Former National Rifle Association President David Keene has been named opinion editor of
The Washington Times, the paper announced Sunday.
"David has been a tireless advocate for conservatism, demonstrating time and again how the movement's values and ideas can address the problems of the day," said Larry Beasley, the paper's president and chief executive officer.
"He's a deep intellectual with the sharp wit, unwavering values and the endless civility needed to guide the thought leadership of Washington's most important opinion pages," Beasley said.
Keene will be in charge of the newspaper's editorial page and commentary section, while Editor Emeritus Wesley Pruden will direct and produce editorials.
Keene worked for the presidential campaigns of Ronald Reagan, George H.W. Bush, Robert Dole, and Mitt Romney. In 1984, he became chairman of the American Conservative Union.
As president of the NRA, Keene led a bruising battle with Congress to block restrictions on gun ownership in the aftermath of the Newtown, Conn. school shootings. He stepped down from that position in May.
"Since its founding, The Washington Times has played a vital role as the conservative newspaper in Washington and one of the most widely quoted nationwide," Keene said in the paper's announcement.
"Presidents, elected officials and policymakers have relied on The Times, and our challenge is to expand our reach in new media and in this political era to provide a reliable, readable resource for conservatives and others across the country," Keene said.
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