, the national rifle association preparing right now to break its silence. live picture now from washington. that's where they're going to speak. wayne lapierre is going to speak, the head of the nra. we got a warning two minutes ago that it would be two minutes. we're waiting for him to show up. the nra is america's premiere gun rights lobby. it may be facing its biggest challenge in years as many americans shocked, they were shocked by newtown and they're calling for tougher restrictions on guns and ammunition, and while we wait for the group's executive director to appear, wayne lapierre, i want to bring in several of my colleagues now. first off, wolf blitzer is here, jessica yellin is at the white house, dana bash on capitol hill, and jeffrey toobin is in new york for us. as we wait, wolf, let's start with you. is this, in fact, a turning point for guns in america? do you think we'll hear anything like that in this press conference? >> i know a lot of attitudes have hardened as a result of what has happened over the past week in newtown, connecticut. yo

many gathered in the rain outside the school to pay respects. >>> the head of the national rifle association layed out a plan to stop the killings. ktvu's eric rasmussen found one man who is leading a different fight to treat gun violence as a public health epidemic. >> reporter: he is one of hundreds of petitions that sprung up since the tragedy at sandy hook elementary school. >> reporter: as the national rifle association took the podium in washington. >> the only thing that stop as bad guy with a gun is a good guy with a gun. >> reporter: he was pushing a different solution. >> there are 30,000 people who die every year from gun violence. same number who die from car crashes. the centers for disease control researches car crashes and barely looks at guns. >> reporter: he and others are asking the centers for disease control to research and measure the magnitude of gun violence in america. the national rifle association lobbied lawmakers to cut centers for disease control funding. >> something so terrible happened that people are saying we got to do something. this is not acceptable. >> r

many gathered in the rain outside the school to pay respects. >>> the head of the national rifle association layed out a plan to stop the killings. ktvu's eric rasmussen found one man who is leading a different fight to treat gun violence as a public health epidemic. >> reporter: he is one of hundreds of petitions that sprung up since the tragedy at sandy hook elementary school. >> reporter: as the national rifle association took the podium in washington. >> the only thing that stop as bad guy with a gun is a good guy with a gun. >> reporter: he was pushing a different solution. >> there are 30,000 people who die every year from gun violence. same number who die from car crashes. the centers for disease control researches car crashes and barely looks at guns. >> reporter: he and others are asking the centers for disease control to research and measure the magnitude of gun violence in america. the national rifle association lobbied lawmakers to cut centers for disease control funding. >> something so terrible happened that people are saying we got to do something. this is not acceptable. >> r

wayne laperriere, the executive vice president of the national rifle association cited the presence of armed and trained security officers at banks, courthouses, power plants, defense installations as well as the firearms that are carried by secret service and capitol police to protect the president and you al our lawmakers. >> what if, wn adam lanza started shooting his way into sandy hook elementary school last friday, he had been confronted by qualified, armed security? we would at least admit it's possible that 26 little kids, that 26 innocent lives might have been spared that day? >> the nra also retained asa hutchinson, former u.s. attorney, congressman and homeland security official, to develop a model school safety plan focused on issues of design and access control and training for students and educators alike that the group could, said could be tailored by any school to suit its% individual needs. lou. lou: james, the two sides in this gun control debate, are now, if you will forgive the expression, they're arme up and going at it and getting ready for major confrontation. is

wayne laperriere, the executive vice president of the national rifle association cited the presence of armed and trained security officers at banks, courthouses,power plants, defense installations as well as the firearms that are carried by secret service and capitol police to protect the president and you al our lawmakers. >> what if, when adam lanza started shooting his way into sandy hook elementary school last friday, he had been confronted by qualified, armed security? we would at least admit it's possible that 26 little kids, that 26 innocent lives might have been spared that day? >> the nra also retained asa hutchinson, former u.s. attorney, congressman and homeland security official, to develop a model school safety plan focused on issues of design and access control and training for students and educators alike that the group could, said could be tailored by any school to st its% individual needs. lou. lou: james, the two sides in this gun control debate, are now, if you will forgive the expression, they're armed up and going at it and getting ready for major confrontation. is

