Think Progress

Flashback: McCain once sought to push the NRA out of the GOP.

In Louisville, KY today, Sen. John McCain (R-AZ) will address nearly 60,000 gun enthusiasts at the annual National Rifle Association convention. McCain requested the speaking spot, but, as Cliff Schecter points out, McCain once said the NRA shouldn’t be embraced by the Republican Party:

The NRA is entitled to their advocacy. I don’t think they help the Republican Party at all, but I don’t think they should in any way play a major role in the Republican Party’s policy making. [CNN, 5/12/00]

Watch it:

U.S. News and World Report notes that McCain is expected to flip-flop on his position regarding the closing of the gun show loophole.

Update On his campaign bus today, McCain said he looks "forward to receiving their endorsement."


32 Responses to “Flashback: McCain once sought to push the NRA out of the GOP.”

  1. Exit Stage Left says:

    McCorpse’s flip flop du joir. Hell, it’s early. Perhaps he can be multi-flipflopsmic today :)!


  2. Badmoodman says:

    One of these days, McCain is going to lavish praise on the “room service” he experienced at the Hanoi Hilton.


  3. Exit Stage Left says:

  4. Exit Stage Left says:

    oops..fingers aren’t working today…du jour


  5. Exit Stage Left says:

    Badmoodman Says:
    One of these days, McCain is going to lavish praise on the “room service” he experienced at the Hanoi Hilton.

    I bet he was a big tipper too.


  6. Briseadh na Faire says:

    Well, ya know, given the direction that Republicans have taken this country, it may well be Democrats and Independents who end up embracing the NRA!


  7. fleetadmiralj says:

    Flip-flop John is back for more.


  8. Bobwurst says:

    Guido the Loving OBGYN Says:

    Guns are the very first thing my Republican friends bring up when Democrat bashing. Always the first.

    Of course they do. Guns are the first thing their republican leaders think of in any arugment. “Talk to our enemies? Hell no, let’s just shoot em!” This is the bush foriegn policy, in a nutshell. This is the bush domestic policy as well, why use logic and reason when you can use force?


  9. scytherius says:

    The general elections season is gonna be SO much fun.


  10. McWars says:

    The Republican morale this year is low (or is it?). 70% percent of eligible republican voters would rather fondle Rush Limbaugh than vote for John McCain.


  11. Freedom Rebel says:

    I don’t think the Founding Fathers had in mind what has been warped and misrepresented about guns.

    The right to bear arms, was about families protecting themselves against attacks in the frontier. They didn’t have police that patrolled or phones to call 911 in case of an intruder.

    I’m sorry but there is no way in hell that anyone needs an automatic weapon to go deer hunting or protect themselves during a home invasion. They can preach all they want but too many children have died because someone had a gun in the house that wasn’t secured well.

    I understand hunting for food, my grandfather did that to feed his 12 children. He went deer hunting twice a year. There was no way you could break into his cabinet, without using an axe.

    They should limit guns and the type of guns that are sold.


  12. McWars says:

    Bobwurst, is that a book? Let’s shoot that too!


  13. StratRat says:

    They should limit guns and the type of guns that are sold.

    We should fear our government and have an independant way to protect ourselves and our families. The government is the enemy of democracy and the founding fathers understood this. It would be terrible for the government to tell you or I what type of weapon we feel most comfortable using to protect ourselves. What if they limited your choices to BB guns? After all, you do have a weapon, right? The enemy has the built in incentive to limit your choices and your freedoms. Once taken away, they will rarely be given back. This is another ‘emotional’ issue which is brought out at particular times, for particular reasons. As we move to a more facist and ‘kept’ society, you will see how our need to bear arms is essential to keeping our government at bay.


  14. The Dogfather says:

    It might make more sense for us to start paying attention to issues on which Flippy McSame hasn’t flipped or flopped — I’d wager there’s far fewer of them kinda things, my friends…


  15. Leftside Annie says:

    Dayum! He was AGAINST the NRA before he was FOR ‘em??

    .

    Who knew??


  16. The Dogfather says:

    McSame: “What’s all this I hear about arming bears? Why should we give bears guns? I mean, do we want a world full of terrist bears, my friends? I don’t think this country should support the right to arm bears!”

    Chevy Chase: “Ummm…Mr. McSame? That’s ‘the right to bear arms’, not arm bears.”

    McSame: “Oh — that’s different. NEVER MIND!”

    Chevy Chase: “Obviously he’s lost his bearings again…”


  17. Buckie Boy says:

    Grampy McSame says – My friends, back in the day we all had guns, lots of guns, why we would give guns as baby shower gifts, yep, even babies had guns back then, we didn’t have a problem with people shooting each other, heck no, it was fun dodging all those bullets, my gun was made of liquorish, and I would sometimes nibble on it, just put the barrel in my mouth and chew, those were the days…I hope that is peach cobbler that I just sat in.

    Grampy make sure the gun barrel you’re chewing on today is liquorish.


  18. Leftside Annie says:

    Anybody catch the sly little scene in “Boston Legal” where potential-presidential-candidate Denny Crane was asked about the NRA – and he started flipping guns out from *everywhere* and thumping ‘em down on the table…?

    Priceless. Heheheh! Perhaps McSnore should take his cue from Denny. ;o)


  19. McWars says:

    Good storytelling, Buckie. Next time I’ll bring the marshmellows and everyone will gather around the fire.


  20. ForTruth says:

    The only thing that keeps our insane government from removing more rights, is that they know our insane population is full of guns. I personally don’t own one.


  21. Fritz says:

    McWars Says:

    Bobwurst, is that a book? Let’s shoot that too!

    Nah, just burn it.


  22. HighPlainsJoker says:

    StratRat Says:
    They should limit guns and the type of guns that are sold.

    We should fear our government and have an independant way to protect ourselves and our families. The government is the enemy of democracy and the founding fathers understood this. It would be terrible for the government to tell you or I what type of weapon we feel most comfortable using to protect ourselves. What if they limited your choices to BB guns? After all, you do have a weapon, right? The enemy has the built in incentive to limit your choices and your freedoms. Once taken away, they will rarely be given back. This is another ‘emotional’ issue which is brought out at particular times, for particular reasons. As we move to a more facist and ‘kept’ society, you will see how our need to bear arms is essential to keeping our government at bay.

    I would like to believe what you say here, but its just silly. The govt has tanks, APCs, Strykers, rockets, machine guns, airplaines, helicopters, ad infinitum. So, you are going to preserve our freedoms with handguns? Are you aware that Bush has appropriated the state national guards from the state governors by eliminating the posse comitatus Constitutional provision through the Patriot Act? That should really bother you. It bothers me, and I drum on my congress people to get it back.

    You know what we really need to preserve our freedoms? First, a free and aggressive and intelligent and responsible press.


  23. impeachcheneythenbush says:

    #17 Stratrat – while I agree with you that we may, indeed, need to be armed in order to protect ourselves against our own government, I find it hard to visualize a citizenry adequately trained in using automatic weapons and other military- level weapons, or in the numbers of citizens that would be needed to do so. These aren’t the Revolutionary War days…they didn’t have to deal with helicopter gun ships, jet bombers, spy satellites, etc.


  24. upside99 says:

    The Dems better spend some quality time tracking Johnnie Boy’s multiple views on all these issues, so they can articulate this in clear form to the public during the campaign.

    Only problem is, it may take a very large data base and a super computer to track this data.


  25. RUCerious says:

    McIIIrd:

    I firmly believe that the National RipeOld Association is a friend, my friends, of the Repuglycan parties.

    What’s that Joe? Rifles? Huh? They’ve got a clubby thing? Well, my friends, I’ve always been a bullet friend, and …. er… Joe, what do I say now?


  26. dbadass says:

    ToddMcLauchlin Says:
    ——————————————————————————–

    Whats wrong with the NRA?


    What’s right about the NRA. Outside of a little target shooting and some hunting why does this have to be such an influential lobby? I can’t buy a bong but I can load up on all the firearms I wish just cause some dudes get boners over guns? Whatever. I myself don’t wish to belong to a well armed militia.


  27. Alejandro says:

    How ironic someone named “Freedom Rebel” would say something like:

    The right to bear arms was about families protecting themselves against attacks in the frontier. They didn’t have police that patrolled or phones to call 911 in case of an intruder.

    In the case of an intruder, call 911, and how long does it take the cops to show up? That is if they call at all.

    ttp://www.parentdish.com/2006/04/09/mother-dies-when-911-call-goes-unanswered/
    http://www.wavy.com/Global/story.asp?S=8312513

    In many municipalities, the police are unreliable these days. And so is 911.

    You have the inherent right to protect yourself using firearms.

    They should limit guns and the type of guns that are sold.

    Who decides for everyone who gets a gun and who doesn’t?

    As George W. Bush would say “God, I love freedom.”


  28. dbadass says:

    Why do I not have an inherent right to protect myself with weaponized anthrax, a suitcase nuke, or a simple switchblade. What is it about the bang bang that gets you guys off? Is it that dick thing?


  29. specialist f says:

    As George W. Bush would say “God, I love freedom.”

    If you are going to channel shrub at least use some of his better quotes:

    “A dictatorship would be easier…if’n I were the dick-tator”.

    “Stop throwing the Constitution in my face,” It’s just a goddamned piece of paper!”

    “Nope no weapons under there, HAR-HAR”

    “Is our children learning” :)


  30. Wayne says:

    specialist f Says:

    As George W. Bush would say “God, I love freedom.”

    If you are going to channel shrub at least use some of his better quotes:

    “A dictatorship would be easier…if’n I were the dick-tator”.

    “Stop throwing the Constitution in my face,” It’s just a goddamned piece of paper!”

    “Nope no weapons under there, HAR-HAR”

    “Is our children learning” :)

    “Makes sense to me, don’t it?” – Bush 6/6/06


  31. theswan says:

    McCain will be glad to get any indorcement. Too bad he has to rely on guns and weapons to get them.


  32. darter22 says:

    The election is still months away. McCain still has plenty of time to flipflop again.



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