SPRINGFIELD, VA -- Gun Owners of America today slammed Senator Orrin Hatch for meddling in a Pennsylvania election.

Senator Hatch this week assailed the candidacy of pro-gun former Representative Pat Toomey, claiming that Toomey could not get elected in Pennsylvania in a race against liberal Republican-turned-Democrat Arlen Specter.

"Orrin Hatch seems more interested in protecting his liberal anti-gun buddy Arlen Specter than he is in electing a real pro-gun conservative," said Tim Macy, Vice-Chairman of Gun Owners of America.

Hatch also predicted that the National Republican Senatorial Committee, of which he is vice chairman, will not support Toomey.

"Orrin Hatch needs step down from having anything to do with NRSC because he clearly is not mirroring Republican principles," said Mr. Macy. The person who can't win reelection, if he keeps on the same path, is Orrin Hatch in his next election.

"Orrin Hatch is completely out of touch with average voters, who believe in overwhelming numbers in the Second Amendment right to keep and bear arms. Gun owners and sportsmen in Pennsylvania will come out in droves against Arlen Specter."

GOA points to two recent events that spark gun owners' ire.

First, Arlen Specter, along with Orrin Hatch, provided the instrumental Republican support to get anti-gun Attorney General Eric Holder confirmed by the Senate.

"Every time Eric Holder opens his mouth and talks about banning so-called 'assault weapons,' gun owners know they have Specter and Hatch to blame," said Mr. Macy.

Specter was also the Republican most responsible for the massive one trillion dollar bailout, the so-called stimulus bill.

The bailout contains language that can fund anti-gun activist organizations like ACORN and Moveon.org to the tune of hundreds of millions -- even billions -- of taxpayer dollars.