The Next Step After Defeat of Northam Gun, Magazine, and Suppressor Ban

The Washington Post confirms what VSSA's lobbyist found while working with senators on the Senate Judiciary Committee to defeat HB961 - they thought the bill went too far and captured more firearms than what many think of as so called "assault weapons".  Take Senator Creigh Deeds for instance.  Deeds was one of the four Senators that VSSA focused efforts on to defeat the bills.  He used to be a reliable vote against gun control but started to turn after the Virginia Tech shooting in 2007.  He also felt that his support for Second Amendment Rights had been betrayed when the NRA supported Bob McDonnell in the 2009 Gubernatorial election when McDonnell had voted for handgun rationing in 1993 and Deeds had voted against it.  McDonnell had promised he would sign a repeal of the law while Deeds had already started shifting his position on background checks more in line with the gun ban lobby.  I saw gun ban activist Lori Haas giving Deeds an ear full outside the committee room after the vote. He later told the Post:

Deeds said in an interview that the bill’s magazine limits could have applied to some long rifles and handguns that “I don’t think anybody really intended to criminalize.”

“AK-47s or AR-15s — I think they’re impractical, and I can’t imagine that people really need to own those things. In fact, they are weapons of war,” Deeds said. “But when you’re trying to define that as a matter of code, you’ve got to be really careful.”

No Senator Deeds, that is exactly what they wanted to do.  That's why the Secretary of Public Safety, Bryan Moran, focused on the Virginia Tech shooting in his remarks in both the House Public Safety Committee and Senate Judiciary.  The firearms used in the Tech shooting were handguns.  And, despite the fact that the commission appointed by Governor Tim Kaine  after the shooting said that the size of the magazines used would have had no impact on the carnage, that is what Moran focused on.  Deed's comments also show we still need to educate those who voted to waylay about why firearms like the AR-15 are indeed practical and used for sport, hunting, and competition.

Gun owners in the districts of the four senators (Surovell, Petersen, Deeds, Edwards) should use this time to educate them on the many rifles like the AR-15, why they are so popular, why their features make them easy for anyone - youth, women, handicapped shooters - to use. Gun ranges in or near their districts should invite them to competitions that use the rifles so they can see why these firearms are indeed "practical".

Anti-Rights Crowd Dump on McDonnell

With just 14 days left in this year's gubernatorial campaign, the anti-rights crowd has finally unleashed their dogs against Bob McDonnell. First it was the release of a poll by Christopher Newport University that claims a majority of Virginians want stricter gun laws. This was followed up by a press release from Virginians for Public Safety that carried this sensational headline:

Bob McDonnell Content to Let Felons, Terrorists, Buy Firearms at Gun Shows

The only thing that the group can offer to support such a preposterous claim is the one sided ABC 20/20 report from earlier this year where the brother of a victim of the Virginia Tech shootings claims to have purchased 10 firearms without a background check within an hour of arriving at a Richmond Gun Show. Just to refresh your memory should you have forgotten - Omar Samaha was able to pull off this stunt because ABC equipped him with $5000. I would still like to know if among those ten firearms he is said to have purchased were more than one handgun because if that is the case, he broke the law with the assistance of ABC. You see, Virginia's handgun rationing law applies to private sales as well as sales carried out through an FFL.



I find it interesting that these are the same folks that did not want Creigh Deeds to be the Democratic nominee and a group identifying themselves as family members of the Virginia Tech Victims even sent an email to anti-rights supporters the day before the Democratic Primary asking them not to vote for Creigh Deeds.

"The only individuals benefiting from loose gun laws in the Commonwealth are
criminals, terrorists, and other dangerous individuals," said Virginians for
Public Safety President Jim Sollo. "Bob McDonnell needs to decide what is more important to him: half a million dollars in NRA PAC money or the safety of Virginia residents."

Gun owners cannot let these tactics decide who becomes Virginia's next Governor. With just two weeks left, we need every gun owner to do something to help elect Bob McDonnell. Please volunteer some time between now and November 3rd to walk some neighborhoods, work phone banks, and most importantly, vote.


You can find the campaign office near you by clicking here.

