NRA ups the Nevada ante

With its usual exquisite political timing, the National Rifle Association chose the day after Donald Trump suggested gun owners kill Hillary Clinton to announce it would spend $3 million to attack her in Nevada broadcast messages. Its news release read in part:

“The National Rifle Association Political Victory Fund (NRA-PVF) today launched a new $3 million TV ad buy making the case that Hillary Clinton is an out of touch, hypocritical politician who would leave the American people defenseless. This ad helps highlight the fact that the right of law-abiding Americans to keep a firearm in their homes for self-protection is on the ballot in this presidential election. The ad, titled ‘Defenseless,’ began airing this week on national cable as well as local broadcast stations in key battleground states, including Pennsylvania, Ohio, Nevada and North Carolina.”

The NRA is already active in a campaign against a Nevada ballot measure calling for background checks, so it will probably put a fair amount of capital into the state’s economy this year. The group has opened a Las Vegas office and is running television spots in the campaign, which have pitted some law enforcement officers against domestic violence victims.

Last week gun advocates got wide publicity for announcing that all sheriffs but one in Nevada are opposing Question One. The one—Clark County Sheriff Joe Lombardo, who represents most Nevadans—has said he will remain silent on the issue. However, his undersheriff Kevin McMahill is speaking out against the measure and is featured on the NRA website.

Of course, in Nevada the NRA acronym might first call to mind the casino lobby—Nevada Resort Association.