The National Rifle Association is running into a problem as it rolls out its “Trigger the Vote” voter registration campaign: several of the campaign's spokesmen have histories of inflammatory comments.

Last week we noted NRA board member Ted Nugent's record of extremism, but he's not alone. Josh Horwitz, executive director of the Coalition to Stop Gun Violence, points out of fellow board member and Full Metal Jacket actor R. Lee Ermey:

At a “Toys for Tots” fundraiser held in December 2010, Ermey delivered a fiery speech, telling those in attendance, “We're having a big problem this year. The economy really sucks. Now I hate to point fingers at anybody, but the present administration probably has a lot to do with that. And the way I see it they're not going to quit doing it until they bring this country to its knees. So I think we should rise all rise up and we should stop his administration from what they are doing because they are destroying this country. They're driving us into bankruptcy so that they can impose socialism on us.” These comments generated so much public attention and outrage that Ermey was forced to apologize.

It's obviously less than ideal for the NRA to have as its standard bearer someone who called on Americans to “rise up” to stop President Obama from “destroying this country” by imposing “socialism.” And so when Ermey visited Fox News to promote the NRA's efforts, he made sure to pick up a complimentary Hannitization. Here's how he described Ermey's comments:

HANNITY: You are great American. God bless you and appreciate you being on the program.

You know, you made these comments about the president that you deal with “Toys For Tots.” You said this economy really sucks and you were talking about administration, “Toys For Tots,” wasn't doing as well as they would in a good economy.

And they're not going to quit until they bring this country to its knees. I'm sick and damn tired of it. I know you are too. You got thunderous applause. You said, well, the Marine Corps will be here forever, but the administration won't. And then you said, you kind of sorry, you regretted it. I didn't think what was offensive about it.

Other comments from Hannity during the interview include “God bless you,” “you are a great American, sir,” and “You fought hard for this country. You served this country. I don't see what you have to be sorry about expressing your views.” For his part, Ermey made clear that he had apologized for where he made his comments, not that he made them in the first place.

Of course, Hannity's tolerance for Ermey's remarks is no surprise. Hannity famously refused to disavow Nugent after Nugent called Barack Obama a “piece of shit” and Hillary Clinton a “worthless bitch” and said he told Obama “to suck on my machine gun” and told Clinton “you might want to ride one of these into the sunset.”