Deeds' Left Turn

Bitter has a good post over at Snowflakes in Hell describing how Deeds' slight left turn on the issues has negatively impacted his race for governor.

Full disclosure, I voted for Creigh Deeds in 2005. So did most other voters since he only lost by about 325 votes in a statewide election with nearly 2 million voters. At that time, he not only had the NRA endorsement, but I knew he was willing to step up as a Democratic leader for sportsmen. He was running on his own record, one that a non-affiliated, Republican-leaning, little-l libertarian, could generally get behind. I realized that we may not agree on everything, but for the issues I cared about, he was slightly better than McDonnell at the time.

By the time the 2009 primary rolled around and he had run a little left. He didn’t run far left, mind you, but a little left. Deeds threw gun controllers a bone while McDonnell had strengthened his record – a feat hard to do in the position of Attorney General where you generally shy away from policy. Deeds can’t keep it straight when it comes to tax policy.

This is a much different race than 2005 and Bitter is right; it is a lot different running for the top of the ticket than for the bottom of the ticket. It appears that the Democrats should have at least asked Deeds what his plan was to get Virginia moving again before allowing him to coast to victory after the Moran/McAuliffe bloodletting took place. It also goes to show a candidate does not help himself by trying to be all things to all people. Throwing a bone to the anti-rights folks on the so-called gun show loophole only succeeded in making Deeds look like he was a calculating politician rather than a principled individual that felt strongly on an issue.

There are a little over three weeks left in the campaign but if Deeds doesn't find a message that resonates with the voters soon, the Democrats eight year hold on the Executive Mansion will come to an end.

Monday's Deeds-McDonnell Debate

Last night the candidates for Governor debated at the Richmond studio of public broadcasting studio WCVE. The topic of firearms came up and as has been the case all year, McDonnell stood with law abiding gun owners on the issue of private sales at gun shows and Deeds sided with the tragedy peddlers by tying gun shows to the Virginia Tech shooting. CQ Politics reported this exchange:

One issue on which the candidates showed common ground was firearms. Both said they believed in the right to bear arms. They parted, though, on the real-world application of that right — especially on how, if elected governor, each would frame state law to avoid a repeat of the shooting at Virginia Tech.

Deeds said that he worked to close the so-called “gun show loophole” after the 2007 slayings and would accomplish the task as governor. McDonnell said that he worked to improve the state’s mental health statutes after the shooting and is opposed to “regulating the private sale of firearms.”

McDonnell has not backed down and has shown he clearly understands that gun shows played no role in the tragic shootings in 2007. It has been said before on this site; if Deeds can be sucked in by the anti-rights crowd on with a completely emotional argument when it comes to private sales at gun shows, can we trust the same will not happen on say, the repeal of the restaurant ban or handgun rationing?

Candidates Address Sunday Hunting

Last Thursday, both Bob McDonnell and Creigh Deeds addressed the issue of Sunday hunting. Virginia is one of only a few states that do not allow hunting in any form on Sunday.

Roanoke Times outdoor writer Mark Taylor reported in his Sunday column that while announcing formation of his sportsman group, Creigh Deeds said he is in favor of referendums that would allow localities to set their own Sunday hunting rules.

Bob McDonnell was then contacted for a response and according to Taylor, said he would support lifting the ban, but only on private land.

Sunday hunting has been a fiercely debated topic in Virginia for years. It's not just folks who believe Sunday should be a day where those who choose to should be able to go to church without having to hear gun shots outside the church window. Historically, hunters have been equally split in support and opposition to lifting the Sunday hunting ban. One of the leaders of a large sporting group in the state told me he believes the ban relieves some of the pressure on wildlife thus making the other days in the field a better experience. One proposal introduced in the General Assembly in the past would have allowed hunting after noon so as not to have any impact on church services in rural areas. It has rarely been an issue in a statewide election and bills introduced in the General Assembly never make it out of committee.

But as lifestyles have changed and people have more commitments on Saturday, whether it be work or attending the extracurricular activities of children, the option of being able to go into the field on Sunday gains more traction.

Taylor writes that the local option sought by Deeds and the private land only option supported by McDonnell may well meet the strongest opposition from delegates and senators who are in favor of allowing Sunday hunting.

