NRA joins Gov. Palin and TPX; endorses Christine O'Donnell (Updated)

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The National Rifle Association joined Sarah Palin and Tea Party Express and endorsed Christine O'Donnell Friday in Delaware's Republican Senate primary. O'Donnell is hoping to upset Rep. Mike Castle on Tuesday:

The NRA's Political Victory Fund cited O'Donnell's "commitment to preserving the Second Amendment" in its endorsement of her Friday.

“Christine O’Donnell will be a strong voice in fighting ongoing efforts by anti-gun politicians to dismantle the Second Amendment,” chairman of the NRA's Political Victory Fund Chris Cox said in a statement. “We ask all Delaware gun-owners and hunters to vote for Christine O’Donnell in the U.S. Senate Republican primary on September 14th.”

The NRA's endorsement made no mention of Castle, but the longtime congressman earns an "F" from the gun lobby for his voting record.

Gov. Palin just retweeted Mark Levin's link to this article:

This says a lot. RT. "@marklevinshow: NRA endorses O'Donnell today. http://bit.ly/bxhD5Y http://fb.me/D77ibv6L"

Meanwhile, Tea Party Express announced Friday that it has raised over $200,000 in support of O'Donnell's campaign:

"We're raising money from grassroots conservatives $25, $50 and $100 at a time to support Christine O'Donnell as we fight back against the millions of dollars Mike Castle has collected from the corrupted special interests in Washington, D.C. to wage his smear campaign against the tea party movement as a whole and conservative Republican Christine O'Donnell," said Joe Wierzbicki, Coordinator for the Tea Party Express.

Update: Sen. Jim DeMint Endorses O'Donnell

- JP

WCNC Video: Sarah Palin's speech to the NRA convention

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h/t: WCNC-TV

- JP

NRA convention jams Carlotte traffic; Palin's fault

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The Charlotte Observer's Steve Lyttle observes:

The National Rifle Association's convention is dominating two stages in Charlotte's uptown this afternoon, drawing big crowds to both the Charlotte Convention Center and to Time Warner Cable Arena.

As a result, pedestrian and vehicular traffic in the uptown area is extremely congested early Friday afternoon, and motorists are being urged to allow extra time to get where they're going in the center city.

About 17,000 people are expected at the arena for this afternoon's Celebration of American Values Leadership Forum, where the headline speaker is former vice presidential candidate Sarah Palin. But other notable figures, including former U.N. Ambassador John Bolton and Oliver North, also are scheduled to speak.

That event begins at 12:30 p.m. and lasts until about 4 p.m. Palin's speech is expected about 2:45 p.m.

Meanwhile, tens of thousands of people are at the center of the NRA's 139th annual Meetings and Exhibits convention, at the Convention Center.

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About 70,000 people are expected in Charlotte for the three-day NRA event.

Billed as the largest convention in Charlotte history... People began lining up outside the front door of the Convention Center more than an hour before the event began.

[...]

The convention is expected to pump $20 million into the Charlotte-area economy.

All times quoted in the article are EDST. Read the full story here.

Fox will provide live video of Gov. Palin's NRA speech here. CNN says it will also live stream the governor's address here, at about 2:45 PM Eastern Time (1:45 Texas Time).

- JP

Bedard: Sarah Palin Aiming for NRA Convention

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Paul Bedard, who blogs at Washington Whispers for U.S. News & World Report, says that despite the liberal hysteria over Sarah Palin's "Don't Retreat, Reload" remarks, the former governor "is not about to holster her rhetorical sidearm":

What's more, she's leading a posse of Second Amendment-supporting Republicans to the annual National Rifle Association convention later this month in Charlotte, N.C. Take a gander at who's on the docket, which looks like the conservative roundup for the 2012 GOP primaries: Palin, Mississippi Gov. Haley Barbour, former United Nations Ambassador John Bolton, South Dakota Sen. John Thune, South Carolina Sen. Jim DeMint, and Indiana Rep. Mike Pence.

"It's a big deal," says the NRA's top lobbyist and convention organizer Chris Cox. "It's a beauty contest of those who support the Second Amendment," he says, adding that the speakers will also include media and Hollywood elite, and even some Blue Dog Democrats like Tennessee Rep. John Tanner and North Carolina Rep. Heath Shuler.

With expectations of a record-setting crowd of 80,000, Cox says gun owners are fired up more than ever over concerns about liberal politicians banning guns and Washington's spending. "It's an indication of where the American people are on the Second Amendment," he says. Critics, he adds, "try to paint us as an extreme, but we are the deepest part of the river; we are the strongest part of the river," says Cox.

Cox says the massive number of Second Amendment supporters anticipated to attend the NRA convention should send a message as the midterm elections draw near that "NRA members and gun owners are a very important voting bloc," says Cox. And they are concerned about Speaker Pelosi and President Obama, he adds.

