There has been a dearth of public reaction from the NRA since the Newtown shooting. NRA goes on lockdown

The National Rifle Association is on lockdown in the wake of the massacre that left 20 children dead at a Connecticut elementary school Friday.

( PHOTOS: Pols speak out on gun control)


It’s shuttered its Facebook page. It’s silent on Twitter. It’s released no public statements on its website. It isn’t responding to media inquiries. And it hasn’t launched an aggressive push on Capitol Hill to shore up support among its allies.

The go-dark strategy is unusual for an elite interest group so deeply entwined in a national controversy — even for the NRA, which released condolence statements soon after past shootings, including this summer after a gunman killed 12 people in an Aurora, Colo., movie theater.

( Also on POLITICO: Pro-gun Sen. Joe Manchin: Time to act)

It’s also not the normal course of business for the NRA in Washington, where the powerful lobby has spent years building an arsenal of pro-gun lawmakers, an extensive grassroots network and a political money arm that has made gun-control legislation nearly untouchable.

But crisis communicators said the decision isn’t surprising considering the unique circumstances.

“I’m sure the NRA considers itself in a lose-lose situation regarding communications,” said Jonathan Bernstein, a crisis-management expert. “When there is that level of anti-gun outrage, there is literally nothing a pro-gun organization can say in the near term.”

( Also on POLITICO: W.H. vague on Newtown follow-up)

Richard Feldman, a former NRA lobbyist and president of the Independent Firearm Owners Association, agreed.

“I’m sure what they would want to say is, ‘We’re so sorry; this is horrible,’ but if they said that, it would be viewed as it’s cynical for them to be saying such a thing,” Feldman said.

The NRA did not respond to an email and a phone call requesting comment.

How long they can stay silent is unclear. Friday’s massacre at Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown, Conn., which left 20 children and six adults dead, has put the gun issue back on the national political stage.

The group also hasn’t been aggressive with allies on Capitol Hill, even as pro-NRA members like Sens. Joe Manchin (D-W.Va.) and Mark Warner (D-Va.) have said there might need to be more gun control to prevent future shootings. Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) also said Monday that it is time to have a debate on the country’s gun laws. Rep. John Yarmuth, a Democrat from Kentucky, also came out publicly, apologizing for not speaking out on gun violence over the past six years. Sen. Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif.) has pledged to reintroduce the federal ban on assault weapons, which expired in 2004.

In previous shootings, the NRA has commented briefly on the incidents. For example, following the Aurora shooting at a movie theater in July where a gunman left 70 victims, NRA spokesman Andrew Arulanandam said, “Our thoughts and prayers are with the victims and their families. We will not have any further statements until more facts are know.”

Still, lobbyists for the industry say it is appropriate that they are taking an even lower profile following the incident given the time of year and age of the victims.

“Sensitivity is heightened because of the holiday season and the large number of children involved,” said one longtime guns rights lobbyist. “It is also unfortunate that the other side is going to try and capitalize on this for stricter gun control.”

Several contract lobbyists said they haven’t been deployed to Capitol Hill yet. “It’s all quiet on the home front,” one gun lobbyist said.

And even though they aren’t targeting the Hill right now, gun lobbyists predicted that while the calls for stricter laws and a return of the assault rifle ban are making headlines, it won’t actually change.

The Citizens Committee for the Right to Keep and Bear Arms has made public statements, pushing officials to look at whether “gun-free zones” should be revoked. But the group’s Dave Workman said they haven’t yet mobilized their grassroots network.

The gun-control lobby has moved quickly to fill the void with groups like the Brady Campaign to Prevent Gun Violence and Mayors Against Illegal Guns to gain momentum while the shooting is still fresh in the public’s mind. The Brady Campaign is holding a news conference in the Capitol on Tuesday with family members who have lost relatives or survived mass shootings to deliver a letter pressing the White House and Congress to address gun violence.

But just because the NRA is quiet now, doesn’t mean it isn't planning a counter offensive.

“They will be a part of the debate. I’m certain of that, once it becomes a legislative debate. After the emotionalism of the debate has subsided somewhat,” Feldman said.

Crisis expert Bernstein also predicted that the NRA is gearing up for the long-term strategy and working to answer any lawmakers' questions on their positions.

The gun lobby is well-equipped for a legislative fight. The NRA has long had an outsize footprint in Washington, spending heavily on lobbying and elections. Over the first nine months of 2012, the group spent nearly $1.9 million on lobbying with a retinue of contract firms, including C2 Group, Crossroads Strategies, Prime Policy Group and SNR Denton, among others on retainer.

In the 2012 cycle, the group and its affiliated subsidiary, NRA Institute for Legislative Action, spent $17.6 million in independent expenditures such as ads, direct mail, phone banks and yard signs.

NRA also spent $1.1 million on direct contributions to campaigns and committees and an additional $17.6 million on outside spending, according to the Center for Responsive Politics. Of that, nearly $9 million of went toward efforts to oppose President Barack Obama and about $3 million to support Republican Presidential nominee Mitt Romney.

Tarini Parti contributed to this report.