For example, few serious Sunday hunting advocates would be too excited about a local option bill. Yes, if a few localities take the step and others see that the change is not a big deal, others may follow suit.

But is taking that baby step with county-by-county laws worth the certain logistical and law enforcement nightmares it would create?

The private land option, which could appease non-hunters who are concerned about sharing public recreational space with hunters, is less problematic but still far more complicated than a blanket law.

Will taking a stand supporting some form of Sunday hunting help or hurt the candidates? Given the traditional split in the sporting community it is hard to say. But with both candidates for governor supporting some form of Sunday hunting, then the emphasis of the hunting community should focus on members of the General Assembly, because if a majority of the delegates and senators do not support allowing hunters the opportunity to go afield everyday of the season, then it doesn't make much difference what the guy in the Governor's Mansion says.

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.

Deeds: "I reserve the right...to grow as a person"

The Washington Examiner ran an editorial yesterday about Democratic candidate for Governor Creigh Deeds, where they tick off a list of tactics Deeds has used to smear Republican Bob McDonnell instead of clearly staking out positions on issues of substance. Embedded in the editorial is this quote from Deeds that should give gun owners pause:

In March, when questioned about his apparent change of heart on hot-button issues like abortion, taxes and guns, Deeds told fellow Democrats that he “reserves the right to change his opinions and grow as a person”...

This brings to mind Tennessee Governor Phil Bredesen who after being pro-rights as a congressman and promising the NRA he would sign a repeal of the ban on carrying concealed handguns in restaurants, vetoed the repeal earlier this year. The legislature overrode the veto.

Deeds has much the same record as a state legislator as Bredesen did before becoming Tennessee's governor. If Deeds becomes governor, would he follow the Tennessee governor in "growing as a person?" Gun owners should not take the chance.

Contact Bob McDonald's campaign today and see how you can help elect him as Virginia's next governor.

Atlanta Newspaper Columnist Dumps on Wilder

Atlanta Journal-Constitution columnist Cynthia Tucker believes that former Governor L. Douglas (Doug) Wilder is shortsighted in his focus on handgun rationing as a reason not to endorse fellow Democrat Creigh Deeds for Governor. Wilder wrote in his letter where he announced he would remain neutral:

The present law [in Virginia] permits anyone of sufficient age, who is not a felon, to be able to buy one gun a month; twelve a year, twenty four a year for couples, etc. Mr. Deeds thinks that’s not enough and signed a pledge to repeal that law. This action would allow the truck loads of guns to come back in exchange for drugs from those Northeastern states where gun laws are more stringent.

When it passed, one gun-a-month was supposed to stop the flow of guns to states like New York. But the anti-rights crowd complain that Virginia's gun shows are providing a steady flow of guns. So, it leads one to conclude, if limiting law abiding gun owners to one handgun purchase in thirty days does not stem the flow of guns, maybe it's not the law abiding people that are the problem. Apparently both Mr. McDonnell and Mr. Deeds understands this. Unfortunately, Mr. Deeds seems to think that private sales at gun shows is to blame. But I digress.

What Tucker and others outside of Virginia don't understand is this is not about Deeds - it's about Doug. It always is about Doug. Deeds dissed the former governor by not supporting the bill when it passed in 1993 and Wilder has a long memory. The last time Wilder did not endorse a candidate for Governor, Republican Jim Gilmore followed George Allen into the Executive Mansion. At that time, it was car salesman and sitting Lt. Governor Don Beyer who learned that Wilder can stab fellow Democrats in the back too.

The fact is, Wilder's endorsement is overrated. He waited until the last minute to endorse Jim Webb over George Allen in 2006 when Allen was already showing signs of losing. He did the same for Tim Kaine in 2005. Insiders said that Wilder's endorsement in those races was more Wilder wanting to jump on the bandwagon. Folks I know in the Black Community have told me Wilder's endorsement carries very little impact these days.

We shall see if Wilder's neutrality hurts Deeds. After winning the Democratic primary in come-from-behind fashion, his campaign has been devoid of any substance on issues. Truth be known, it was not his stand on the issues that won him the primary. He simply laid back and let Brian Moran and Terry McAuliffe beat each other over the head until the Washington Post endorsed him and used the money he had stashed away till the end to promote the Post endorsement.

