LOUISVILLE, KY. — Sen. John McCain, working to mend a frayed relationship with some of the Republican Party's most dedicated foot soldiers, went to the National Rifle Assn.'s annual conference here Friday to assure wary members he is a friend of the 2nd Amendment.
The Arizona senator and presumptive GOP presidential nominee may still have some work to do.
McCain, who asked to speak to the group despite past battles with the organization over restrictions on gun shows, drew a warm reception for his attacks on Democratic candidates Barack Obama and Hillary Rodham Clinton.
"They claim to support hunters and gun owners," McCain said. "But just because they don't talk about gun control doesn't mean they won't support gun control. Let's be clear. If either Sen. Clinton or Sen. Obama is elected president, the rights of law-abiding gun owners will be at risk."
But even the encomiums of McCain's former GOP presidential rivals and other Republican elected officials could not dispel the suspicions of many gun enthusiasts.
"He's the lesser evil," said one young self-described "gunnie" from the Memphis area who blogs at squeakywheelseeksgrease.com. "But I'm still looking for the right candidate. . . . I'm not thrilled at all with John McCain." Many bloggers who write about gun issues use pseudonyms because of the controversial nature of the debate.
Grover Norquist, president of Americans for Tax Reform and a conservative strategist who sits on the NRA board, predicted the organization would probably not endorse McCain, though he said most members would almost certainly vote Republican.
Larry Pratt, executive director of Gun Owners of America, said many of his members would probably reject both McCain and Obama in November. "They may not have a big enough barf bag to vote for president," he said.
Many gun rights advocates are still enraged that McCain supports efforts to close the so-called gun show loophole, which allows people who buy guns from unlicensed dealers at gun shows to avoid criminal background checks required during gun sales from licensed dealers. In 2000, when Oregon and Colorado voters were considering ballot measures on the issue, McCain appeared in a television ad, saying the loophole allowed felons to buy guns later used in crimes.
In his quest for the presidency, McCain has worked to mend fences with gun rights groups. He joined more than 300 lawmakers who signed a brief supporting a challenge to Washington, D.C.'s handgun ban, which the U.S. Supreme Court is set to rule on.
