By Greg Hazley
The National Rifle Association has released a controversial ad targeting President Barack Obama which calls the president an "elitist hypocrite" for dismissing an NRA pitch for armed guards in schools while his daughters are protected by the Secret Service.
"Why is [Obama] skeptical about putting armed security in our schools when his kids are protected by armed guards at their schools?" says a narrator in the spot, which is airing on the Sportsman Channel. "Mr. Obama demands the wealthy pay their fair share of taxes, but he's just another elitist hypocrite when it comes to a fair share of security."
The four-minute, thirty-second ad, posted at NRAStandandFight.com, features footage of executive VP Wayne LaPierre from the gun lobby group's December press conference, spliced together with media criticism of that event and its response to the Newtown shooting.
"The media speaks for elites," says a narrator. "America speaks for itself."
White House press secretary Jay Carney called the ad "repugnant and cowardly," criticizing the NRA for using the president's children as "pawns in a political fight."
Robert Gibbs, the former Obama advisor and PR pro, called the ad "stupid" in an appearance on MSNBC. "This reminds me of an ad that somebody made at about 2 o'clock in the morning after one too many drinks, and no one stopped it in the morning," he said.
The ad, which comes as the White House unveils plans to overhaul gun policy today, includes a counter rising from four million to indicate NRA membership roles increasing as the gun debate simmers.
An NRA spokesman, Andrew Arulanandam, told MSNBC that the ad is about keeping kids safe. "Whoever thinks the ad is about President Obama's daughters are missing the point completely or they're trying to change the subject," he said. |