Sheesh!

After that last post, my only question is, what would Baghdad Bob say now?

Because, it's official!

The NRA is now part of the news media:

WASHINGTON - The nation's gun lobby is creating an "NRA news" company that will produce a daily talk show for the Internet, buy a radio station and seek a television deal to spread its gun-rights message nationwide.

Looking for the same legal recognition as mainstream news organizations, the National Rifle Association says it has already hired its first reporter, a conservative talk radio host from Oklahoma. NRANews.com plans to start online broadcasts Friday.

The NRA is taking the step to operate free of political spending limits, hoping to use unlimited donations known as soft money to focus on gun issues and candidates' positions despite the law's restrictions on soft money-financed political ads within days of the election.

"If that's the only way to bring back the First Amendment, we're going to bring it back," Wayne LaPierre, NRA executive vice president, told The Associated Press. Under the nation's campaign finance law, he said, "if you own the news operation, you can say whatever you want. If you don't, you're gagged."

Senior Producer John Popp (who's working overtime right now at the NRA convention) says that the new show will be on the air from 2-5 tomorrow and Saturday. Listeners need only visit the NRA News website, and it's as easy as listening to Air America Radio.

Considering the many years of experience of their staff (John Popp has spent his life in radio and Senior Correspondent and newscaster Jeff Johnson is a professional news reporter and former radio program director), I'd venture that it will be easier and better!

Bloggers should particularly take notice of these intriguing remarks about the nature of the press:

"The wonderful thing about a free press is that anyone can publish his or her views," said Stuart Wilk, president of Associated Press Managing Editors and managing editor of the Dallas Morning News. "I think it's up to the reader to determine over time whether the information is credible, reliable and objective."

Larry Noble, head of the Center for Responsive Politics and former lead attorney for the Federal Election Commission (news - web sites), said that if the NRA operation has the trappings of a press entity — such as a radio outlet — it has a strong argument that it is one.

"The law does allow news media to editorialize and do commentary. It's the reason The New York Times can endorse candidates in its editorials," Noble said. "So in one sense they are not blazing new ground, but they are going into an area that's still forming and about which regulations are still being developed."

Can true blog radio be far behind?

UPDATE: For reasons best explained by him, Senator Kerry has seen the need to hold a major campaign event in Pittsburgh right now.

Kerry did not mention the gun issue during his appearance.