McDonnell's Campaign Gets It

There are times when Second Amendment supporters cringe when a campaign staffer tries to talk about gun issues but Republican Bob McDonnell has some press folks who seem to get it when it comes to knowing the issue. Over the last couple of weeks local papers have picked up the story of the NRA endorsement of McDonnell's bid to become Virginia's next Governor. The Virginia Commonwealth University (VCU) student newspaper is the latest.

Reporting what is widely believed to be the main reason Deeds lost the endorsement this year after gaining it against McDonnell during the 2005 campaign for Attorney General, the Commonwealth Times reports that Deeds efforts to close the so-called "gun show loophole" cost him the NRA endorsement.

When contacted by the paper for comment, the McDonnell staffer accurately describes what the issue is really about:

"The term 'gun-show loophole' is a misnomer," said Crystal Cameron, press secretary for the McDonnell campaign. "All registered gun dealers must run background checks for any buyers. Bob McDonnell supports background checks for all purchases with licensed Virginia gun dealers at Virginia gun shows."

"What this issue is really about is mandating government regulation of private sales of firearms," Cameron said. "Currently, the commonwealth does not regulate private sales of firearms between citizens, and Bob McDonnell does not support such an expansion into the private affairs of law abiding citizens."

If this staff member is an indication of what type of people will staff a McDonnell administration, it will be a breath of fresh air.