the president of the national rifle association, david keene, and ben affleck on separate topics but both on "face the nation." >> osgood: bob schieffer in washington. they say a third of us in this country are traveling someplace this weekend and that two-thirds are staying someplace and that

the national rifle association says the best way to prevent school shootings like the one in newtown, connecticut, is to put an armed police officer in every school. tara mergener with more. good morning. >> good morning. it's a controversial idea in the middle of an already emotional and heated debate now raging across the country. they marched across the brooklyn bridge asking for new gun control laws. there were demonstrations outside a gun shop in a washington, d.c., suburb. >> to allow these guns for no other purpose than to murder and slautder innocent people and children is insane. >> it's made it one of the hottest selling items of this christmas. >> two weeks ago you could have bought one gun for, you know, $1,400. now it's $2500, $2,700. >> the debate is just as heated here on capitol hill. the nra says it will fight any new restrictions. >> what every mom and dad will make them feel better, when they drop their kid off at school in january is if we have a police officer in that school. >> the reaction to that plan is mixed among parents we spoke with. >> i think any effort

wayne laperriere, the executive vice president of the national rifle association cited the presence of armed and trained security officers at banks, courthouses, power plants, defense installations as well as the firearms that are carried by secret service and capitol police to protect the president and you al our lawmakers. >> what if, when adam lanza started shooting his way into sandy hook elementary school last friday, he had been confronted by qualified, armed security? we would at least admit it's possible that 26 little kids, that 26 innocent lives might have been spared that day? >> the nra also retained asa hutchinson, former u.s. attorney, congressman and homeland security official, to develop a model school safety plan focused on issues of design and access control and training for students and educators alike that the group could, said could be tailored by any school to suit its% individual needs. lou. lou: james, the two sides in this gun control debate, are now, if you will forgive the expression, they're armed up and going at it and getting ready for major confrontation.

wayne laperriere, the executive vice president of the national rifle association cited the presence of armed and trained security officers at banks, courthouses, power plants, defense installations as well as the firearms that are carried by secret service and capitol police to protect the president and you al our lawmakers. >> what if, when adam lanza started shooting his way into sandy hook elementary school last friday, he had been confronted by qualified, armed security? we would at least admit it's possible that 26 little kids, that 26 innocent lives might have been spared that day? >> the nra also retained asa hutchinson, former u.s. attorney, congressman and homeland security official, to develop a model school safety plan focused on issues of design and access control and training for students and educators alike that the group could, said could be tailored by any school to suit its% individual needs. lou. lou: james, the two sides in this gun control debate, are now, if you willforgive the expression, they're armed up and going at it and getting ready for major confrontation.

national rifle association as one of the most powerful lobby groups in the country. with 4 million members and carries a lot of weight in political circles. since the new town shooting, there have been calls to ban military-style semiautomatic weapons. opinion among politicians is as divided as in the country. >> trying to prevent shootings in schools without talking about guns is like trying to prevent lung cancer without talking about cigarettes. >> i do not suggest we ban every move -- movie with a gun with it and any video which is violent and i did not suggest you take my rights to buy an ar-15 away from me. >> according to data, more than 21 the people today are shot in the united states. these are some of the headlines from just the past week. four people killed in a shooting in belair county, pennsylvania. three-hour standoff in topeka, kansas, and with a man shot dead. a high-school student in oklahoma charged with making guns threats against a local school. the white house task force on gun-control reports in january congress may take up some sort of gun co

the national rifle association, four million mothers, fathers, sons and daughters, joined the nation in horror, outrage, grief and earnest prayer for the families of newtown, connecticut. who have suffered such an incomprehensible loss as a result of this unspeakable crime. out of respect for the families and until the facts are known, the nra has refrained from comment. while some have tried to exploit tragedy for political gain, we have remained respectively silent. now we must speak for the safety of our nation's children. because for all the noise and anger directed at us over the past week, no one, nobody has addressed the most important, pressing and immediate question we face: how do we protect our children right now, starting today, in a way that we know works? the only way to answer that question is to face the truth. politicians pass laws for gun-free school zones, they issue press releases bragging about them, they post signs advertising them, and in doing so they tell every insane killer in america that schools are the safest place to inflict maximum mayhem with minimum r

