME Washington correspondent Karen Tumulty. "He's been trying to reposition himself in the center after a bruising primary season that pushed him further to the right than be might have liked." Even if voters are able to shake off the image of NRA executive vice president Wayne LaPierre setting up shop in the Oval Office, many Americans — increasingly in favor of gun control in the wake of Columbine and similar incidents — may not be entirely comfortable with the idea of an NRA so confident in its standing in a Bush presidency. And when voters consider that the next president could be responsible for replacing a number of Supreme Court Justices, the implication that Bush would be unwilling to change the status quo on guns may become even less palatable. Feeling the heat over the boast, a Bush campaign spokesman was quick to deny that their man is close to the NRA, telling the Post, "Neither the NRA or any other special interest sets the governor's agenda." But, says Tumulty, managers will have their work cut out for them keeping the NRA and its supporters at a respectable distance without offending their sensibilities or sealing off their bank accounts.
Why the NRA Is Making George W. Bush Blush
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As long as George W. Bush has friends like these, it would appear that Al Gore can take a nice, long vacation until November. Much to chagrin of Bush's campaign, the National Rifle Association, according to a report in the Washington Post, has been boasting about its "unbelievably friendly relations" with the Texas governor. In a video obtained by the Post of a Los Angeles branch meeting in February, NRA vice president Kayne Robinson, who is widely expected to take over the top job from Charlton Heston, tells the audience that "the NRA will have... a President where we work out of their office" if Bush wins in the fall.