Kilgore picks up NRA support

Washington Times ^ | 10/07/2005 | Christina Bellantoni

[Quaker]

The National Rifle Association yesterday endorsed Republican Jerry W. Kilgore to be Virginia's next governor, while members of a key gun-rights lobby fumed over remarks about their leadership made by the Kilgore campaign. The NRA, based in Virginia, gave Mr. Kilgore, the former state attorney general, an "A" rating and Democrat Timothy M. Kaine, the lieutenant governor, an "F." "Jerry Kilgore is the one candidate that will stand for the Second Amendment and for the honor and freedom to own guns," said Wayne LaPierre, the NRA's executive vice president, who joined Mr. Kilgore on a statewide fly-around tour to announce the endorsement. But some grass-roots members of the Virginia Citizens Defense League (VCDL) say they will not vote for Mr. Kilgore Nov. 8 because one of his staffers said the VCDL's president has "no credibility" on Second Amendment issues. "I am pro-life, reeling from the great tax hike of 2004, a staunch Second Amendment defender and wild horses could not drag me to vote for Kilgore," said Mike Downey, a Colonial Beach resident. The gubernatorial race has tightened, with recent polls showing Mr. Kilgore and Mr. Kaine tied and few Virginians undecided. The election could be decided by a few thousand votes.

[Katya]

The race is much too tight for Kilgore to malign an important gun rights group. Of course the VCDL has the choice to sit on its hands and hand the governorship over to Kaine who has an "F" rating on gun rights from the NRA.

[OldPossum]

It would be poetic justice if Kilgore lost the election by a number approximate to the number of VCDL members.

To be sure, it would not be good for Virginia gun owners to be saddled with the likes of Kaine for four years, but things would not be too bad if they also elected another Republican legislature in numbers sufficient to override Kaine's vetoes.

[jmaroneps37]

This is a great boost. Kilgore has not been able to "make the sale" so far so you gotta like Wayne and the NRA gang coming in this early to nail this one down.

[ruhbarb]

I am a member of the VCDL and I am voting for Jerry Kilgore.I dont think cutting off my nose to spite my face is the way to go. There will be some that don't vote for him but I think most will.