the fifth straight day for the victims of last ek's massacre. >>> the national rifle association chose today to make its first public comment, laying out itslan to keep america's schoolchildren out of harm's way. their answer? armed guards in schools all across the country. fox news chief washington correspondent james rosen joins us now for the report. james? >> lou, good evening. wayne laperriere, the executive vice president of the national rifle association cited the presence of armed and trained security officers at banks, courthouses, power plants, defense installations as well as the firearms that are carried by secret service and capitol police to protect the president and you al our lawmakers. >> what if, when adam lan started shooting his way into sandy hook elementary school last friday, he had been confronted by qualified, ard security? we would at least admit it's possible that 26 little kids, that 26 innocent lives might have been spared that day? >> the nra also retained asa hutchinson, former u.s. attorney, congressman and homeland security official, to develop a model

of the national rifle association? >> well, wayne lapierre works for the gun manufacturers. he really doesn't represent the majority of the members who are far more sane and responsible than the leadership is. you know, if you -- there is 125,000 public schools in the country. a security guard at 50,000 with benefits per year, that's $6.25 billion. do you think the nra would be willing to tax its guns and ammunition in order to pay that? i doubt it. but more importantly, ed, do we really want our children to grow up into a world where the first thing they see when they cross the school threshold is a military-style assault weapon carried by somebody with a weapon, a vest and dressed in a s.w.a.t. uniform? i mean, it seems to me -- i know that's the world the nra envisions. but it seems to me we're so much better than that. that's not the world we want our children to grow up into. and it's time for this country to say no to the nra. the fact that you have 19 times greater likelihood of being killed by a firearm in the

it holds five. >> reporter: even the national rifle association chimed in to say the nra is prepared to offer meaningful contributions to make sure that this never happens again. white house spokesman james carnie says the white house will actively support a bill to reinstate the assault rifle ban that expired in 2004. terrell. >> thank you so much. >>> meanwhile we're learning more about the gunman, 20-year-old adam lanza. authorities say it's unlikely they'll be able to retrieve information from lanza's computer. it was too badly damaged. and federal agents say lanza practiced target shooting with his mother at the local gun ranges. >>> a scholarship has been set up at the university of connecticut. it will help pay the college costs for sandy hook students who choose to attend uconn. students of the victims and a children of adult victims will also be available. >>> this morning a major winter-like storm -- it isn't officially winter until friday, but that storm moving from the northwest and to the plains and will likely affect holiday travel. the winter storm warnings and watches

the national rifle association is a natural choice to sponsor the program. there are programs that set the standards for well over a century. over the past 25 years, there comes a program has caught 26 million kids that real guns are not toys and today, the child gun accidents are at the lowest levels ever recorded. school safety is a complex issue, with a simple single solution. i believe trained, qualified, armed security is a key component among many that can provide the first line of defense and the last line of defense. i welcome the opportunity to participate in this potentially lifesaving effort. thank you very much. >> as i indicated at the outset, this is the beginning of a serious conversation. we will not be taking questions today. our public affairs officer is here. a text of the speech is available on our website. want to think all of you for being with us and i look forward to answering your questions next week. >> after the nra briefing, senators dianne feinstein and richard blumenthal spoke to reporters. >> there have been a lot of lawmakers

wayne laperriere, the executive vice president of the national rifle association cited the presence of armed and trained security officers at banks, courthouses, power plants, defense installations as well as the firearms that are carried by secret service and capitol police to protect the president and you al our lawmaks. >> what if, when adam lanza started shooting his way into sandy hook elentary school last friday, he had been confronted by qualified, armed security? we would at least admit it's possible that 26 little kids, that 26 innocent lives might have been spared that day? >> the nra also retained asa hutchinson, former u.s. attorney, congressman and homeland security official, to develop a modelchool safety plan focused on issues of design and access control and training for students and educators alike that the group could, said coulde tailored by any school to suit its% individual needs. lou. lou: james, the two sides in this gun control debate, are now, if you will forgive the expression, they're armed up and going at it and getting ready for major confrontation. is ther

