NRA ad brings Obama kids into gun debate

By Eun Kyung Kim, TODAY contributor

The National Rifle Association has posted a new video on its website calling President Obama “an elitist hypocrite” for dismissing the group’s suggestion to put armed guards in schools while his own daughters have Secret Service protection.

“Are the president’s kids more important than yours?” the narrator asks. “Then why is he skeptical about putting armed security in our schools when his kids are protected by armed guards at their school?”

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The video, which also is running on the Sportsman Channel, says the president "demands the wealthy pay their fair share of taxes, but he’s just another elitist hypocrite when it comes to a fair share of security."

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The NRA ad was released Tuesday night.

The White House responded Wednesday. "Most Americans agree that a president's children should not be used as pawns in a political fight," said the president's press secretary Jay Carney. "But to go so far as to make the safety of the president's children the subject of an attack ad is repugnant and cowardly."

The ad takes issue with recent comments Obama made during an interview on NBC's "Meet the Press."

"I am skeptical that the only answer is putting more guns in schools,” Obama said at the time. “And I think the vast majority of the American people are skeptical that that somehow is going to solve our problem.”

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On Wednesday, NRA spokesman Andrew Arulanandam told NBC News, "Whoever thinks the ad is about President Obama's daughters are missing the point completely or they're trying to change the subject. This ad is about keeping our children safe. And the president said he was skeptical about the NRA proposal to put policemen in all schools in this country. Yet he and his family are beneficiaries of multiple law enforcement officers surrounding them 24 hours a day.

"That's the real issue. Anything else is an attempted calculated distraction." 

The 35-second ad illustrates the recent escalation of rhetoric in the debate over gun control. TIME magazine addresses the issue on its latest issue, which features on its cover Vice President Joe Biden, New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg and former U.S. Rep. Gabrielle Giffords. All three are dubbed “The Gunfighters." 

NBC News' Ali Weinberg contributed to this report.

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White House calls NRA 'repugnant,' 'cowardly' for invoking president's children in ad

By NBC's Domenico Montanaro

The White House is hitting back at the National Rifle Association for its web video, which refers toPresident Obama's children.

"Most Americans agree that a president's children should not be used as pawns in a political fight," White House Press Secretary Jay Carney said in a statement. "But to go so far as to make the safety of the president's children the subject of an attack ad is repugnant and cowardly."

Here's the transcript of the NRA's 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? Mr. Obama demands the wealthy pay their fair share of taxes. But he’s just another elitist hypocrite when it comes to a fair share of security. Protection for their kids. And gun-free zones for ours.”


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