Unless Deeds finds a credible voice on issues like transportation and economic growth between now and election day, it is very possible that he will crash and burn come election day and it will have very little to do with the fact that Doug Wilder sat out the election.

Brady's No Win Situation in Virginia

Shortly after the NRA endorsed Bob McDonnell for Governor in Virginia, the Brady Campaign via Paul Helmke said this:

Creigh Deeds agrees with the families of the victims of Virginia Tech that the most dangerous people, prohibited by law from purchasing guns from federally licensed gun dealers, shouldn't be able to get around those laws by buying them from non-licensed gun sellers at weapons bazaars. Bob McDonnell, who now refuses to acknowledge that this gaping loophole in Virginia gun laws even exists, appears eager to do whatever the gun lobby wants him to. That's playing politics with public safety, and the voters should judge the candidates accordingly.

Now, let me get this straight, Deeds only parts company with pro-rights voters on the issue of gun shows but has said he would sign a repeal of handgun rationing (one gun-a-month), as well as repeal of the restaurant ban. Even on the gun show issue, Deeds tried to find a way to make both parties happy (never a good thing because you only succeed in ticking off everyone) by offering to exempt those with Concealed Handgun Permits (CHPs) from undergoing background checks to complete a private sale at a show. And Brady felt the need to issue a statement on the NRA's endorsement? It must really blow to be part of the gun control lobby these days.

Still No Mention of Second Amendment on Deeds Web Site

Creigh Deeds has not shied away from answering questions about his record on Second Amendment issues. He actually has a pretty good record with the exception of two recent votes I posted about yesterday. So, given he freely answers questions on the subject, one has to wonder why he does not mention his record on the issue on his campaign web site. The web site doesn't even mention the all encompassing "Sportsmen" issues.

I guess one reason could be that both he and McDonnell said at a recent candidate's debate that they did not believe "social" issues would play a major role in this year's campaign. But McDonnell has a Second Amendment page on the Issues section of his web site and Deeds has started to attack McDonnell on another "divisive" social issue. One might say that there is virtually no difference between the two candidates on the issue so emphasize where there are differences.

But, most believe this will be another close election so why no mention of an issue that speaks to a constituency that by all past experience can be energized to turn out for a candidate who speaks to their concerns?

Just asking.

McDonnell Takes Clear Lead Over Deeds

The Washington Post published the results yesterday of their most recent poll in the Virginia Governor's race. According to the poll, among registered voters, McDonnell holds a 47%-40% lead over Deeds but among the all important "likely" voters McDonnell holds a commanding 54% - 39% lead. According to the poll, McDonnell is doing well even in the Democratic stronghold of Northern Virginia.

In vote-rich Northern Virginia, where President Obama and other successful Democrats have won large majorities, the two run about even, 45 percent for Deeds to 42 percent for McDonnell among all registered voters. Even in the innermost Washington suburbs -- which the Democrat from rural Bath County won handily in his party's primary -- the candidates are running about even. McDonnell, who lives outside Richmond, leads by nine points in the rest of the state.

Anything can happen between now and election day which is a little over two months away. Regardless of the polls, this is going to be a hard choice for gun owners because both candidates have good records on issues important to the pro-rights community. Deeds has split with us on two votes recently - the very publicized "gun show loophole" bill and a lesser reported bill - HB 2528, that would have provided some much need sunshine on local compensated confiscation schemes (gun buy-backs). Deeds voted against the original bill, for the amended bill that neutered it considerably, then voted to uphold Governor Kaine's veto of the amended bill for which he voted. Kind of a "John Kerry Moment" if you will - "I voted against it before I voted for it before I voted against it again."

For McDonnell's part, after voting for Governor Doug Wilder's handgun rationing law (one gun-a-month) in 1993, he has had a very good record supporting gun owners rights, and has said on several occasions during this campaign that he would sign a repeal of handgun rationing if the bill passed.

Gun owners should consider this - Tennessee Governor Phil Bredesen , who had a very good pro-rights record, campaigned saying he would sign a bill to repeal the restaurant ban on concealed carry, only to veto it when it passed this year. The Tennessee legislature later overrode the veto. Bredesen said he was persuaded by law enforcement arguments against the bill.

