Cuccinelli Brags About His ‘A’ NRA Rating At Site Of Mass Shooting Where 32 People Were Killed

BY JOSH ISRAEL ON OCTOBER 25, 2013 AT 9:52 AM

Virginia Attorney General Ken Cuccinelli II (R) boasted at Virginia Tech, site of the 2007 shootings that killed 32 people, that he opposed universal background checks and was proud of his “A” rating from the National Rifle Association. Terry McAuliffe, his Democratic opponent for Governor, vowed to support efforts to keep guns out of the hands of violent criminals and vowed to prioritize the safety of students over the group’s ratings.

In the final debate of the 2013 Virginia gubernatorial campaign Thursday, both candidates were asked whether they supported universal background checks for gun purchases — a concept supported by 92 percent of Virginians according to a January poll. McAuliffe told the Blacksburg, Virginia audience that, “as a parent (and) a spouse,” as a gun owner, and as a hunter, he supported both the Second Amendment and universal background checks. Noting the pin he was wearing in memory of the 2007 victims, McAuliffe said, “some people should not own guns.”

Cuccinelli responded by dismissing the need for background checks, telling the questioner, “none of what you’ve asked about would have affected that tragedy” at Virginia Tech. Cuccinelli then bragged that the National Rifle Association, which has steadfastly opposed against any efforts to check the criminal backgrounds of arms purchasers: