One of its former regional political directors charges the National
Rifle Association with being "a cynical, mercenary political
cult."Feldman, an avowed supporter of the right to bear arms,
thought he had landed the perfect job when the NRA hired him in
1984 as a state liaison for its lobbying arm. Within about three
years, however, he ran into serious conflicts with his boss, whom
he depicts as a narrow-minded functionary jealous of his successes
in the field. Feldman was forced to quit, but his subsequent
position with the firearm industry's trade association kept him in
touch with the NRA; he was a political consultant for the
organization in both New Jersey and Virginia and later coordinated
efforts to defeat the Brady Bill on Capitol Hill. The scope of
these campaigns and his personal role in them are detailed with
gusto. Feldman provides a capsule history of the NRA from its
19th-century sporting origins through its burst of growth after
World War II and its emergence as a powerful lobbying force in the
1970s. He devotes considerable attention to internal struggles for
control and to the advertising agency that became its in-house
public-affairs department. His major complaint is what he sees as
the organization's manipulation of members in order to enhance its
political power and enrich its senior executives. It is not, he
claims, interested in solutions to problems, but in prolonging
conflict over issues. Citing its reaction to such events as the
1984 Bernhard Goetz shooting in a New York subway and the shootout
at the Branch Davidian compound near Waco, Texas, he concludes that
the NRA relishes fights with anti-gun groups because such
controversies increase membership and stimulate contributions.
Throughout, Feldman pulls no punches, naming names and calling
names.A breezy, easy-to-read expose, though the author's staunch
pro-firearms position may alienate readers who are anti-gun as well
as anti-NRA. (Kirkus Reviews)
An NRA insider exposes the hidden aims and tactics of America's
most notorious special interest group. The National Rifle
Association is the most feared lobbying powerhouse in America,
known for its aggressive tactics and intensely secretive culture.
In this revealing, controversial book, lifetime NRA member and
former lobbyist Richard Feldman unmasks the inner workings,
influence, and goals of this political behemoth, from internecine
warfare, media manipulation, and executive bankrolling to gun
control bills and school massacres. Richard Feldman (Rindge, NH) is
a former Reagan White House appointee to the Commerce Department.
He became the regional political director for the National Rifle
Association in the 1980s and served as chief lobbyist and spokesman
for the firearm industry's national trade association in the '90s.
He is the founder of MLS Communications and is a top political and
public affairs consultant.
General
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