negotiations. >> coming up the national rifle associates. followed by reaction to the nsm r.a. briefing from senator democrats. later, education secretary talks about safety in schools. tomorrow on "washington journal" we'll look at the so-called fiscal cliff. with "washington times" political editor. our guest is steven moore with "the wall street journal" leek then a look back at the columbine shooting. with the author of "columbine". >> if you work for them you would get a sometimes generous, sometimes overbearing, sometimes almost cruel boss. he didn't know how to apologize. which men of his age and class, they are not going to apologize to a young private secretary typist and he had a way of, sort of turning the tables and his version of an apology would be to say i'm a kind man and you are doing a good job today. but the issue was never settled. he always had to get the last word in. one night going through white hall a german bomb fell nearby and he should not have been out at all. his bodyguard pushed him into a doorway and a couple

protestorses toled with security outside the national rifle association event. inside two protestors disrupted proceedings twice. the n.r.a. is a powerful lobby inner the constitutional rights to bear arms. n.r.a. speakers marked the start of a serious national conversation to prevent school shootings. their main idea, more guns in schools. >> the only way -- the only way to stop a monster from killing our kids is to be personally involved and informsed in a plan of absolutely protection. the only thing that stops a bad guy with a gun is a good guy with a gun. >> the n.r.a. is launching a national school shield program to work with schools to beef up security on sight. >> i call on congress today to act immediately to appropriate whatever is necessary to put armed police officers in every single school in this nation. >> this was less of a press conference, more like an n.r.a. event to which the media had been invited. journalists tried to find out if their this conversation would involve working directly be the white house. the leadership refused to answer sayi

heard. >> the national rifle association. >> reporter: wayne lapierre, the long-time executive vice president of the nra, took to the podium in washington just an hour or so after the national moment of remembrance. for a week, the nra had been silent, uncharacteristically silent as their opponents lambasted them. >> change, change, change! >> reporter: today, lapierre fired back. >> the only thing that stops a bad guy with a gun is a good guy with a gun. but since when did the gun automatically become a bad word? i call on congress today to act immediately to appropriate whatever is necessary to put armed police officers in every single school in this nation. >> reporter: it was the classic nra crisis response. no retreat. no surrender. the answer to gun violence is, more guns, lapierre said, and rerailed against the very notion of gun-free school zones. >> they tell every insane killer in america that schools are the safest place to inflict maximum mayhem with minimum risk. >> reporter: lapierre really had another mission. blame. it's not guns, he argued, it's -- >> blood-soaked f

national rifle association. their idea seems basically to be just add armed security to all of our nations' schools. do you think that's feasible or is it a good idea? >> the president has just established a committee to take a serious, holistic look at what we need to do as a nation to make sure that our kids are safe. to rush to judgment, i think, is a bit premature on what we should do. i think after we have the commit's report, we should take a very serious look at whatever it takes to keep our kids safe at school. we don't know what that is yet. we're just finishing the week of so many funerals, we should-- we should continue to pray for the family members. >> schieffer: but would you be in favor of changing some laws, like, for example, banning these assault weapons? >> i would love to see what comes out of the committee. i think with vice president biden putting together a holistic approach to the challenges we face as a nation, looking at the opportunity we have to seriously address all the issues from m

of the national rifle association? >> well, wayne lapierre works for the gun manufacturers. he really doesn't represent the majority of the members who are far more sane and responsible than the leadership is. you know, if you -- there is 125,000 public schools in the country. a security guard at 50,000 with benefits for a year, do you think the nra would be willing to tax its guns and ammunition in order to pay that? i doubt it. but more importantly, ed, do we really want our children to grow up into a world where the first thing they see when they cross the school threshold is a military-style assault weapon carried by somebody with a weapon, a vest and dressed in a s.w.a.t. uniform? i mean, it seems to me -- i know that's the world the nra envisions. but it seems to me we're so much better than that. that's not the world we want our children to grow up into. and it's time for this country to say no the nra. the fact that you have 19 times greater likelihood of being killed by a firearm in the united states than any

