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Angle: Reid's clout misguided
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CRAIG L. MORAN/LAS VEGAS REVIEW-JOURNAL
Senate candidate Sharron Angle greets GOP supporters Monday at a Nevada Republican Men's Club luncheon. » Buy this photo
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LAS VEGAS REVIEW-JOURNAL
Updated: Sep. 11, 2010 | 3:29 p.m.
Challenger Sharron Angle took aim Monday at one of U.S. Sen. Harry Reid's strongest arguments for re-election, contending that the Senate majority leader's influence has hurt, not helped, the state.
"In spite of what people are saying about this most powerful man, Harry Reid, he has not used his power for our benefit," Angle said in a speech to the Nevada Republican Men's Club.
Angle cited the new health care law, which polls show isn't popular in Nevada with more than half of voters, and hundreds of billions in federal spending that has led to a record $13 trillion national deficit without stopping Nevada's economic slide.
Angle's comments to the friendly crowd of more than 200 Republicans came three months before Election Day as the Tea Party favorite and Reid remain locked in a dead heat for the Democratic incumbent's Senate seat, according to recent polls. The speech, along with her willingness to answer reporters' questions afterward, signaled a new approach of openness by her campaign, which has been accused of ducking the media since her June 8 primary win.
Angle said that as a junior senator she could wield power by joining Republicans to block tax hikes, excess regulation and spending bills, and Supreme Court nominees who don't meet a strict constitutional test, including Elena Kagan.
"There are certain things that can be done just by your junior senator," Angle said, explaining that even if Republicans remain in the minority after 2010, she could filibuster, which allows lone lawmakers to delay legislation through lengthy debate. "I guarantee that I can talk most anything to death."
In TV ads and on the campaign trail, Angle blames Reid for Nevada's record high unemployment, home foreclosure and bankruptcy rates that have spiked in the 18 months since President Barack Obama took office and with Democrats in charge of the House and Senate.
Reid argues, however, that he and the Democrats have staved off a worse recession by passing a $787 billion stimulus bill to save thousands of jobs in Nevada. He also defends the health care law as necessary to stop runaway costs and give the rich, poor and middle class access to insurance.
Reid campaign spokesman Jon Summers answered Angle's criticism by noting the senator is responsible for an energy transmission line between White Pine and Clark counties that "will create thousands of jobs" as well as wind turbine manufacturing facilities that will open in Las Vegas, putting 1,000 people to work. Summers also pointed to $100 million Nevada recently got in federal funds to help homeowners who were in danger of losing their houses to foreclosure.
"Senator Reid delivers more for Nevada than the rest of the delegation combined," Summers said in a statement. "Any Republican who says Nevada isn't better off because of Senator Reid is either being dishonest or isn't paying attention. Yes, things are tough right now, but they would have been even worse if Nevada didn't have the leader of the Senate fighting for them."
Angle has turned Reid's campaign claim that he's done more for Nevada on its head, saying he has pushed policies that have given the state more unemployed, bankrupt and homeless people.
"It's time to tell Harry Reid to stop doing more. We can't afford it," Angle said.
Angle, accused of avoiding the media, made light of the criticism when she lost her voice and breath for a few moments early in her 20-minute speech.
"I've been running from the press so much," Angle joked after drinking some water, drawing a round of applause and laughter from the luncheon gathering inside Cili Restaurant at the Bali Hai Golf Course south of Mandalay Bay.
Angle said she had done more than 100 interviews in more than 50 days, although she didn't mention that most of them have been with conservative radio and TV programs.
"I've been doing so many interviews. Because of that, I sometimes lose my voice," she said. "One day I did 15 interviews. It does kind of get to your vocal cords."
Instead of avoiding the media after her speech, Angle took questions from several reporters, including from a Japanese newspaper and The New Republic covering the national race.
Asked whether her speech was addressing voters afraid of losing Reid's clout, Angle said that making the case for a new senator is more about telling Nevadans what she'll do if she wins Nov. 2.
"When you talk about what's wrong, people want to know how you're going to make it right," she said, arguing her election would remove the man most responsible for passing Obama's agenda. "The greatest value, of course, for us is that we'll be rid of the policies of Obama and retire Harry Reid."
Angle also took questions from Republicans, including from at least two people who worried that she wasn't responding sharply and quickly enough to Reid's ubiquitous attacks in TV ads.
She said her new media team and the millions she's pouring into her campaign have given her the ability to put up three TV ads in the past few weeks and will let her keep on the air through the fall.
"You'll see them get harder and harder," Angle said of her ads, promising a "vigorous battle."
Contact Laura Myers at lmyers@reviewjournal.com or 702-387-2919.
