Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney mentioned guns only once in his speech to the National Rifle Association convention, which may have reflected a reluctance on Romney’s part to delve into his record on firearms or credentials as an outdoorsman, which has generated criticism in the past, the St. Louis Post-Dispatch reports. While running against Sen. Ted Kennedy in 1994, Romney supported the Brady Bill, which instituted background checks on gun purchases, and a federal assault weapons ban.
Later, during his first campaign for president, Romney said he had been a hunter “pretty much all my life.” It was later revealed that, at the time, he had been hunting only twice. Rick Santorum, Newt Gingrich, and Republican governors Bobby Jindal (LA), Rick Perry (TX), and Scott Walker (WI) also addressed the NRA convention. NRA leaders were blistering in their criticism of President Obama. “When the sun goes down on Election Day, Barack Obama will have us to thank for his defeat,” said NRA executive vice president Wayne LaPierre.