thanks. >> coming up on c-span, the national rifle association ceo. following that, senators feinstein and blumenthal. after that, secretary arnie duncan talks about safety in schools. tomorrow on "washington journal" we look at the so- called disco cliff and other -- fiscal cliff. our guest is stephen dinan. then a look at the colombo and shootings and the recent tragedy in the newtown shootings. washington journal is live here on c-span. >> if you work for him, you sometimes get a generous or overbearing or cruel boss. he did not know how to apologize. many of his age and class, they are not going to apologize to someone young. he had a way of turning the tables. his version of an apology would be, your deliver good job today, but the issue was not settled. -- you did a good job today, what the issue was not settled. he always got the last word. his bodyguard pushed him into a doorway. a couple of his men were wounded. church hill did not like to be touched. he said, thompson, you should not have done that. >> sunday "q&a" with paul reid to complete

we start this morning with david keene, who is the president of the national rifle association. friday the n.r.a. made its first public station since the newtown shooting and the reaction from the gun control vacation was scathing, no reaction there. lloyd grove of the "daily beast" summed up the reaction by saying the reviews were so brutal they would close a broadway show on opening night. this was news conference a mistake, mr. keene? >> not at all. and, fortunately, we're not on broadway. this isn't a joke. you know, we remained silent right after newtown because we didn't think it was appropriate to comment at time. but now we've come out and looked at it and the question on everybody's minds we tried address is what do you do to prevent this from happening in the future? you know, it was interesting, bob, because that week i was in israel. and they had a spate of school shootings in the 70s and they decided they needed to have security at their schools. they started out with volunteers. they eventually institutional tides and now they have armed security at the schools and

on friday, the national rifle association weighed, making it clear the organization would not budge an inch on gun control. more on that conversation here on cnn in just a moment. >>> the physicianel california divten days away. president obama and house speaker john boehner thousands of miles away from each other. both men left washington for the holidays. president obama and family are in his native hawaii for a short christmas break. we'll have a live report from hawaii and the latest on the fiscal cliff talks a few minutes as well. >>> it's official. bp oil company will pay up to the tune of $7.8 billion. that is a class action settlement amount they agreed to pay, about 100,000 businesses and individuals hurt by the biggest oil spill in american history. a federal judge formized the settlement yesterday. a lot of gulf coast residents opted out of the class action suit and are pursuing lawsuits on their own. >>> in egypt today, more effects of a brand-new government's growing pains. the vice president is out. he is stepping down there. this man, mahmud mechanicy announced political

national rifle association. their idea seems basically to be just add armed security to all of our nations' schools. do you think that's feasible or is it a good idea? >> the president has just established a committee to take a serious holistic look at what we need to do as a nation to make sure that our kids are safe. to rush to judgment, i think is a bit premature on what we should do. i think after we have the commit's report, we should take a very serious look at whatever it takes to keep our kids safe at school. we don't know what that is yet. we're just finishing the week of so many funerals, we should-- we should continue to pray for the family members. >> schieffer: but would you be in favor of changing some laws, like, for example banning these assault weapons? >> i would love to see what comes out of the committee. i think with vice president biden putting together a holistic approach to the challenges we face as a nation, looking at the opportunity we have to seriously address all the issues from ment

. >> if it is crazy to put police in schools, then, the crazy. >> the national rifle association is one of the most influential political organizations in the united states. since the shootings, there have been calls to ban military-style weapons like the ar-15 used by the gunman. >> trying to prevent shootings in schools without talking about guns is like trying to prevent lung cancer without banning cigarettes. >> i do not suggest you take my right to buy an ar-15 away from me. >> according to the brady foundation, more than 200 people a day are shot in the united states. these are some of the headlines from the past week. four people killed in a shooting in blair county, pa.. three-hour standoff in topeka, kan. in for the man shot dead. a high school student charged with making gun threats against the local school. congress may take up some gun control measure in the new year. no one knows whether a newtown change the collective appetite for guns in civilian hands or not, but the battle for gun control could be a long, drawn out affair with dangers for politicians on both sides. al j