Deeds says he was persuaded by the pleas of the Virginia Tech families impacted by the 2007 shooting on the campus when he decided to vote for the "gun show loophole" bill. So, is someone else going to be able to persuade him to veto a bill he has supported in the past if he is elected Governor? Gun owners need to ask Senator Deeds this question.

Deeds' Live Chat Video

The Richmond Times Dispatch has the video of yesterday's Ask the Candidate live video chat with Creigh Deeds. The 2nd Amendment related questions begin around the 14 minute mark (14:16).

Deeds Answers Second Amendment Questions

About 15 minutes into the live online chat with Deeds, Jim Nolan rattled off three firearm related questions.

On the so-called "gun show loophole" Deeds said he would sign a bill "closing the loophole."

On handgun rationing (one gun-a-month) Deeds said he would sign a bill repealing the law.

On repealing the restaurant ban on carrying concealed firearms in restaurants like Applebees, Olive Gardent, and others that serve alcohol as well as food, Deeds said he would sign the bill, unlike Tim Kaine who vetoed it.

Live Blogging Deeds Ask the Candidate With RTD

Jim Nolan with the RTD is now moderating the Ask the Candidate Live Video Chat. If issues of interest to gun owners and sportsmen come up you will get the news here. First questions were on abortion and transportation.

Deeds, the Confederate Flag and the Sportsman Show

I opened up my email this morning and found a story in the Red State Morning Briefing that just should not be a part of a statewide campaign in 2009. It all began when Ben Tribbett's left leaning Not Larry Sabato blog posted a photo of the Sportsmen for McDonnell booth at the Virginia Outdoor Sportsman Show. The angle of the photo shows a Confederate Flag and Tribbett posted the flag was part of the McDonnell booth.

The Washington Post's Anita Kumar reported on the Post's Virginia Politics blog that Creigh Deeds' campaign manager sent out this Tweet:

BREAKING NEWS: MCDONNELL HAS CONFEDERATE FLAG POSTED IN HIS BOOTH AT GUN SHOW IN RICHMOND

First, I think it shows a bit of tone deafness on the part of the Deeds campaign to call the largest and oldest outdoor show in the Commonwealth a "gun show." It's not a gun show and no guns are for sale at the show. It is a collection of over 300 vendors that include hunting clubs, sporting goods retailers, hunting outfitters, conservation groups, and more, where hunters and sportsmen gather to purchase supplies or hunting trips for the upcoming season.

I agree with RedState:

The real story here and the one the Washington Post did not report is that Bob McDonnell showed up at the Virginia Outdoor Sportsman Show and Creigh Deeds did not.

I was at the Virginia Outdoor Sportsman Show on Saturday and Sunday. It was packed to the point you could barely walk the aisles. Deeds missed an excellent opportunity to reach out to over 20,000 sportsmen and women. I don't recall even seeing a booth. Both Tim Kaine and Mark Warner had a campaign booth at the show when they ran for Governor and Warner had a booth last year when he ran for the U.S. Senate.

Deeds needs to wake up the people running his campaign to the fact that sportsmen are not to be taken for granted. Or, maybe Deeds has determined that to reach out to Northern Virginia's more liberal voters he needs to leave his rural past behind. Either way, he puts his hopes for advancing to the Governor's Mansion in jeopardy.

Hat tip to Red State and Anita Kumar.

Times Dispatch Live Chat with Creigh Deeds Wednesday

The second "Ask the Candidate" live video chat will be held Wednesday at 12:45 p.m. on TimesDispatch.com with R. Creigh Deeds, the Democratic gubernatorial candidate. You can submit questions in advance for Deeds at News@TimesDispatch.com. Be sure to put "Ask the Candidate" in the subject field.

New Poll Shows GOP Candidates Leading All Three Races

Public Policy Polling released a poll today showing that Republican Bob McDonnell has developed a wider lead over Democrat Creigh Deeds in the race for governor.

McDonnell's support came in at 51 percent of those surveyed, to 37 percent for Deeds.

