In a report for Wednesday's NBC Nightly News, correspondent Andrea Mitchell smeared the National Rifle Association as a group benefitting from tragedy: "Even
as America was shaken by the horror of Newtown, the NRA escalated its
rhetoric, claiming to add more than 100,000 new members, and taking a
no-compromise stand....the NRA is raising money, e-mailing supporters to
upgrade their membership for what it calls, 'the fight of the
century.'" [Listen to the audio [1]]
In the middle of the segment, a brief exchange was shown between
Mitchell and NRA president David Keene. Mitchell quoted a fundraising
email from the gun rights organization warning of President Obama's
pursuit of gun restrictions and wondered: "Are they trying to scare gun
owners?" Keene replied: "We're not scaring them. We're not saying that
your rights are at risk. The President of the United States is saying
that."
Mitchell introduced a clip of MSNBC host Joe Scarborough by noting that
he "had an 'A' rating from the NRA when he was in Congress." In the
sound bite that followed, Scarborough ranted: "The more that the NRA
speaks out after the slaughter of these 20 first graders, the worse they
make it for their side."
Wrapping up the hit piece, Mitchell speculated on the NRA losing
support: "So far, a majority of the House still has 'A' ratings for
their votes from the gun lobby....The question now is whether that will
change after the massacre at Sandy Hook Elementary."
At the start of an interview with Keene on Thursday's NBC Today,
co-host Savannah Guthrie immediately exploited one of the child victims
of the school shooting: "I'm going to start with the quote from the
mother of a 6-year-old who died in Newtown. She said, 'People who want
to own firearms responsibly have nothing to fear from the President's
proposals.' You represent those law-abiding gun owners. What do they
have to fear?"
In an interview [2] with Keene on January 11, fellow Today co-host Matt Lauer wondered if the power of the NRA had "eroded" since Newtown.
Here is a full transcript of Mitchell's January 16 report:
7:06PM ET
BRIAN WILLIAMS: As we heard, the National Rifle Association came out
with a video attacking the White House gun proposals this morning. And
they're taking heat tonight for using the President's daughters as part
of their argument. That part of this story tonight from NBC's Andrea
Mitchell.
ANDREA MITCHELL: They've long been the most feared lobbyists in
Washington, spending millions to defeat gun laws and candidates they
oppose.
CHARLTON HESTON: I want to say those fighting words. From my cold, dead hands!
[CHEERS & APPLAUSE]
MITCHELL: Even as America was shaken by the horror of Newtown, the NRA
escalated its rhetoric, claiming to add more than 100,000 new members,
and taking a no-compromise stand.
WAYNE LAPIERRE: The only thing that stops a bad guy with a gun is a good guy with a gun.
MITCHELL: But did the NRA go too far with this new web video today, focusing on the President's school-age daughters?
UNIDENTIFIED MAN [NARRATOR, NRA AD]: Are the President's kids more
important than yours? Then why is he skeptical about putting armed
security in our schools, when his kids are protected by armed guards at
their school?
MITCHELL: Children of presidents have been off-limits for decades.
DAVID KEENE: We know.
MITCHELL: There's been an understanding that we don't talk – particularly about the minor children of presidents.
DAVID KEENE [PRESIDENT, NRA]: But nobody was talking about his children.
MITCHELL: They were very explicitly-
KEENE: Nobody was naming his children, nobody was doing that.
MITCHELL:
In the aftermath of Newtown, the NRA is raising money, e-mailing
supporters to upgrade their membership for what it calls, "the fight of
the century." The e-mail says, "Barack Obama, Joe Biden, and their gun
ban allies in Congress only want to BLAME you, VILIFY you, BULLY you and
STRIP you of your Second Amendment freedoms." Are they trying to scare
gun owners?
KEENE: We're not scaring them. We're not saying that your rights are at
risk. The President of the United States is saying that.
MITCHELL: Joe Scarborough of Morning Joe had an 'A' rating from the NRA when he was in Congress.
JOE SCARBOROUGH: The more that the NRA speaks out after the slaughter
of these 20 first graders, the worse they make it for their side.
MITCHELL: So far, a majority of the House still has 'A' ratings for their votes from the gun lobby.
STUART ROTHENBERG [POLITICAL ANALYST]: It has clout because it has
members in every state and almost every congressional district and
because it's built up a reputation of effectiveness.
MITCHELL: The question now is whether that will change after the
massacre at Sandy Hook Elementary. Andrea Mitchell, NBC News,
Washington.