and the lies of the national rifle association. that is in the re-would yo test [ male announcer ] when it comes to the financial obstacles military families face, we understand. at usaa, we know military life is different. we've been there. that's why every bit of financial advice we offer is geared specifically to current and former military members and their families. [ laughs ] dad! dad! [ applause ] ♪ [ male announcer ] life brings obstacles. usaa brings advice. call or visit us online. we're ready to help. if we took the already great sentra apart and completely reimagined it with best-in-class combined mpg, and more interior room than corolla and civic? and a technology suite with bluetooth, navigation and other handy stuff? yeah, that would be cool. introducing the all-new nissan sentra. it's our most innovative sentra ever. nissan. innovation that excites. now get a $169-per-month lease on a 2013 nissan sentra. ♪ . >>> wayne lapierre, the normally talkative person who runs the nra has had a tough week. and i hope to ma

and the lies of the national rifle association. that is in the re- write test . in that time there've been some good days. and some difficult ones. but, through it all, we've persevered, supporting some of the biggest ideas in modern history. so why should our anniversary matter to you? because for 200 years, we've been helping ideas move from ambition to achievement. and the next great idea could be yours. ♪ >>> wayne lapierre, the normally talkative person who runs the nra has had a tough week. and i hope to make it just a little bit tougher for him, next in the re-write. . [ male announcer ] when it comes to the financial obstacles military families face, we understand. at usaa, we know military life is different. we've been there. that's why every bit of financial advice we offer is geared specifically to current and former military members and their families. [ laughs ] dad! dad! [ applause ] ♪ [ male announcer ] life brings obstacles. usaa brings advice. call or visit us online. we're ready to help. progresso. in what world do potatoes, bacon and cheese

meanwhile, the national rifle association is talking for the first time since the shooting in newtown, connecticut. cbs reporter danielle nottingham reports from washington. >> reporter: the national rifle association faced the media for the first time since the deadly school shooting in connecticut. >> now we must speak for the safety of our nation's children. >> reporter: soon after nra's ceo wayne lapierre started speaking, a protestor held up a sign. after the demonstrator was removed, lapierre said gun control is not the answer. >> the only thing that stops a bad guy with a gun is a good guy with a gun. >> reporter: the nra is addressing the media here in washington under pressure to soften its stance on gun control. members of the public and the president are pushing for new restrictions on gun sales of a gun control petition on the white house website has received more than 400,000 signatures. >> we hear you. >> reporter: the president acknowledged the outpouring of support and he once again called on congress to pass new legislation. >> there's even one thing we can do as a co

rifle association. >> the national rifle association is here to sell weapons and make money. >> reporter: and adopt meaningful gun control laws. >> we seem to honor the caliber of our weapon instead of the caliber of our character. >> reporter: the bishop of the cath like diocese of one spirit led a group of protesters outside of a firearms store, nova firearms, calling for a ban on assault weapons and high capacity magazines in the wake of the blooding shootings at sandy hook elementary school. >> to allow these type of guns that have no purpose other than to murder, slaughter innocent people and children is insane. >> reporter: chuck disagrees, fearing the slippery slope toward a more comprehensive gun ban. >> what's after that, semiautomatic handguns. >> reporter: the chief firearms instructor, he says despite the tragedy at sandy hook elementary, he remains adamantly opposed to an assault weapons ban. >> i disagree with that. >> reporter: saying law-abiding americans should be allowed to carry virtually any gun they please. >> why do we have to limit or restrict the sale of so-called

the national rifle association. why the nra's latest position is causing a new outcry. >> the only thing that stops a bad guy with a gun is a good guy with a gun! >> reporter: after being silent on the subject for more than a week after the slaughter in newtown, the chief of the national rifle association declared today the nra's solution for stopping school shootings is to have an armed guard in every school. just like at banks and sports areinace. >> why is the idea of a gun good when it's used to protect the president or our police but bad when it's used to protect our children in our schools? >> reporter: the nra proposes a new program to protect america's schools called national school shield. but they were not able to protect their own news conference from protestors, including the group code pink. >> the nra has blood on its hands! >> reporter: diane feinstein who is proposing a new assault weapon ban says she's upset the nra didn't go any further about restrictions >> it's inconceivable after what they said

