UPI: Kerry denies owning assault rifle

It wasn't Kerry's fault when he fell on the ski slopes while snow boarding (he blamed the Secret Service, telling reporters "I don't fall down").

It wasn't Kerry's fault when he bounced an opening pitch to home plate, despite the fact that he threw from the bottom of the mound (he blamed the catcher [a National Guard soldier and Iraq war veteran], telling reporters "He was very nervous. I tried to lob it gently.").

And of course now it's not Kerry's fault he led gun owners to believe he owns a (presumably fully automatic) "Communist Chinese assault rifle" as a "reminder of his service" in Vietnam.

September 27, 2004
United Press International

New York, NY, Sep. 27 (UPI) -- Democratic presidential nominee John Kerry has denied a report he owns a Chinese assault rifle, the New York Times reported Monday.

The issue came to light in October's "Outdoor Life" magazine, which features questions and answers with Kerry and President George Bush. Asked what his favorite gun was, Kerry's published response was: "My favorite gun is the M-16 that saved my life and that of my crew in Vietnam.

"I don't own one of those now, but one of my reminders of my service is a Communist Chinese assault rifle."

However, Kerry campaign spokesman Michael Meehan told the Times Kerry actually owns two guns, a double-barreled 12-gauge shotgun and the rifle, which Meehan said Kerry "keeps as a relic" and had never fired.

While the magazine claimed it had done an "exclusive interview with the two presidential candidates," Meehan said many of the remarks attributed to Kerry had in fact been written by campaign staff, who filled out the magazine's questionnaire.

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Newsmax.com is reporting that NRA spokesman Andrew Arulanandam told the Times "If Kerry brought the gun home from the war as a souvenir he could be subject to court-martial."

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