Gabrielle Giffords urges background checks in new ad

>>> former congresswoman gabrielle giffords is urging senators to support background checks .

>> for me, congress must act. let's get this done.

>>> senators chuck grassley and jeff flake have come from states with a large number of gun owners . the ads cusp as the senate panel is said to take votes on -- joining us is pollster chris wilson and columnist for the hill karen finley . the ad comes from americas for responsible solutions. that's the super-pac founded by giffords and her husband mark kelly . senators grassley and flake also on the senate judiciary committee , considering all the gun control legislation, and they have an "a" rating from the nra . when you look at the ad and strategy here, is targeting these senators good thinking?

>> absolutely. these votes in the judiciary committee coming up will be very important particular larry as we've seen the gun trafficking legislation moving forward, the background checks , is where we have the most agreement from the american people in terms of support and among in the meantime ra members. nra is vehemently opposing it, so going after key votes is important to keep this legislation on track.

>> they're trying, of course, to bring the votes together. "the washington post " reporting that some of the gun lobbyist strongest allies are starting to break with the nra to support background checks for private gun sales. chris, let me ask you this, gun makers have been wary of crossing the nra in fear of retribution, so how key is this going forward?

>> i think the ads themselves are very powerful, and follow a well-established approach, wheres take someone who's the victim and go after background checks . those are supported, but the fact is that it doesn't do a lot to solve 9 problem. it just isn't going to have an overall impact.

>> the problem i have with that argument is that one of the key things that the nra has blocked over the last several years is research, so we don't have an accurate picture of what has or hands been prevented. i would say i take it from the folks on the front lines, police chiefs, we saw this last week in a very heated exchange with the police chief i believe from milwaukee, who said the number one this would that would be the most helpful is background checks , so they know who has guns, they know what criminals are trying to get guns. we have not been able to do the kind of research that will tell us, give us a more accurate picture.

>> chris?

>> the hardest thing to do is overhaul the mental health systems somewhere lunatics are identified and treated. americans think that would do more to -- liberals don't like guns, they don't like --

>> that's not true.

>> -- whether it has an effect or not.

>> you don't get to speak for all quote/unquote liberals and see people don't like guns. gabby giffords is a democrat, her husband is a democrat, and they have gun owners , and there are plenty of democrats who are gun owners , as the supreme court , as scalia himself has said, there are responsibilities that come with our rights. i find it so interesting.

>> you fact is they are mental health issues --

>> that's only a part of the problem.

>> let's take care of the mental health issues first. and that's where the american people --

>> the majority of what happens in the crime that happens in this country, is not necessarily tied to mental health . we have to have a multipronged approach. we need to make sure that people -- every responsible gun owner in this country should want to make sure that criminals -- that's what we're talking about here, criminals and mentally ill people who should not have guns do not have guns here.

>> we have to leave it there.

>> they have nothing done to affect that. we already have the brady bill .

>>> we'll have to leave it there. thank you so much for your conversation on this very issue today.