White House: NRA attack ad 'cowardly'

Update: The White House attacked the National Rifle Association on Wednesday for an ad that mentioned President Obama's daughters, calling it "repugnant and cowardly."

"Most Americans agree that a president's children should not be used as pawns in a political fight," said White House spokesman Jay Carney.

The Obama spokesman added: "But to go so far as to make the safety of the president's children the subject of an attack ad is repugnant and cowardly."

The NRA issued its own statement, saying the ad is about Obama's opposition to more armed guards in school.

"Whoever thinks the ad is about President Obama's daughters are missing the point completely or they're trying to change the subject," said NRA spokesman Andrew Arulanandam.

He added: "This ad is about keeping our children safe. And the president said he was skeptical about the NRA proposal to put policemen in all schools in this country. Yet he and his family are beneficiaries of multiple law enforcement officers surrounding them 24-hours a day. That's the real issue. Anything else is an attempted calculated distraction."

Earlier post:

As President Obama prepared to unveil a legislative package attacking gun violence, the National Rifle Association has a new video attacking Obama -- and citing his children.

The 35-second video criticizes Obama's skepticism of proposals to put armed guards in all schools, while noting that his daughters receive Secret Service protection.

"Are the president's kids more important than yours?" the narrator says. "Then why is he skeptical about putting armed security in our schools when his kids are protected by armed guards at their school? Mr. Obama demands the wealthy pay their fair share of taxes, but he's just another elitist hypocrite when it comes to a fair share of security."

The law provides Secret Service protection for the president and his immediate family.

NEWS: Obama announces gun control proposal Wednesday

On Wednesday, Obama and Vice President Biden unveiled an anti-gun violence plan that includes proposals for a new assault weapons ban, universal background checks on all weapon purchases, and restrictions on the size of ammunition magazines.

The new gun control push comes a month after the mass killing that claimed 20 children and six adults at an elementary school in Newtown, Conn.

The White House schedule says Obama and Biden " will be joined by children from around the country who wrote the president letters in the wake of the Newtown tragedy expressing their concerns about gun violence and school safety, along with their parents."