NRA hits former ally Manchin with new ads on gun control fight

The National Rifle Association (NRA) is targeting Sen.
Joe Manchin (D-W.Va.) with new ads urging him not to help President Obama and New York Mayor
Michael Bloomberg (I) pass new gun restrictions.

{mosads}The NRA is spending $100,000 on TV ads set to air for two weeks in West Virginia on local broadcasts.

One
of the new NRA ads begins with a clip of a 2010 Manchin Senate campaign
ad where he says, “As your senator, I’ll protect your second amendment
rights.”

“That was Joe Manchin’s commitment,” a voiceover in one
of the ads says. 

“But now, Manchin is working with President Obama and
New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg. Concerned? You should be. Tell Sen.
Manchin to honor his commitment to the Second Amendment and reject the
Obama-Bloomberg gun control agenda.”

The ad contrasts Manchin’s current relationship with the NRA to the one he had with the lobby group before he and Sen.
Pat Toomey (R-Pa.) introduced a proposal to expand background checks to
include sales at gun shows and over the Internet. 

Manchin had earlier received an “A” rating on gun rights from the NRA, but is now facing the group’s ire.

The NRA’s advertising comes as
Bloomberg urges wealthy Democrats to stop donating money to four Senate
Democrats who voted to block expanding background checks for gun
sales.  

Those Democrats are Sens. Mark Pryor (Ark.), Max Baucus (Mont.),
Mark Begich (Alaska) and Heidi Heitkamp (N.D.).

Even though the
proposal by Manchin and Toomey failed to win the 60 votes needed to
overcome a Senate filibuster, Manchin has
recently expressed hope that the Senate would try again to pass
legislation expanding background checks.