The poll indicates that a dip in President Barack Obama's popularity has affected Deeds in Virginia.

Key to McDonnell's chances to win is that he leads among independents, 52 percent to 33 percent.

In the down ticket races, Lt. Gov. Bill Bolling, who is seeking re-election, is backed by 48 percent to 34 percent for Democrat Jody Wagner. In the contest for attorney general, state Sen. Ken Cuccinelli, R-Fairfax, leads 45 percent to 32 percent for Del. Steve Shannon, D-Fairfax.

The poll's margin of error is plus or minus 4.1 percentage points.

Ask the Candidates

The Richmond Times-Dispatch has arranged live video chats with both gubernatorial candidates. Former Attorney General Bob McDonnell will be first up on Tuesday, August 4, at 2 p.m.

On Wednesday, August 12, at 12:45 p.m. you can watch a 30-minute chat with State Senator Creigh Deeds, the Democratic gubernatorial candidate.

Here is your chance to ask each candidate your questions related to Second Amendment issues.

You may submit questions in advance by e-mailing News@TimesDispatch.com. Be sure to put “Ask the Candidate” in the subject field.

National Review Profile of Creigh Deeds

Jim Geraghty has a profile of Democratic Candidate for Governor Creigh Deeds today on National Review Online. He details how Deeds' rural background and his campaigning as a moderate is sometimes at odds with reality. In other words, Deeds sometimes appears to swerve away from principle when it serves his political ambitions. For instance:

More fundamentally, Deeds’s perception of what’s best for his district shifted dramatically leftward when he started preparing to run for governor. He knew that to win the Democratic primary, he would have to appeal to voters in the significantly more liberal northern suburbs. During his run for attorney general in 2005, by contrast, he won the nomination without a primary, so he could tailor his message for a bipartisan statewide audience all along. Deeds’s ads that year touted his "conservative values”: teaching abstinence before marriage and fidelity within marriage as “moral obligations and not matters of personal opinion or personal choice”; putting before the voters a constitutional amendment to ban same-sex marriage; broadly defined Second Amendment rights; and a ban on partial-birth abortion. Now he says supporting the gay-marriage vote was “a mistake,” he opposes all limits on abortion, and he supports closing the “gun show loophole” on firearms sales, citing the Virginia Tech shootings — even though the shooter in that tragedy did not purchase his weapons at a gun show, so even if the proposed restriction had been in effect, it would not have prevented the massacre. It is unlikely that the Creigh Deeds of 2005 would recognize the Creigh Deeds of 2009, much less vote for him.

SurveyUSA released poll results yesterday showing Republican Bob McDonnell with a 15 point lead. I am a little skeptical of the poll results as this is the same poll that showed McCain beating Obama in Virginia last year. And remember, Deeds was far behind the pack in the primary before winning 50% of the vote in a three way race.

There is a long time between now and November 3rd.

WaPo Article on Candidate's Position on Guns Pushes Gun Show Loophole

Today's Washington Post ran an article on the Virginia Gubernatorial Race suggesting that the two candidates were dueling over who is the more pro-gun. What the article turned out to be was one more piece pushing for an end to the so-called "gun show loophole."

Walking the jam-packed aisles of Virginia's biggest gun show, Richard Begay carried a .30-06 Sauer hunting rifle and a hand-lettered cardboard sign on his back asking $1,199.

Unlike the federally licensed firearms dealers at tables nearby, Begay, 72, an occasional seller, can peddle the slick-looking rifle legally without a background check to any interested adult he meets at the show in Chantilly. To him, it's his right. To others, it's a potential disaster.

The article did detail how both Democrat Creigh Deeds and Republican Bob McDonnell have pro-gun records, while Bob McDonnell no longer sees the need for the 1993 handgun rationing bill for which he voted (and Deeds opposed) Deeds wants to end private sales at gun shows after being lobbied by the families of the Virginia Tech shooting victims, while McDonnell rightly says gun shows had nothing to do with the Virginia Tech shootings.

Clearly 3/4 of the article was dedicated to the gun show issue and very little with the "who's more pro-gun" angle touted by the article title. You'd have to pay attention to the secondary article title to get a hint at the real message of the article.