Patriot Update

President Obama on Monday tried to undercut National Rifle Association leaders and appeal directly to their membership, claiming gun owners support the “common-sense” gun control measures he’s proposed — and urging those supporters to “keep the pressure” on Congress.

The president spoke in Minnesota, in his first campaign-style stop as part of a second-term push for new firearms laws.

On the other side of that debate, the NRA has aggressively argued against Democrats’ call for a new and stronger assault-weapons ban, a ban on high-capacity magazines and universal background checks. But in a risky move, the president used his speech Monday to try and sideline America’s most powerful gun lobby.