gunbaNObama

The NRA has started airing an ad in the Western swing states accusing Obama of wanting to criminalize people who use guns to defend their sleeping children from intruders. It follows this spot, a truly masterful exercise in button-pushing that manages to incorporate both gas prices and an angry hunter:

What's ironic about the cameo appearance of gas prices in this ad is that domestic oil and gas drilling --  the generic Republican answer to pain at the pump -- is probably the biggest single threat to hunting in the United States. This offers a golden opportunity for traditional environmental groups to get together with hook-and-bullet groups -- but only if environmental groups can escape being tied to the Democratic party, or the Democratic party can avoid being painted as anti-gun. That's exactly what Hal Herring's excellent article in this week's HCN argues that the Democrats need to do.