Anyone see Mr. Lapierre on CNN the other day?  I got a copy of the transcript of the interview Here

In it, is seems Lapierre had an incredible oppertunity to set the record straight, but all he wanted to do was ask why the CNN reporter John Zarrella was not fored for falsifying a story like that NY Times reporter (Pfc Lynch stories) was.

The CNN reporters were leading him to speak on the effects of the AWB and the differences in the weapons and all Lapierre could do was countinue to call for John Zarrella's head.

Was this an oppertunity blown by our NRA, or some strategy I am missing.

This is how the interview ended:

PHILLIPS: All right. Executive vice president...

LAPIERRE: "The New York Times" reporter was fired, John Zarrella ought to be fired.

PHILLIPS: Executive vice president of the National Rifle Association, Wayne LaPierre, that's why we are interviewing you today and that's why we're addressing this to show both sides of that story.

And we all stick by John Zarrella and how credible of a reporter he is.

Thank you for your time, sir.

IMHO, if the NRA spokesman would have backed off on the attack on CNN, then he would have had more than 3 minutes camara time and could make a better case against the AWB.  Instead, in my opinion, he came off as evasive and antagonistic.  yikes.


VMAX

The NRA is about sportmen. Mr. Lapierre is about politics. His interview did nothing to further the cause of sportsmen who use ARs as their equipment of choice. Furthermore, I resent his attacks on our police and our government. In my book, he will never live down the line about "jack-booted stormtroopers." He shamed the NRA and disgraced himself with that remark.

SIG

IMHO LaPierre was great on CNN.

CRC

The "jack-booted thugs" was from John Dingell D-MI. Granted he did use it, but he did not originate it.

I think the opportunity would have been best used to set the record straight (which CNN has done), than to demand he be fired - there is no evidence the guy lied ntentionally, he was just mis-informed by the Florida Sheriff, from what I can see.

La Pierre is a putz and should never go in front of a camera.  I've known Whine LaPudley for over a decada and I wouldn't trust the man with a bent quarter.

That said, his comments about jack booted storm troopers were right on the money, just ill advised and poorly timed.

What else can you call a group of armed men who rip the doors off a house to look for an alleged "machine gun" that turned out to be an AR-15?  How about a group of men who stomp a house cat to death?  What about a group of men who haul off an Eagle Scout in handcuffs because he forgot that his pocket knife was in his jacket pocket when he went to school.

Hey!  Let's look at the religious group that was attacked simply because they had stockpiled a bunch of weapons (sounds like some of us).

When I was a kid the police were "Officer Friendly" who was there to help and protect you.  Now in my area, Officer Friendly has been replaced by Officer Steroid and Officer By-the-Book who have no idea who lives in the neighborhoods they patrol because they never get out of their cars to talk to people.

And now CNN is recanting their story....

[url]http://www.washtimes.com/national/20030519-110144-7123r.htm[/url]

"This whole ban was lied into law 10 years ago, and it seems to me we can do better than lying again," Mr. LaPierre said.... So Lapier is aware of the ban for whatever purposes. If it a fundraiser issue, so much the better. The NRA needs more members....

Wayne called them on their hoax and set the record straight. I don't think much will come of it for CNN, they spew what ever puke to suit their agenda...

Hey, the NRA, GOA and a few other organized groups is about the best it gets for the gun control lobby. You cound not contribute for whatever pissed off reason you have, but the NRA does try to do something about it. Not always what we want, but where would be without them?

If you have a better idea, lets hear it. There are somewheres around four million NRA members and about 80 million firearms owners. Quite a heavy burden with so few contributing. If just half would join the NRA, we would have more clout than AARP... Congress and whoever is sitting in the White House would have to listen.

As usual, a small number have to carry the burden.

Wayne isn't perfect, but I am very pleased with his performance on CNN.

Wayne gored Clinton several years ago when he stated that BC was willing to accept a certain number of violent deaths to forward his political agenda.  It was the first shot in which many people began to see Clinton for the disengenuous, duplicitous, Arkansas garden slug he is.

I hate that we had to replace Hesston.  Sadly, we have gotten a nice, anonymous guy who doesn't appear to have the presence, charisma, or chops to come even close to the task.  I could be wrong, but.....what is his name, anyway.

I look forward to Tom Selleck at the top of the NRA.

Wayne may be a political opportunist, but he is OUR political opportunists.

As for sportsman,  I wouldn't give you a boot full of warm piss for any of them who look down their noses at those of us who put our money on the NRA, GOA, JPFO, etc.  Sportsmen who are willing to cave or stay on the sidelines are little more than quislings to the anti-gunners.  

I see the NRA as two things:
Our biggest ally.
Our worst enemy.

I'm really glad they're there as a body with some remaining pull but I also fear that some of their high-up reps are comming off as brutish thugs to the populace at large.

Just my $0.02

VMAX12, I agree with yours and several of the other comments here...I think LaPierre missed a good opportunity to enlighten some of the sheeple...had he pursued a less confrontational approach, he might have succeeded.  As it is, I think anyone who is on the fence on the gun control issue can't help but see LaPierre, and the NRA as a whole, in less than favorable light...and it's not the first time I've seen him get all worked up where a calmer approach (IMHO) would've worked better.  You can't argue with his passion, I just don't know that that's the most effective way to get the message accross, especially to people who fear guns/gun owners.  If I were one of them, I'd be worried if LaPierre lived next to me lol.  

We really need someone who can rebut the foolishness in a calm and reasoned manner, with maybe even a little humor thrown in.  I don't know if the NRA has such a person, but it ain't LaPierre.  I would imagine one of their Legislative people could do it.  I've seen pics of some of those guys...they seem pretty photogenic, and I think in that line of work they need to use some tact from time to time, so they might come off as a little less rabid.

I have a lot of problems with the NRA; but you can't improve a problem by quitting and walking away from it. You have to get involved to fix it and that is but one of the reasons I think everybody should belong to the NRA.

I also have been really disappointed with past appearances by LaPierre; but he faces a huge challenge too. It is pretty tough to advance your side of the argument when the people you are talking to can edit and cut your argument any way they like - and most of them are hostile to the Second Amendment anyway.

I think this could have been handled more professionally by him; but results are what counts and in this case he helped force CNN to inject a little fact into their outrageous story.

The other part that helped was everyone of YOU who wrote a polite but firm letter correcting CNN and letting them know that the public wasn't yet totally ignorant on the subject.

Lapierre got CNN to redo their story and expose the LIES CNN made in the original.

Now if you don't like that SHUT UP and let CNN continue it's liberal, American hating ways.

CRC

I'd like to see CNN fire John Zarella for his outright stupidity.  

I'd like to see Kyra Phillips forced to apologize "on air, live" to Wayne LaPierre for her huffy "nobody on CNN . . . fakes stories" comment.

I'd like to see Ken Jenne dismissed from the county sheriff's department for his devious method of promoting his own anti-gun bias.

I'd like to see my numbers come up in the Florida lottery.