Today ABC News reports that Barack Obama has received the endorsement of a supposed “gun rights” groups.

“Sen. Obama will be a strong voice an unabashed voice for America’s hunters and shooters and it is with great pleasure that we endorse his candidacy,” President of the Association Ray Schoenke said, citing Obama’s commitment to the traditions of gun ownership.

Schoenke said they had reached out to the Obama campaign several weeks ago to offer their support – but the announcement wasn’t made public until today. Schoenke added that the timing amid the controversy was important.

“We believe recent attacks on Sen. Obama’s stand on the 2nd amendment and his commitment to the hunting and shooting heritages are unfair.”

Wow. That speaks volumes about Obama’s commitm….wait.

Bob Owens notes that the “American Hunters an Shooters Association” is actually run by a Daily Kos diarist. The diarist, Ray Schoenke, doesn’t exactly have a history of pro-gun rights:

Schoenke, a failed Democratic candidate for governor of Maryland, has donated thousands to Handgun Control, Inc, a virulent anti-gun organization that was the forerunner of Brady Campaign To Prevent Gun Violence. He has donated thens of thousands more to anti-gun Democratic politicians including Ted Kennedy.

AHSA executive director Robert Ricker has testified as a paid witness against the gun industry and consults for several anti-gun groups, and John Rosenthal, President of the AHSA Foundation, is a former member of Sarah Brady’s Handgun Control, Inc, and is leader of Stop Handgun Violence, a Massachusetts anti-gun group that has contributed to that state’s intolerant anti-gun guns.

The organization’s website says the NRA has sold “us” out. SayUncle actually looked into the group 2 months ago:

When you follow the money, they read like a who’s who of gun grabbers. They are a front for the anti-gun Democratic Leadership Council so that anti-gun politicos can say they belong to a group that sounds pro-gun.

Members (five of them that they disclose) of the AHSA are anti-gun lobbyists.

They’re basically a shill group set up so that anti-gun candidates can try to woo the hunting crowd. Note that their only endorsement victory (McCaskill) did not sign on to support Heller.

And now, sure enough, here they are endorsing Obama.