Earlier this week, Wayne LaPierre, the executive vice president of the National Rifle Association, wrote a remarkable editorial for The Daily Caller entitled “Stand and Fight,” filled with the kind of paranoia and fear-mongering that he has become so well known for. My assistant, Jennifer Mascia, and I decided it would be a useful exercise to annotate it, a kind of fact-checking exercise for our readers.

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Really? The Violence Policy Center estimated that since 2005, gun manufacturers have contributed up to $38.9 million to the N.R.A., with some estimates reaching $52.6 million. Business Insider reported in January that while the N.R.A. began as a grassroots social club that prided itself on independence from corporate influence, today less than half of the N.R.A.'s revenues come from program fees and membership dues. The bulk of the group's money now comes in the form of contributions, grants, royalty income, and advertising, much of it originating from gun industry sources. The N.R.A. also made 10 percent of its revenue from selling advertising to industry companies marketing products in its many publications in 2010. Some companies, such as Crimson Trace and Sturm Ruger, donate portions of sales directly to the N.R.A.

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Oh, please. Conservatives have their favorite billionaires, who, all in all, have vastly outspent wealthy liberals since the Supreme Court deregulated political spending. What's more, the N.R.A. far and away outspends any other gun lobbying group, to the tune of $250 million. Pro-gun groups spent roughly $550 million promoting their cause in 2010, while anti-gun groups, including the Brady Center to Prevent Gun Violence and Mayors Against Illegal Guns, spent only around $6 million. Where LaPierre is right is that Bloomberg, who is worth an estimated $25 billion, is passionate about gun control, and could well decide that is where he should spend his money next year when he departs City Hall. No wonder LaPierre is worried.