Along with the NRA-PVF announcement of their endorsement of Mitt Romney and Paul Ryan comes the Romney-Ryan campaign’s announcement of it.

Mitt Romney today announced the endorsement of the National Rifle Association.

“As the Supreme Court has recently reaffirmed, the Second Amendment
protects a basic and fundamental individual right—the right to bear
arms,” said Mitt Romney. “And it is the NRA that protects the Second
Amendment. I am proud to have their support for my candidacy, and when I
am president, I will do all in my power to defend and protect the right
of all law-abiding Americans to keep and bear arms.”

“As a lifelong hunter, I am a strong supporter of Second Amendment
rights,” said Paul Ryan. “The Second Amendment is essential to the
functioning of a free society. Not only do millions of Americans own
firearms, but recreational hunting and shooting adds billions to our
economy every year and supports thousands of jobs. The NRA is committed
to protecting our Second Amendment rights. Mitt Romney and I will have
that same commitment when we are in the White House.”

“Since 1871, the NRA has protected the right of men and women across
our country to keep and bear arms,” said Chairman of the NRA Political
Victory Fund Chris Cox. “This right is enshrined in our Constitution
through the Second Amendment. It’s the right that makes all of our other
constitutional rights possible. Americans deserve to have a friend of
our Second Amendment freedoms and hunting heritage in the White House.
That’s why we are proud to endorse Mitt Romney and Paul Ryan for
President and Vice President of the United States. Mitt and Paul will
defend all of our constitutional freedoms from those who would seek to
limit or deny them. We encourage every freedom-loving American to vote
for the Romney-Ryan ticket on November 6.”

In the not exactly unexpected news category comes the announcement that the NRA-PVF has endorsed the ticket of Mitt Romney and Paul Ryan for President and Vice-President respectively. What is somewhat unexpected is the size of the crowd that came out to Fisherville, VA for the announcement and rally. It was estimated to be approximately 15,000 and cars were back up for miles trying to get in.

CSpan has the video feed from the rally. At approximately the 53:00 mark you will see Wayne LaPierre begin to give the NRA’s endorsement.

From the Romney Scrapbook on Facebook

From the Romney Scrapbook on Facebook

From the Romney Scrapbook on Facebook

In addition to the endorsement by the NRA-PVF, the rally featured a concert by country music star and NRA Life Member Trace Adkins.

The endorsement is below:

Fairfax, VA. – The National Rifle Association’s Political Victory Fund
today announced its endorsement of Mitt Romney and Paul Ryan for
President and Vice President. NRA’s Executive Vice President, Wayne
LaPierre, and NRA Political Victory Fund (NRA-PVF) Chairman, Chris W.
Cox, made the announcement in Fishersville, Virginia, during a rally
with both Gov. Mitt Romney and Rep. Paul Ryan in attendance. Also,
attending and performing at the press conference was country music
superstar and NRA Life Member Trace Adkins.

“Virginia is ground
zero – the front line of this election. This is where the race could be
won or lost. This is where the difference can be made. This is where gun
owners must make that difference.” said LaPierre.

“Today, we
live in an America that is getting harder to recognize every day led by a
President who mocks our values, belittles our faith, and is threatened
by our freedom.” said Cox. “So on behalf of the four million men and
women of the National Rifle Association, representing tens of millions
of NRA supporters, it is my honor to announce the NRA’s endorsement of
Mitt Romney and Paul Ryan for President and Vice President of the United
States.”

The actions of President Barack Obama have harmed the
Second Amendment for generations to come. He has appointed two anti-gun
nominees to the Supreme Court – one of whom has already signed an
opinion saying that law-abiding Americans do not have an individual
right to own firearms. Obama’s administration worked on a United Nations
Arms Trade Treaty that would undermine our Second Amendment rights, and
he has helped cover-up the deadly Operation Fast and Furious scandal,
arming Mexican drug cartels that continue to kill countless innocent
American and Mexican citizens. He has also said that the ability of
lawful citizens to carry a firearm for personal protection should be
banned nationwide. As a state legislator, he opposed a law to protect
people who use guns in their own homes for self-defense; endorsed a
total ban on the manufacturing, sale and possession of all handguns; and
supported a 500 percent increase in federal taxes on guns and
ammunition. Unaccountable to the voters, America’s 100 million gun
owners justifiably fear that a second Obama term would bring an all-out
assault on the Second Amendment.

But there’s a clear choice this
November. Mitt Romney and Paul Ryan will protect our Right to Keep and
Bear Arms by appointing Supreme Court justices who will uphold the
rulings in District of Columbia v. Heller and McDonald v. City of
Chicago – two landmark cases which held that the Second Amendment
guarantees a fundamental, individual Right to Keep and Bear Arms for all
law-abiding Americans. Romney and Ryan have also stated their
opposition to efforts by the United Nations to implement a global
gun-control bureaucracy.

“In this election, there is no debate.
There is only one choice – only one hope – to save our firearms freedom
and our way of life,” LaPierre continued. “Get to the polls on election
day and make the difference in this campaign. Help take back our country
and protect our freedom. On November 6, vote freedom first – Vote
Romney-Ryan!”