Giuliani takes 'surprise call' from wife during speech.Members of the powerful US National Rifle Association (NRA) on Friday grilled presidential hopefuls on how far they would go to protect Americans' right to bear arms.
"We believe that God, guns and guts made our country free and we're fighting to keep all three," NRA member Ray Oostdyk, from Virginia, said in between speeches mainly by Republican contenders vying for their party's nomination for the 2008 presidential election, including Rudy Giuliani.
"The NRA speaks for the gun owner, the American patriot who still supports the premises our founding fathers created this country upon," added John Jenkins, who had traveled from the midwestern state of Indiana to be at the convention, called "Celebration of American Values".The politicians present -- mainly Republican presidential candidates, a lone Democratic hopeful, Bill Richardson, and several high ranking conservatives including former attorney general John Ashcroft and former house speaker Newt Gingrich -- pandered to the crowd of more than 500.
Republican White House hopeful John McCain praised NRA members' sophistication.
"You are the core of the modern United States," he said, massaging the egos of the predominantly male, white audience.
The senator from Arizona stressed his unwavering support for every American's right to bear arms -- even those who want to carry an assault weapon.
"I see no sense in banning firearms based on their physical features," McCain said.
Republican Fred Thompson played hard on the family values angle, pointing out his wife and mother-in-law in the audience. He also stressed that he has long backed the ideals of the NRA.
Giuliani's attempt to woo the votes of the NRA, which claims to have more than four million members, meant glossing over his past opposition to the gun lobby.
"I believe public safety is one of the most fundamental rights that people have. Rights are based on a having a reasonable degree of safety and the right to bear arms is based on a reasonable degree of safety," he said.
Giuliani also stressed the importance of law enforcement in ensuring security, and cited his success in drastically cutting crime in New York during his tenure as mayor.
But he failed to mention that he was instrumental in bringing a lawsuit against gun manufacturers for reckless marketing when he was mayor of New York.
The crowd reminded him of it in a question-and-answer session, to which all the would-be candidates were subjected.
"What I was doing at the time was taking advantage of every law to reduce crime in New York City," Giuliani replied, adding: "I don't agree with (the lawsuit) at this point."
The second amendment in the US constitution's bill of rights pins the right to bear arms on the need to have a "well regulated militia" to ensure national security.
NRA members told AFP that they believe law-abiding, licensed gun-carriers are a deterrent to terrorists.
"If someone with a concealed carry permit (the right to carry a gun) was on those airplanes, they could have stopped that. You should be able to take a gun onto an airplane," Oostdyk said in reference to the Al-Qaeda-hijacked planes that struck the World Trace Center and Pentagon on September 11. 2001.
"If the terrorists had guns too, that's OK, because they wouldn't be able to pull them. If there were three or four other people (with concealed guns) and they didn't know who they were, they wouldn't have known who else was armed."
Jenkins said: "The public doesn't need to fear from everyone having a gun because when everyone has a gun, we live in peace.
"What stops a lot of people (from committing gun crimes) is that they don't know who else has a gun.
"I might not have a gun, but you don't know that so you probably won't try to accost me," he said.
During his speech, Giuliani paused to answer his ringing cell phone, in what appeared to be a pre-arranged bit, but a spokesman later called "a spontaneous moment on the campaign trail." If prearranged, the routine was a strange one, in that the former New York City mayor had once referred to NRA members as "extremists" in a 2005 interview with PBS's Charlie Rose, and still has a ways to go to woo the important GOP base.
Excerpts from Washington Post blog:
"Hello dear," he said, apparently talking to his wife, Judith Giuliani. "I'm talking to the members of the NRA right now. Would you like to say hello?"
While the audience waited -- and waited -- patiently, Giuliani continued to talk to his wife.
"I love you," he said, smiling as he listened to the answer. "I'll call you as soon as I'm finished. Have a safe trip. Talk to you later. I love you."
As he put the phone away, he turned to the audience and added: "It's better that way," apparently a reference to the alternative -- letting his wife's call go to voicemail.
And then, as if nothing had happened, he launched back into his speech, earning tepid applause as he attempted to justify his gun control efforts as mayor.
