国际英语新闻:White House Photo Shows Obama Engaged in Sport Shooting

WASHINGTON — The White House has released a recent photo of President Barack Obama shooting a shotgun, in response to a lawmaker who questioned whether he had ever been skeet shooting.

The president's top communications adviser, Dan Pfeiffer, sent the picture out Saturday morning on Twitter after critics expressed doubt about Mr. Obama's claim that he goes skeet shooting "all the time."

The Tweet, with a link to the photograph, is labeled "POTUS shoots clay targets on the range at Camp David on Aug. 4, 2012."

For all the "skeeters": POTUS shoots clay targets on the range at Camp David on Aug. 4, 2012. bit.ly/WlDMYG

— Dan Pfeiffer (@pfeiffer44) February 2, 2013

With the United States engaged in a major debate over limits on gun ownership, the president recently told an interviewer he frequently takes part in the sport.  When The New Republic magazine asked, "Have you ever fired a gun?," he responded, "Yes, in fact, up at Camp David, we do skeet shooting all the time."

Before the photo was released, Republican Representative Marsha Blackburn said, "If he is a skeet shooter, why have we not heard of this?  Why have we not seen photos?"

Blackburn challenged the president to a shooting competition.  The White House has not responded.

Obama has introduced a series of legislative proposals and executive orders intended to reduce gun violence in the United States, but he has said he strongly supports the Second Amendment of the U.S. Constitution, which gives citizens the right to own guns.