Even gun giveaways aren’t enough for the National Rifle Association.
The NRA announced its support on Wednesday for incumbent Republican Sen. John Cornyn over challenger Steve Stockman, the tea partier famous for raffling an AR-15 rifle and sending outrageous tweets about abortion.
“The choice is clear for law-abiding gun owners and sportsmen in the U.S. Senate Republican primary election in Texas, and that choice is John Cornyn,” said Chris Cox, chairman of the group’s Political Victory Fund. “We urge all NRA members and like-minded supporters to vote John Cornyn for U.S. Senate.” He also noted the senator’s “A+ rating” on gun issues.
The support from the powerful lobbying group adds heft to Cornyn’s campaign, already millions of dollars ahead in fundraising with a $7 million war chest compared to Stockman’s $32,000.
In an effort to earn some extra dough, Stockman unveiled Obama “barf bags” for sale on his website Tuesday. For a $10 donation, voters will receive a bag with the president’s face on it accompanied by the tagline, “Socialism Makes Me SICK!”
Earlier in the year, he also offered bumper stickers reading, “If babies had guns, they wouldn’t be aborted.”
Stockman entered the Texas Senate race in the 11th-hour and he’s got a long way to go against the second-highest ranking Republican in the Senate. A GOP-leaning poll showed Stockman trailing Cornyn by 44 points.
Early voting in the Texas primary begins on March 4.
Sarah Muller