Newt Gingrich hits Mitt Romney on gun-rights issues

By Shira Schoenberg, Globe Correspondent

Republican presidential candidate Newt Gingrich previewed a new line of attack against former Massachusetts Governor Mitt Romney: hitting him on gun rights.

In a new web site, romneyguns.com, Gingrich poked fun at Romney for his much-ridiculed 2008 comment that he hunts “small varmints.” The site features a graphic of a suit-wearing Romney holding a gun and wearing a hunting cap.

The site charges that Romney supported the Brady Bill, which mandated federal background checks on gun buyers, raised fees for Massachusetts gun owners, and supported tough gun laws in Massachusetts.

A Gingrich video shows a series of news clips, including one from Romney’s 2002 gubernatorial race of Romney saying he supports Massachusetts’ gun laws. “We do have tough gun laws in Massachusetts. I support them,” Romney says. “I won’t chip away at them. I believe they help protect us and provide for our safety.” The site lets supporters download Facebook icons featuring pictures of “Deer for Romney” and “Quail for Romney.”

The fee hike Gingrich referred to came in 2003, when Romney raised numerous fees and closed tax loopholes to plug a budget deficit. He proposed raising the fee for gun licenses from $25 to $75, and the Legislature increased it to $100. Romney also worked to increase the duration of a gun license from four to six years, mitigating the fee increase. Romney supported the Brady Bill during his 1994 Senate race against Massachusetts Senator Edward Kennedy.

“This is one more false attack from a flailing Newt Gingrich,” said Romney campaign spokesman Amanda Henneberg. “As governor, Mitt Romney was an ally to gun owners and sportsmen. He signed legislation supported by gun owners that helped reform his state’s restrictive gun laws. Maybe Newt Gingrich should focus more on his sinking campaign than making misleading claims about Mitt Romney’s record.”

Romney is a member of the National Rifle Association and has said he supports Second Amendment rights. He rarely talks about the topic on the campaign trail.