National Rifle Association executive vice president Wayne LaPierre took the stage today at his organization's most important event of the year and delivered a paranoid rant virtually identical to the one he gave to conservative activists last month.

LaPierre was speaking during the Leadership Forum at the NRA's Annual Meeting and Exhibits. Thousands of NRA members pay $10 to see LaPierre and other NRA and Republican leaders at what is billed by the group as “one of the NRA's premier events of the year.”

But LaPierre apparently could not be bothered to come up with a new pitch for his members, instead delivering a speech virtually identical to the one he gave at the Conservative Political Action Conference on March 6.

During the CPAC speech, LaPierre acknowledged that some attendees might not be NRA members and urged them to join. During the NRA speech, he responded to a recent development. The remainder of the speeches were word-for-word the same.

Media Matters compared the text versions of both speeches posted on the NRA website, and found that both speeches contained LaPierre's trademark paranoia in identical passages -- LaPierre's fearmongering that America is becoming too dangerous for children to play outside; his claim that Americans are buying guns because of “reckless government actions” and because the “entire fabric of society” is in jeopardy; his description of the national media as one of the nation's “greatest threats”; his assertion that people need unlimited firearms to stand up to “knockout gamers” and “haters”; and his declaration that the NRA “will not go quietly into the night.”

Here are the only substantive differences between the speeches.

The Opening

LaPierre opened his CPAC speech by saying (differences bolded):

It's great to be here today, thanks for having me. I really appreciate your warm welcome.

There must be some NRA members out there! To each of you, I thank you for being here with me and for your support and vigilance in defending our freedom. You and NRA members all over the country have made a real difference in making this nation and our freedoms safer.

By contrast, in his NRA speech he said:

Welcome to this great celebration of American freedom! It's great to be here today and I really appreciate your warm welcome.

To all of you NRA members, I want to thank you with all my heart for your support and vigilance in defending our freedom. You and NRA members all over the country have made a real difference in making this nation and our freedoms safer.

Calls At CPAC To Join The NRA

On two occasions, LaPierre urged CPAC attendees to join the NRA, a call that was presumably unnecessary at the organization's annual meeting. From the CPAC speech, with text not also appearing in the NRA speech bolded:

So I'll put it to you -- do you believe in that declaration of individual liberty? Come on, let me hear you! Are you willing to stand and fight for your rights?

There are two things I need you to do. First, go to the NRA booth, right here at CPAC, and sign your name to a Declaration of Individual Rights. Sign that declaration today and add your name to millions of patriotic Americans just like you. Second, stand behind your declaration -- back it up -- by joining the NRA. America needs you as part of an even larger, stronger, tougher NRA. It's how you resist and tell the world that you're going to fight and protect everything you care about.

Then later in the CPAC speech:

Those NRA members -- those great Americans -- THEY are the real muscle of NRA's clout. Become one of THEM.

Join us and together we will stand and fight and win and take back our country. Stand up right now and you tell me, do you want to save this country and all that is good about America?

Attack On Michael Bloomberg

During his NRA speech, LaPierre responded to former New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg's announcement earlier this month that he will spend $50 million on gun safety efforts this year, playing a video that asked members to donate to the NRA. Text that did not also appear in his previous CPAC speech is bolded:

But mark my words. The NRA will not go quietly into the night. We will fight.

Now, some of you may have heard about Michael Bloomberg. Last week, he gave a big interview to The New York Times and the Today show.

Bloomberg vowed to spend $50 million to beat us in November. He said he would do everything he could with all of his $50 million to confront and defeat the NRA. Well, here's our response.

[VIDEO ROLL]

This election will be won or lost on every street, every corner, in every coffee shop or store or church in America -- where every NRA member lives and works and volunteers and campaigns.

Here's the video of the NRA Annual Meeting speech:

Here's the video of the CPAC speech:

Here's the written text of the speech LaPierre gave at the NRA Annual Meeting, with all text identical to that given at CPAC highlighted: