Democrat lawmakers do appear at the NRA Convention; local Rep. Jason Altmire offer
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Sen. Joe Manchin, D-W.V., appeared in person, and as he turned up the folksiness to 11, it was easy to see the difficulty of the task that Republicans face against him. The NRA showed Manchin’s much-discussed campaign ad in which he shot a copy of the cap and trade legislation; moments later he admitted, “It took me a couple of tries to really hit in the sweet spot – but I did hit it!”

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Can see why Manchin does so well – easygoing demeanor, casual, seems authentic. He uses the words, “And I says,” instead of, “and I said,” when telling a hunting story.

Manchin also most directly addressed the perception that Democrats are the party of gun-grabbers. “There is a misperception that Democrats do not support the Second Amendment. But it is not a Democrat issue,and it is not a Republican issue. It is an American issue and it’s one we all should embrace.” Of course, the NRA grades tell a different story. Democrats from parts of the country that own plenty of guns, like West Virginia and Oklahoma, vote pro-gun while their counterparts from more urban states and districts do not.

There was an interesting, subtle contradiction from two of the Democrats.

I will defend the Second Amendment with good friend Sen. Jon Tester of Montana,” referring to one of the top targets of the GOP in the coming cycle.

He was followed by a taped message from Rep. Dan Boren, Democrat of Oklahoma and probably every conservative’s favorite member of that party. I note that Boren mentioned his work with “another strong supporter of the Second Amendment, Congressman Denny Rehberg of Montana.”

Of course, Tester’s expected GOP opponent is… Denny Rehberg.