the public face of the national rifle association, made clear on nbc's "meet the press," his organization will continue to oppose legislationed ed adding new revikss to those weapons or the high-capacity ammunition magazines. enter la pierre had a definite view about where he thinks responsibility for some of these issues lie. have a listen. >> i know there's a media machine in this country that wants to blame guns every time something happens. i know there's an anti-second amendment industry in this town. i know there are political leads that for 20 years, always try to say it's because american-owned guns. i'm telling you what i think will make people safe. and what every mom and dad will make them feel better. when they drop their kid off in school in january is if we have a police officer in that school, a good guy. that if some horrible monster tries to do something they'll be there to protect them. >> and it's the last of the newtown massacre victims have been laid to rest now, the nra is taking this position that armed security officers in schools are a major, if not the only part

the national rifle association has spoken out for the first time since the massacre. >> americans exercising their right to bear arms in the state of virginia, part of their constitutional guarantee to self-defense, but the deaths in connecticut have revived the debate about what kinds of weapons are needed for self- defense. many now want washington to come up with stricter laws about public access to guns. that would include a ban on semi-automatic weapons like the one used to kill people in newtown. >> i do not believe the second amendment covers them. the second amendment was written and a long time before this class of weapons was founded, merchandise, and spread all over our country. >> the national rifle association has broken its silence about last week's killings. in a statement, the nra says its members are shocked and saddened by the horrific and senseless murders. the powerful lobby has a press conference scheduled for friday, and some hope that it will accept stronger restrictions on the sale of assault weapons, but many gun owners think a ban is useless. >> my opinion is that i

. >> reporter: late today the national rifle association offered its first statement on the killing, saying it was shocked, saddened and heart broken. the group called a friday news conference and promised meaningful contributions to prevent any future massacres. we interviewed senator dianne feinstein last night about her push to renew the assault weapons ban. now, we hear another perspective. virginia senator mark warner is a democrat who received an "a" rating from the national rifle association. welcome. we heard that yesterday after the shootings in newtown, you said that this was a game-changer. what do you mean by that? >> well, gwen, i'm a strong second amendment rights supporter. i own firearms. on my farm i've actually got shooting range. but friday afternoon my daughters, who had all come home from college said, "dad, you know, how did this happen? and what are you going to do about it?" just as a father, the horror of what happened in connecticut coming on the heels of tragedies at virginia tech years before, the tragedy in colorado and it seems like about every six or ni

. >> reporter: late today the national rifle association offered its first statement on the killing, saying it was shocked, saddened and heart broken. the group called a friday news conference and promised meaningful contributions to prevent any future massacres. we interviewed senator dianne feinstein last night about her push to renew the assault weapons ban. now, we hear another perspective. virginia senator mark warner is a democrat who received an "a" rating from the national rifle association. welcome. we heard that yesterday after the shootings in newtown, you said that this was a game-changer. what do you mean by that? >> well, gwen, i'm a strong second amendment rights supporter. i own firearms. on my farm i've actually got shooting range. but friday afternoon my daughters,hoad aome ho from college said, "dad, you know, how did this happen? and what are you going to do about it?" just as a father, the horror of what happened in connecticut coming on the heels of tragedies at virginia tech years before, the tragedy in colorado and it seems like about every six or nine months

. >> reporter: late today the national rifle association offered its first statement on the killing, saying it was shocked, saddened and heart broken. the group called a friday news conference and promised meaningful contributions to prevent any future massacres. we interviewed senator dianne feinstein last night about her push to renew the assault weapons ban. now, we hear another perspective. virginia senator mark warner is a democrat who received an "a" rating from the national rifle association. welcome. we heard that yesterday after the shootings in newtown, you said that this was a game-changer. what do you mean by that? >> well, gwen, i'm a strong second amendment rights supporter. i own firearms. on my farm i've actually got shooting range. but friday afternoonmy daughters, who had all come home om college said, "dad, you know, how did this happen? and what are you going to do about it?" just as a father, the horror of what happened in connecticut coming on the heels of tragedies at virginia tech years before, the tragedy in colorado and it seems like about every six or nine