Dubbed a "Celebration of American Values," the NRA Leadership Forum will be Friday, May 14, at the Charlotte Convention Center.

- JP

CNN: Sarah Palin to Address NRA in May

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According to CNN's Political Ticker blog, Sarah Palin will address the National Rifle Association's annual meeting in Charlotte, NC May 14:

Gov. Palin, a hunter and gun rights advocate, will be among some of her staunchest supporters when she makes the appearance at the Charlotte Convention Center:

"Governor Palin is one of the most requested speakers in America today," Wayne LaPierre, the NRA's executive director, told CNN in a statement. "She's an outdoorsman, hunter and a steadfast supporter of our Second Amendment freedom. We are pleased to have a fellow NRA member speak at our 139th annual meeting in Charlotte this May."

If the former Alaska governor and 2008 GOP vice presidential nominee is indeed considering a White House bid in 2012, then the visit will also come with a not insignificant perk: the Charlotte media market spills over into heavily-Republican parts of South Carolina, a crucial early primary state.

Lodging and travel information is here. The NRA-ILA press release is here.

Related: Read Ron Devito's article here on two unique rifles which were custom built for Sarah Palin.

- JP

NRA and Alaska Gun Collectors Honor Sarah Palin

After a week below the media's radar, former Alaska Governor Sarah Palin resurfaced Saturday night at an Anchorage banquet which wrapped up a four-day NRA seminar hosted by the Alaska Gun Collectors Association, according to the Associated Press.

The NRA's big guns, including President Ronald Schmeits and Executive Vice President Wayne LaPierre, were in attendance, as was Wayne Anthony Ross, chairman of the Gun Collectors Committee, according to a report by Phil Schreier.

The 2008 GOP vice presidential candidate delivered what Schreier called a "stirring" speech on on Second Amendment rights. Palin was presented with the NRA's Gold Medal Award of Merit for the Promotion of Gun Collecting, and she was given Life Memberships in The Missouri Valley Arms Collectors Association, Ohio Gun Collectors Association and the Dallas Arms Collectors Association. An NRA Benefactor Life Membership was also presented to the former governor by members of the Missouri Valley Arms Collectors Association.

- JP

The Alaskan Hunter

Here's a photo of the custom AR-15 that TX4P reported Monday will be presented to the Governor by the National Rifle Associaiton at its May 14 NRA Foundation Banquet:



It's been dubbed "The Alaskan Hunter."

Very nice piece of work!

Photo h/t: CalGuns.net

- JP

Gov. Palin to receive her own AR-15

NRA members, keep an eye out for your copy of May's American Rifleman, if it hasn't already arrived. According to the latest edition of the magazine, Bob Reynolds, gunsmith and owner of Templar Consulting LLC, will make a special presentation at the NRA Foundation Banquet on May 14.

It's a modified AR-15 (civilian version of the milspec M16 rifle), specially customized in honor of Gov. Sarah Palin and dubbed "The Alaskan Hunter." Chambered for .50 Beowulf instead of the standard 5.56mm cartridge, this special AR features several custom engravings. The Big Dipper is on the magazine well, an outline of the state of Alaska is on the stock, and on the upper receiver are a moose, the NRA logo and an inscription, "In Honor of Governor Sarah Palin."

"Gov. Palin stood up and announced she was a supporter of the Second Amendment," says Reynolds. "I was really excited about that. I feel like the NRA has done a lot for my rights. And I feel the Governor has, too. I just wanted to do something to give back. And since the Governor lives in Alaska, I thought .50 Beowulf was appropriate."

Reynolds actually made two of these very special AR's. One will be presented to the governor, and the other will be auctioned at the Banquet.

h/t: Team Sarah

- JP

NRA supports confirmation of one of its own

The National Rifle Association's political arm, the Institute for Legislative Action, has issued the following action alert in support of Gov. Sarah Palin's nominee to be confirmed as Alaska's Attorney General:

NRA Board Member Needs Your Help to be Confirmed as Alaska’s Next Attorney General!

Thursday, April 09, 2009

Please Contact Your State Legislators Today! As we have reported, Wayne Anthony Ross, a member of the NRA Board of Directors, was nominated by Governor Sarah Palin (R) to be the next Attorney General of the State of Alaska.  This nomination requires confirmation by the full Legislature, which will consider his nomination on Thursday, April 16. There are few issues of greater importance to citizens of Alaska than the Right to Keep and Bear Arms and the natural right of self-defense.  Wayne Anthony Ross is a proven, staunch defender of our Constitutional rights.  If confirmed, Alaskans can rest assured that their firearm freedoms and hunting heritage will have a strong advocate in the State Attorney General’s office with Wayne Anthony Ross. Please contact your state legislators TODAY and respectfully urge them to confirm Wayne Anthony Ross as Attorney General.  Contact information can be found here.

- JP