NRA intros Manchin with gun ad

After a short speech by Pat Toomey (in which he talked about gun and economic freedoms), Joe Manchin comes on -- after an intro showing his famous ad from last year where he shot the cap-and-trade bill with a rifle.

Manchin's joking about it at the NRA convention, talking about the ammunition he used and how long it took him to hit the bill exactly. He was singing a different tune in January.

After US Rep Gabrielle Giffords was shot in the head at a public event in Tucson, Manchin said he would not release an ad like that again. Giffords of course was supposed to make her first appearance since the shooting at the shuttle launch today (before it was postponed).

The gov's speech went over well (and there's a reason why he's so popular). Combines folksiness -- and his legislative efforts to ensure gun training in WVa public schools -- with appeals for Repubs and Democrats to work together (on guns).