NRA May Sit Out Race in Pique Over Dole Comments

The National Rifle Assn., which once vowed to make ousting President Clinton its top priority in the 1996 campaigns, is so enraged by Republican presidential contender Bob Dole’s recent comments on assault weapons that it may sit out the presidential race and concentrate instead on congressional elections, a top official said this week.

Tanya Metaksa, the NRA’s chief lobbyist, said the group’s 3 million members are “disappointed and disillusioned” with Dole. She noted that the NRA’s board of directors is scheduled to meet in early September to decide whether to endorse Dole.

“I’m sure they will take everything into consideration,” she said. “That decision . . . will be made as events unfold. But let me tell you where our members are. Our members are asking us to help them elect a Second Amendment majority in Congress.”

Dole promised the NRA last year that repealing the “ill-conceived” ban on assault weapons, passed by Congress in 1994, was one of his top legislative priorities. But he never scheduled a vote on repeal when he was Senate majority leader.

Last week, when Dole backed off that position and said the country had “moved beyond the debate” over whether to outlaw the guns, the NRA appeared understanding. Metaksa said it made sense that repeal of the assault-weapons ban was no longer on Dole’s agenda because he had left the Senate.

“I didn’t hear him say that he would veto a repeal of the gun ban should it get on his desk” as president, Metaksa said.

But two days later, Dole told CBS News that if “repeal came to me, I wouldn’t sign it. I’d probably veto it too.”

The NRA, alarmed by Dole’s comments, posted a “special alert” to its members on its Internet site, asking them to call the Dole campaign and the Republican National Committee. “Express your personal views about this crucial turn of events, and let’s redouble our efforts to elect a veto-proof, pro-Constitution majority in both [the] House and Senate,” the NRA said.

The Dole campaign said it had not received an unusual number of calls from NRA members, but the Republican committee said about one-fourth of its calls this week were on assault weapons.

Dole spokeswoman Christina Martin said she could not elaborate on why Dole would veto repeal of a measure that he believes is “not very sound policy,” as he told CNN’s Larry King on Monday night.