http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/main.jhtml?xml=/news/2007/09/22/wus122.xmlRepublican presidential candidates have wooed members of the National Rifle Association, the most powerful pro-gun group in the United States, whose support can make or break a bid for the White House.
Rudy Giuliani, the frontrunner for the party's nomination, braved an audience that still treats him with suspicion for once calling the National Rifle Association
"extremists" and for introducing a lawsuit while mayor of New York aimed at curbing the firearms industry. Addressing the audience of 2,000, who hold gun ownership to be an inalienable right, he said: "There are a few things we disagree about but there are more than a few things we have in common, such as protecting the constitution and protecting the rights of law-abiding citizens."
Howard Pollock, the former NRA president, said he appreciated Mr Giuliani's appearance but doubted that he had changed any minds. The group's endorsement could prove crucial in determining who represents the party in the 2008 election.
Senator John McCain of Arizona took a clear shot at Mr Giuliani, telling delegates: "My friends, gun owners are not extremists, you are the core of modern America." Fred Thompson, the Law & Order actor and former senator, was on safer ground than Mr Guiliani, who he is running a close second for the Republican nomination.
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