NRA backer Dingell favors gun control bill By Eric Lichtblau and Nick Anderson / Los Angeles Times WASHINGTON -- In a surprising alignment of onetime rivals, one of the National Rifle Association's most stalwart backers in Congress has teamed up with one of its biggest opponents to try to make it tougher for felons and other banned gun owners to buy firearms. The measure would provide states with more than $1.1 billion over the next three years to upgrade records that help ensure compliance with gun buying laws. It would penalize those states that do not get up to speed,...