Explore The NRA Universe Of Websites

APPEARS IN News

Bloomberg Sticks His Nose into Virginia Politics and Earns Three Pinocchios

Friday, October 25, 2013

Apparently, having billions of dollars in disposable income and being the mayor of America's most populous city (and let's face it, a place with problems of its own) isn't enough to keep billionaire Michael Bloomberg busy.  We've often reported on his antics here in the Commonwealth of Virginia (see here, here, and here, for example), and we can thank him for at least one pro-gun law being on Virginia's books. 

To no one's surprise, the billionaire buttinksi is back and throwing his considerable fortune behind an attempt to defeat NRA "A"-rated Republican Ken Cuccinelli and to elect NRA "F"-rated Democrat Terry McAuliffe in Virginia's upcoming gubernatorial election.   Unfortunately for Bloomberg, while his money can buy a huge amount of negative advertising attacking Cuccinelli, it cannot alter basic facts. Even the Washington Post, normally a far friendlier outlet for McAuliffe and Bloomberg than the NRA, had to call foul at an ad Bloomberg is running that tries to fault Cuccinelli over the so-called gun show loophole.   In its fact-check of the ad, the Post awarded Bloomberg's super PAC, "Independence USA," three well-deserved Pinocchios for bending the truth.  

The ad claims that the "gun show loophole" means "anyone can buy a gun without a background check," including "the dangerously mentally ill" and "criminals."  To underscore this point, it flashes pictures of several high-profile murderers who committed their crimes with guns.

The Washington Post takes issue with the ad on the basis that gun shows are rarely the source of crime guns and that none of the criminals pictured actually obtained their firearms at a gun show without a background check.  Indeed, as the Post notes, three of the four pictured killers obtained their firearms through licensed dealers, passing background checks in the process.  The fourth killed his own mother and then stole the guns he used from her. 

In other words, the so-called "gun show loophole" had nothing to do with the murderers pictured.  If anything, they represent the failure of the background check system Bloomberg and his puppets seek to expand.  

As we have explained many times, the idea of a gun show loophole is a myth.  The same laws that govern firearm sales anywhere else also apply at gun shows.  Licensed dealers who sell firearms at gun shows must run background checks, just as they do at their business premises.  Persons who are not dealers--that is, casual sellers making occasional sales and not operating for livelihood and profit--may also make sales at gun shows, just as they can at flea markets, garage sales, or in other private transactions.  Once such sales rise to the level of a business enterprise, however, licensing requirements apply, and sales may only be conducted by the licensee after a background check.

Yet even private transactions are limited under federal law to purchasers residing in the same state, and a private seller is prohibited from transferring a gun to another person who the seller knows or has reason to believe is prohibited from receiving or possessing it.

The NRA has been actively involved in supporting efforts to ensure that where background checks are required under current law, the information on which they are based is complete, accurate, and up-to-date.  Yet as we have reported, the Obama Justice Department seems to have little interest in enforcing the laws already on the books. 

In the future, we suggest that Mayor Bloomberg spend a few more of his many, many dollars checking his facts before unleashing his political attacks.  He certainly can afford it.  We would also caution voters to be aware that while background checks have their place in dealer sales, they are not a cure-all for evil, a point Bloomberg's ad ironically makes all too well.

TRENDING NOW
New Mexico Supreme Court Upholds Governor’s “Public Health Emergency” Carry Ban in NRA Challenge

Saturday, March 8, 2025

New Mexico Supreme Court Upholds Governor’s “Public Health Emergency” Carry Ban in NRA Challenge

In 2023, New Mexico Governor Michelle Lujan Grisham issued an executive order declaring gun violence a “public health emergency” and banning the carry of firearms in various locations throughout the state.

