NRA + ACLU

Talk about strange bedfellows: the gun rights folks at the NRA have filed a legal brief in support of the progressive ACLU lawsuit opposing the National Security Agency’s database of phone records. Specifically, the NRA argues that the NSA's database would allow the U.S. government to identify and track gun owners based on whether they've called gun stores, shooting ranges or the NRA. The NRA's brief also claims that the phone record program violates its members' First Amendment rights to associate and communicate freely. The group argues that people could fear retribution for associating with the gun-rights group if they knew the government was monitoring their phone records. 

Surely this must be awkward for those Congressional politicians who support the NSA’s data collection but also support most NRA positions. A lot of beltway politicians view Edward Snowden as a traitor who must be prosecuted for leaking national security secrets to the press. But apparently Snowden is a hero to the NRA.