NRA Challenged By Bloomberg Campaign
WHITFIELD: The annual meeting of the National Rifle Association is under way. Members are already looking ahead to the 2016 presidential race and what they see as a potential threat to their gun rights. They also face a challenge right now. A new gun control campaign, bank rolled by former New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg. CNN's Alexandra Field joins us now from New York. All right, looks like the NRA does have a big fight on its hands? He is pretty powerful in this area.</s>ALEXANDRA FIELD, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Absolutely. We haven't seen him back down from a fight yet. It doesn't look like that will start now and former New York City Mayor Mike Bloomberg announced an effort for gun control policies. You knew the gun rights advocates at the NRA would have something to say, but they waited for their annual weekend conference and now we are seeing the NRA Executive Vice President Wayne Lapierre going on the offensive in front of a big crowd.</s>WAYNE LAPIERRE, NRA EXECUTIVE VICE PRESIDENT: You know, Bloomberg about to spend $50 million to beat us in November. He said he would do everything he could with all of his 50 million, to confront and defeat the NRA. Well, here is our response.</s>UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Michael Bloomberg says he has $15 million to attack my gun rights. Well, I have $25 to protect them.</s>UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I've got $25.</s>UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I've got $25, too.</s>UNIDENTIFIED MALE: He is one guy with millions. We're millions with our 25 bucks.</s>FIELD: : All right, a slew of Republican speakers are also taking the stage this weekend in Indianapolis among them some potential Republican presidential hopefuls. Some of the speakers criticize the Obama administration's stand on gun policy. All of them trying to drum up support for Republicans before 2016.</s>SEN. MARCO RUBIO (R), FLORIDA: Our president should take comfort because in 32 months he can return home to live in the anti-gun utopia that is Chicago.</s>RICK SANTORUM (R), FORMER PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: We are gun owners. All of us. We like to shoot. We like to hunt and very importantly, we like to protect ourselves, our families and our homes.</s>GOV. BOBBY JINDAL (R), LOUISIANA: The same liberal extremists want to take our guns are the same forces that want to take away our religious liberty or same forces don't think we are smart enough to pick our health care or which sodas we want to drink or food we want to eat. (</s>END VIDEO CLIP FIELD: Every year it is a massive event for the NRA. The convention lasts through the weekend and expected to draw some 70,000 people. Tonight, Fred, we'll hear from Sarah Palin.</s>WHITFIELD: All right, Alexandra Field, thank you so much in New York with that. Meantime, a new law in one state will let people carry guns into possibly churches and bars. It is stirring up a major controversy. Is the law a life saver or will it lead to deadly consequences? Our legal guys weigh in next.