Fresh off victory, top US gun lobby has convention

The powerful U.S. gun lobby has spent much of the pastyear under siege, defending gun rights following mass shootings in Colorado andConnecticut and fighting mounting pressure for stricter laws across thecountry.

Now, after a major victory over President Barack Obama withthe defeat of a gun control bill in the U.S. Senate, the National RifleAssociation will gather in gun-friendly Texas this weekend for its annual convention.

"If you are an NRA member, you deserve to beproud," Wayne LaPierre, the NRA's brash chief executive wrote to theorganization's 5 million members last week, telling them they "exemplifyeverything that's good and right about America."

Obama pushed for ambitious gun control measures after 20young children and six adults were shot to death in December at a Connecticutschool by a gunman with a legally purchased high-powered rifle. But lawmakersin Congress, under pressure from the NRA and its vocal members, kept theproposals from moving forward.

NRA spokesman Andrew Arulanandam predicted the conventionwill draw the largest crowd in its history."The geography ishelpful," Arulanandam said. "The current (political) climatehelps."

The NRA couldn't have picked a friendlier place to refreshthe troops. More than 70,000 people are expected to attend the three-day"Stand and Fight"-themed event, which includes a gun trade show,political rally and strategy meeting.

Texas, with its frontier image and fierce sense ofindependence, is one of the strongest gun rights states in the country. Morethan 500,000 people are licensed to carry concealed handguns, including Gov.Rick Perry, who once bragged about shooting a coyote on a morning jog. Andconcealed handguns are allowed the state Capitol.

Friday's big event is a political forum with speeches fromseveral conservative leaders, including Perry, former Republican vicepresidential nominee Sarah Palin, former presidential candidate Rick Santorumand Sen. Ted Cruz, a Texas Republican who has become one of the topconservative voices in Washington since being elected last year. LaPierrespeaks to the convention on Saturday.

For NRA member Mike Cox, a concealed handgun licenseinstructor, the recent Senate vote showed not only the power of the NRA butdemonstrated the need to recruit more members.

"There's a lot of enthusiasm right now," Cox said."This isn't over by any means."

Gun control advocates say they will have a presence aroundthe convention, with plans for a vigil for victims of gun violence, a petitiondrive to support background checks for gun purchases and a Saturdaydemonstration outside the convention center.

Sandy Phillips, whose daughter was killed in the Coloradotheater shooting in July 2012, met privately with Cruz this week. She said Cruzrefused to budge on expanding background checks on gun purchases and told herhe considered it the first step toward government confiscation of guns.

"They're always good at saying the right thing, 'I'm sosorry for you loss and da da da da da,'" Phillips said. "If you'rereally sorry for my loss, do something about it."

Despite polls that show most Americans favor some expansionof background checks, Ladd Everitt, spokesman for the Coalition to Stop GunViolence, said a big challenge is matching the NRA's grassroots organizing.

"The NRA knows this issue is very much in play. Peoplewere sickened by that Senate vote," Everitt said.

Sen. Joe Manchin, a Democrat who has supported gun rights inthe past, has said he will re-introduce the bill to require criminal and mentalhealth background checks for gun buyers at gun shows and online.

And despite their loss in Congress, gun control advocateshave scored significant victories at the state level. Lawmakers in Coloradopassed new restrictions on firearms, including required background checks forprivate and online gun sales and a ban on ammunition magazines that hold morethan 15 rounds. Connecticut recently added more than 100 firearms to thestate's assault weapons ban and now requires background checks for private gunsales. Maryland and New York have passed sweeping new gun laws.

John Ridlehuber, a gun dealer, said NRA members see no roomfor compromise on new gun restrictions.

"We have capitulated in far too many places. We shouldnever give anything up again," Ridlehuber said. "We're not the badguys. We're the good guys."