. >> the national rifle association, 4 million mothers, fathers, sons and daughters joined the nation. >> wait a minute. 4 million people? in a country of 300 million people, a guy who represents 4 million people gets every camera in washington? and he doesn't really represent them he just tricks them out of some dues money with nonstop lies. most of those 4 million people disagree with him about a lot of stuff. when is the last time this guy got every camera in washington and live coverage from all cable news networks for something he had to say? he is the ceo of the aarp, which has 40 million members, ten times the size of the nra. and the aarp members have more to worry about in the budget negotiations in washington this week than the nra members have ever had to worry about. but if barry rand steps up to a microphone to say something about it, i guarantee you no network will go live with that. and if this guy, who was actually elected to represent 12 million members of the afl-cio today, no one will go live to him either. and so what did this man have to say today? this man who go

. >>> we heard today from the national rifle association for the first time since the masacre. officials from the nation's most influential gun lobby group called for armed guards to protect schools. the nra blamed video games for violence against children. hear from the nra and those who lost loved ones in mass shootings. >>> an east bay high school football star shot and killed in san francisco was honored tonight. sergio quintana was in the high school. >> his closest friends pay tribute through funny stories. >> my mom would always make hill food. he would love garbonzo beans. i don't know why, but he just did. >> members of the football team honored their fellow football player with a video after this event. on this friday evening a couple hundred people packed into this dimmed gymnasium to pay tribute to a fellow student, friend and talented athlete. the organizers then passed out candles and moved the crowd on to the football field. montrell was only a student since the beginning of the school year, but he left a lasting impression. >> his smile was super contagious. you

really is the tipping point and things have already changed first of all the national rifle association which for forty years has been more concerned about protecting the profits of gun manufacturers they're protecting innocent men women and children they're starting to speak differently formally pro-gun senators both democrats and republicans are already showing willingness to change the media here in the united states it's shifting so this this is different politically president obama who didn't do much in his first four years about gun control seems very committed he says you know there's no excuse not to take action so we need to reinstate the federal small weapons ban but this time do it with very few exceptions or no exceptions hopefully and now is the time to really and act tough gun legislation roger do you support that noticed that scott has already begun by vilifying the national rifle association and painting this as a good guys and bad guys issue it is not that tall here in the united states under the second amendment the supreme court has ruled that individuals have the rig

for more than a week after the slaughter in newtown, the chief of the national rifle association declared today the nra's solution for stopping school shootings is to have an armed guard in every school just like they have them at banks and sports arenas. >> if we truly cherish our kids, more than our money, more than our celebrities, more than our sports stadiums, we must give them the greatest level of protection possible. >> reporter: california senator dianne feinstein who is proposing a new assault weapons ban says she is upset the nra didn't go any further with gun restrictions. >> it's inconceivable after what the nra said to me today that they don't think people who have guns should have background checks or that they should be registered. >> it's a horribly poor choice to -- to say, you know, that the answer to gun violence is to put more guns out there. >> reporter: andrew is a parent of students in the west contra costa school district. based in richmond they deploy 20 armed police officers in all high schools and middle schools at a cost of $2 million a year. the district has

today the national rifle association waded into the debate over gun control with a strange press conference. the group's ceo wayne lapierre blamed laws banning guns at schools for violence. his position, more guns. the nra called for putting an armed guard at every school in the country. >> the only way to stop a monster from killing our kids is to be personally involved and invested in a plan of absolute protection. the only thing that stops a bad guy with a gun is a good guy with a gun. i call on congress today to act immediately to appropriate whatever is necessary to put armed police officers in every single school in this nation and to do it now. >> training thousands of armed guards and what would it accomplish? would one armed person have really been able to stop last week's killer with his semiautomatic rifle and body armor? msnbc political analyst david corn is the washington bureau chief for "mother jones" magazine. are you comfortable with what the nra put forward today? >> absolutely. this is the only answer. more guns equals less crime. if we don't arm the teachers and have gua