Originally posted by the Voice of America.
Voice of America content is produced by the Voice of America,
a United States federal government-sponsored entity, and is in
the public domain.


               US Presidential Candidates Graded on Gun Positions

   by Carol Guensburg

   Candidates, in national and state races, covet, fear or scorn grades
   given by the National Rifle Association for their positions on
   firearms. Marks for 2016 presidential contenders will be issued once
   the political parties have chosen their nominees.

   But some candidates previously have been graded.

   Among Republicans, [1]Jeb Bush earned an A+ rating as Florida's
   governor by authorizing the nation's first "stand your ground" law in
   2005. [2]Ted Cruz got the top rating as a U.S. senator from Texas.
   [3]Chris Christie collected a C as governor of New Jersey, a heavily
   Democratic state with some of the nation's most [4]restrictive gun
   laws. Christie said he's seeking "the right balance" between public
   safety and gun rights and, in his concurrent quest for the White House,
   in November [5]vetoed a measure to toughen a ban on firearms possession
   by convicted domestic violence offenders.

   Among top Democrats, Hillary Clinton earned the NRA's F rating as a
   U.S. senator from New York for, among other things, voting to reverse
   gun manufacturers' immunity from lawsuits. (She was [6]endorsed by two
   prominent gun control groups in January; husband Bill Clinton, as
   president, signed an assault weapons ban in 1994 that expired a decade
   later.) Senator Bernie Sanders of Vermont [7]boasted of a D-minus
   rating from the NRA for supporting background checks and opposing the
   gun show loophole.

   Sanders, who represents a largely rural state, has drawn some liberals'
   criticism for his [8]votes on guns. He has said his position is more
   nuanced.
     __________________________________________________________________

   [9]http://www.voanews.com/content/candidates-graded-on-gun-positions/31
   61993.html

References

   1. http://www.tampabay.com/blogs/the-buzz-florida-politics/jeb-bush-to-highlight-record-on-gun-rights----including-stand-your-ground/2224952
   2. https://www.quora.com/What-does-the-NRA-think-of-Ted-Cruz-and-why
   3. http://www.newsmax.com/Politics/chris-christie-gun-rights-republicans-nra/2015/04/16/id/638970/
   4. http://gunlawscorecard.org/
   5. http://www.nj.com/politics/index.ssf/2015/11/christie_vetoes_gun_control_bill_backed_by_gabby_g.html
   6. http://thehill.com/regulation/265531-clinton-wins-brady-campaigns-endorsement
   7. http://www.ontheissues.org/2016/Bernie_Sanders_Gun_Control.htm
   8. http://www.politifact.com/truth-o-meter/statements/2015/jul/10/generation-forward-pac/did-bernie-sanders-vote-against-background-checks-/
   9. http://www.voanews.com/content/candidates-graded-on-gun-positions/3161993.html