WASHINGTON - September 7 - The Coalition to Stop Gun Violence (CSGV) today responded to the tortured and misleading accusation offered by Internet scribe Matt Drudge over John Kerry's acceptance of a firearm.

At a campaign stop in Racine, WV, United Mine Workers (UMW) President Cecil Roberts presented Kerry with a Remington shotgun. Underneath a photo of Kerry with the gun, Drudge asked on his website, "Was Dem presidential hopeful John Kerry seen this weekend waving a gun which would have been banned if legislation he co-sponsored became law?"

The answer is no, he was not.

Drudge erroneously reported that the firearm Kerry accepted was a Browning Auto-5. In actuality, it was a Remington 1100 Sporting 12, a popular hunting rifle.

More importantly, S. 1431, the legislation Drudge refers to, in no way affects legitimate hunting weapons like the Remington presented to Kerry. The bill only outlaws military-style firearms, the guns of choice for criminals.

Josh Horwitz, Executive Director of the Coalition to Stop Gun Violence, had this to say: "This dog won't hunt. It's clear that Matt Drudge is now getting story ideas from the gun lobby, an even less reliable source than the folks who peddled him the Alexandra Polier lies. Even when spoon-fed the story, Drudge still managed to misidentify the firearm in question.

"John Kerry supports banning military-style assault weapons, not handguns and hunting rifles. If Drudge is interested in stirring controversy, perhaps he should ask why the President is flip-flopping on assault weapons: supporting the ban with words, but refusing to lift a finger to save it before it expires this Monday."

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