Candidates Quiet About Bush And Nra Dole Says He Won’t Drop Membership

Republican presidential candidates were reluctant to take a stand Thursday on former President Bush’s decision to quit the National Rifle Association.

Senate Majority Leader Bob Dole, the only NRA member in the presidential field, said through a spokesman that he “has concerns over the tone of some of the rhetoric in the NRA letter” that Bush cited in resigning.

But, said spokesman Nelson Warfield, “While Senator Dole respects President Bush very much, he has no plans to drop his membership in the NRA.”

Bush, in a letter released Wednesday, said he was deeply offended by NRA references to federal agents as “jack-booted government thugs” and quit the group.

Even though other Republican presidential candidates are not NRA members, they showed no enthusiasm for taking on the 3.5-million member organization that has expertise in grassroots political organizing and a campaign contribution budget approaching $2 million.

Sen. Phil Gramm of Texas, who on principle holds no memberships in groups with business before Congress, declined to discuss the Bush move.

Congressional Democrats, meanwhile, praised Bush and denounced the NRA for “disgusting propaganda.”

The NRA’s fierce criticism of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms has come under scrutiny since the bomb attack on the Oklahoma City federal building.

But reluctance to avoid offending a key conservative constituency is especially strong in the Republican primary battle where conservatives hold the key to the party’s nomination.

Patrick Buchanan, Bob Dornan, Arlen Specter, Dick Lugar and Lamar Alexander also were quiet Thursday.