The three articles below came from the Drudge Report. The first reports that Kerry received a shotgun as a gift, a shotgun that would have been banned under a law that Kerry authored, but which failed to pass the Senate. The second article is the Kerry campaign's rebuttal to the Drudge report. The third article is from the National Shooting Sports Foundation with an interview with the president of the the company that made the shotgun. Fact - Lie - Truth
XXXXX DRUDGE REPORT XXXXX TUE SEPT 07, 2004 11:46:05 ET XXXXX
KERRY COSPONSORED BILL BANNING GUN HE WAVES
Was Dem presidential hopeful John Kerry seen this weekend waving a gun which would have been banned if legislation he co-sponsored became law?
Kerry co-sponsored S. 1431 last year (“The Assault Weapons Ban and Law Enforcement Protection Act of 2003) which would have banned a "semiautomatic shotgun that has a pistol grip.”
Opponents of the bill successfully argued how nearly all guns have "pistol grips," inluding millions of Browning Auto-5 shotguns produced since 1903.
Photos show Kerry's hand resting on the "pistol grip," as loosely defined in the bill. [Section SEC. 2; (H) (ii) and (b)(42): "The term 'pistol grip' means a grip, a thumbhole stock, or any other characteristic that can function as a grip."]
Kerry was presented with the semiautomatic shotgun during a Labor Day stop in Racine, West Virginia.
"I thank you for the gift, but I can't take it to the debate with me," Kerry told a cheering crowd as he held up the device.
But Kerry's gun bill would have also banned any "gift" transaction!
[It is not clear if Kerry completed the required paperwork (Form 4473) before he claimed the gun.]
Now the rebuttal:
XXXXX DRUDGE REPORT XXXXX TUE SEPT 07, 2004 17:01:00 ET XXXXX
KERRY CAMPAIGN REBUTS
For Immediate Release
September 7, 2004
FACTS SHOW ANOTHER REPUBLICAN LIE
Charleston, WV-John Kerry West Virginia Communications Director Amy Goodwin made the following statement today in response to misleading claims made by the West Virginia Republican Party and Bush campaign.
"Let's do some straight shooting on the gun issue. John Kerry's opponents are worried because he's the first Democratic candidate to support Second Amendment gun rights and to be an avid hunter.
"The facts are clear. John Kerry opposes banning this gun and always will. John Kerry was proud to receive this union-made gun at the United Mine Workers Labor Day picnic in Racine, West Virginia.
"The Republican Party and George Bush's campaign will stop at nothing to mislead voters about John Kerry's record. We challenge Bush to engage in honest debates--West Virginians deserve to hear the truth."
I interrupt these articles for an editorial comment: Anyone who thinks Kerry supports the Second Amendment has been comatose for the last 20 years.
Now, the truth:
National Shooting Sports Foundation: Kerry Accepts Shotgun He Would Ban as 'Assault Weapon'
Tuesday September 7, 5:00 pm ET
RACINE, W.Va., Sept. 7 /PRNewswire/ -- The following is a press release regarding the Remington model 11-87 shotgun that Sen. John Kerry recently accepted:
At a Labor Day campaign rally yesterday, Sen. John Kerry accepted an ironic gift from a labor union representative. The gift, a Remington model 11-87 shotgun commonly used in hunting and recreational shooting enjoyed by millions of Americans, would be banned as an "assault weapon" under a bill that Kerry is co-sponsoring.
"The semi-automatic shotgun that Kerry accepted is one that he'd like to ban under his bill known as 'The Assault Weapons Ban and Law Enforcement Protection Act of 2003 (S. 1431).' Kerry tells union workers that he's a hunter, but the truth is he would ban their shotguns," said Lawrence G. Keane, senior vice president and general counsel of the National Shooting Sports Foundation (NSSF).
Keane said several sportsmen's groups have pointed out that Kerry's effort to cast himself as an avid hunter do not square with his anti-gun votes as a U.S. senator. In various photos Kerry appears unaware of proper firearms handling. The Hunting and Shooting Sports Heritage Fund is advertising in national sportsmen magazines and on the Web site, http://www.voteyoursport.com, to illustrate these points.
Kerry was given the shotgun by Cecil Roberts of the United Mine Workers of America. The union represents workers at a Remington factory in Ilion, New York. Last year the union urged Kerry to support a bill to end frivolous lawsuits against firearms makers (S. 659). The suits threaten manufacturing jobs. However, Kerry voted against the bill.
Remington President Tommy Milner said, "Rest assured, Remington was neither aware of this presentation in advance nor in any way supportive of its intent to support Senator Kerry's candidacy. In fact, the company remains amused by ongoing photos of Senator Kerry shooting without either ear or eye protection while discharging a firearm."
The National Shooting Sports Foundation is the trade association for the companies and businesses that make and sell firearms, ammunition and other products for the 40 million Americans who responsibly hunt and enjoy recreational shooting. Learn more at http://www.nssf.org.
An article on the Drudge Report Web site, http://www.drudgereport.com/dncg.htm, points out the irony of Kerry accepting the shotgun gift given the legislation that he supported.