Supreme Court Skeptical About Mexico’s Attempt to Pass Buck to U.S. Gunmakers

News  

Monday, March 10, 2025

Supreme Court Skeptical About Mexico’s Attempt to Pass Buck to U.S. Gunmakers

Yesterday, the U.S. Supreme Court heard oral arguments in a case in which the Mexican government is attempting to hold members of the U.S. gun industry financially liable for drug cartel violence south of the border.

Red Flag Laws: The Pop-Tart Gun to Prison Pipeline?

News  

Monday, March 10, 2025

Red Flag Laws: The Pop-Tart Gun to Prison Pipeline?

Several years ago, a seven-year-old boy was suspended from school for chewing his breakfast pastry into the shape of a gun and pretending to fire it at his second grade classmates. A school official stated the child ...

Senators and Representatives Send Letter Urging Repeal of Biden-era Rule Damaging the Firearms Industry

News  

Friday, March 7, 2025

Senators and Representatives Send Letter Urging Repeal of Biden-era Rule Damaging the Firearms Industry

On March 5th U.S. Senator Mike Lee (R-UT) and U.S. Representative Mark Green (R-TN-07) sent a letter to Secretary of Commerce Howard Lutnick urging him to rescind an interim final rule (IFR) that the Biden Administration ...

NRA Statement on President Trump’s Executive Order Protecting Second Amendment Rights

News  

Second Amendment  

Friday, February 7, 2025

NRA Statement on President Trump’s Executive Order Protecting Second Amendment Rights

Today, the White House announced a new Executive Order to protect and expand the Second Amendment rights of all law-abiding Americans. This is the first action taken by President Donald J. Trump to carry through ...

MA Supreme Judicial Court Holds Old Nonresident Carry Licensing Scheme Unconstitutional But Upholds New Law

Wednesday, March 12, 2025

MA Supreme Judicial Court Holds Old Nonresident Carry Licensing Scheme Unconstitutional But Upholds New Law

On March 11, the Supreme Judicial Court of Massachusetts issued two decisions concerning the Commonwealth’s firearms carry licensing scheme for nonresidents.

New Mexico: Semi-Auto Ban Legislation Held Over in Committee Until Friday

Thursday, March 6, 2025

New Mexico: Semi-Auto Ban Legislation Held Over in Committee Until Friday

Yesterday the New Mexico Senate Judiciary Committee met to continue discussions on Senate Bill 279 (GoSAFE). The author did not accept the committee substitute to amend the near all-encompassing ban on semi-auto firearms with equally ...

Washington Post Pivot to “Personal Liberties and Free Markets” Sparks Skepticism

News  

Monday, March 10, 2025

Washington Post Pivot to “Personal Liberties and Free Markets” Sparks Skepticism

Jeff Bezos, owner of The Washington Post, recently announced to the staff of the newspaper that the publication’s opinion section would henceforth be advocating for “personal liberties and free markets” without contradiction. “I am of ...

Third Circuit Denies Rehearing En Banc in Case Recognizing Carry Rights of Young Adults

Wednesday, March 5, 2025

Third Circuit Denies Rehearing En Banc in Case Recognizing Carry Rights of Young Adults

On February 26, the Third Circuit denied a petition for rehearing en banc in Lara v. Paris. That case involves a challenge to Pennsylvania’s law banning 18-to-20-year-olds from carrying firearms during a state of emergency.

Maine: Progressive Lawmaker Believes There Are No Deer in Northern Maine.

News  

Wednesday, March 5, 2025

Maine: Progressive Lawmaker Believes There Are No Deer in Northern Maine.

This week, extreme anti-hunting lawmakers testified to restrict coyote hunting in Maine.

MORE TRENDING +
LESS TRENDING -

More Like This From Around The NRA

NRA ILA

Established in 1975, the Institute for Legislative Action (ILA) is the "lobbying" arm of the National Rifle Association of America. ILA is responsible for preserving the right of all law-abiding individuals in the legislative, political, and legal arenas, to purchase, possess and use firearms for legitimate purposes as guaranteed by the Second Amendment to the U.S. Constitution.