Will the NRA endorse Harry Reid

The National Rifle Association  is in unfamiliar terrain on the conservative firing range this election year: It’s the target.

The conservative Netroots are abuzz over the possibility that the NRA may endorse Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.). This would be the second major slight by the NRA for political conservatives — the gun group also just negotiated a big exemption on a campaign finance bill loathed by the right.

Conservatives say there’s a clear political calculation at work: If Reid loses, he’s almost certain to be succeeded as majority leader by a fierce gun-control advocate, either Illinois Sen. Dick Durbin or New York Sen. Chuck Schumer.

The NRA isn't even denying this line of reasoning but says it hasn’t made a decision about whether to endorse Reid.  “The Second Amendment and the National Rifle Association are always one bad incident away from politicians like Chuck Schumer and Dick Durbin exploiting their agenda of gun control,” said Andrew Arulanandam, an NRA spokesman.

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