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Unemployed and free crack pipes from Nancy Pelosi and Harry Reid. Part of the New "Transparent" Healthcare from Obamacare:
http://sweetness-light.com/archive/seattle-group-gives-out-free-crack-pipes
And besides us fighting each other is really pointless isn't it? NO AMOUNT OF MONEY REID COULD HAVE SPENT ON ADS AGAINST LOWDEN COULD HAVE POSSIBLY BEEN AS EFFECTIVE AS HER "CHICKEN FOR CHECKUPS" macaca moment. Thats what did her in. The question remains(Dem's and Indepen's can't vote in the primary) why did the Republicans vote for Sharron Angle? She is having a "chicken for checkup" moment on just about a daily basis.
who is the conspiracy wacko? Don't look in the mirror pal. So you're saying? huh? that someone who is running on one side of a ticket paid for ads against someone on the other side of a ticket-WHY THAT'S OUTRAGEOUS! Never in the history of politics has anything that egregious occurred! " Yes harry might have done something that you don't agree with, but you'll rationalize it somehow." huh? I didn't vote for Angle did you? Oh you are saying if Reid didn't run those ads he would be facing Lowden? Huh? What are you saying? That it's somehow wrong to run ads against an opponent? Thats the system we got ain't it? You really ought stick to looking for commies and Marxist's and Anchor Babies.
Renostarman. I know in your little world everything is some kind of conspiracy. Let me put it in moron terms: harry Reid paid for t.v.(television) ads(advertisements) against sue lowden. I don't think I can break it down any more than that. No conspiracy, no plants its just what happened. Yes harry might have done something that you don't agree with, but you'll rationalize it somehow.
From the teaparty: Please overlook the party of NO. Forget they just voted against small businesses. Forget they voted against veteran benefits. Forget about Ensign and Gibbons-we are not supposed to think about them! And don't think about Bush or Cheney or Rumsfeld or lemonade. Don't think about wall st deregulation or the spoiled unemployed or social security as welfare. Never ever think about Iraq and all our poor kids blown apart. Reid's "the wars is lost" comment is WAY worse than lying us into that war and then mishandling it for six years! The surge worked buddy! Never think that maybe if we had sent enough guys in the first place it might not have been needed. Don't think about apologies to BP or slush funds and don't remember 2nd amendment comments either-just vote for ANYONE other than Harry. The right-wing neocons didn't quite completely destroy America-and we baggers want another chance to finish the job.
Alvinjh wrote on August 04, 2010 03:35 PM:/ That was a well stated and reasoned argument-thank you. Here's something we CAN agree on-isn't it pathetic that none of us are happy or genuinely support either candidate? We are all AGAINST one or the other-pretty sad. I am not pro Reid I AM anti teaparty right-wing BS. We just had all of their ideas in place for many years-they did not work. I refuse to go back without putting my two cents in. I am idealistic enough to believe that either we Hold The Torch High-or we don't. period. I believe the teaparty is made up of hatemongers and bigots and nothing I see of them on the news ever changes my view. I have NEVER heard a bagger quote Goldwater or Buckley I seriously doubt that many of the baggers have even Heard of them, let alone read them. No the teaparty gets ALL it's ideas from Fox talking heads; when and if I hear an intelligent conservative again I will certainly listen. But the right-wing in this country have ZERO credibility-where was the teaparty when Bush borrowed a trillion from the Chinese to fund his war? Where was the teaparty during the 1st TARP bailout? Didn't we rescue the saving and loans under Reagan? where was the teaparty fallout for those bailouts? Frankly I can't see how any well reasoned person could ever align themselves the teaparty bigots. You doubt that statement? Just Google "teaparty racism on Google Images and see it for yourselves.
So Reid is arguing, laughably, that things would be worse in Nevada if he wasn't the Senate Majority Leader. Would we have been 50th instead of 49th in the amount of stimulus money spent in our state?
Oh, and who but white racists and black comics uses the word negro anymore?
Common Sense wrote on August 04. "Will the bush treacheries ever end. I'm gonna bet we hear Obama say that we can't fix the damage in only 4 years."
Try a generation common. You where in the U.S. last decade correct? Perhaps you missed the scandals dejour? Every damn week there was something. Ok Ok forget that. Just ask yourself this: How can YOU forgive OR forget that they lied us into a war? "WMD's are a slam dunk" "we don't want the smoking gun to be a mushroom cloud" "you go to war with the army you have" "the insurgency is in its last throes":Do YOU recall any of those lies? Ya I thought not. How can YOU justify almost 5000 of our kids-not being just killed-BUT BLOWN APART? And then they cut VA benefits and wanted to remove combat pay after the "mission accomplished" speech. Make NO mistake pal-Those of us with memories still working, will NEVER forgive GW Bush and his cronies. If you think you can win your way back into power by hoping we all get amnesia you are mistaken. We love this country to much and respect our armed forces to much to let a bunch of neocons EVER get control of America again!
Vote for the person who is not Reid then renostarman. Its simple. Then you can vote for another candidate next time. It is easier to remove a one term incumbent than it is to remove someone who has juiced the system for 24 years so they can ignore the will of the electorate. You make it sound as if you are disappointed that Tarkanian didn't win the primary. Why don't you ask his opinion of whom to vote for?
You may not like what you know about Angle. Fine. I despise what I know about Reid. Anyone claiming to vote for Harry because they somehow think he is the less objectionable is fooling themselves. Harry is doing a number on this country. He is using a mostly conservative state to turn the country into a socialist state that mandates your behavior. Say you are right and Angel is all that you think she is--honestly--how could you vote for Harry Reid or encourage anyone else to--your brand of "logic" is what Harry Reid will count on to continue the destructive path we are on.
I will vote for Sharon Angle and happily wait to see what she does. Because I know what Harry is going to do. More of the same.
Most people who care, have thought this through. And I firmly believe Harry Reid is done because of how he has used the office and ignored his people.
Common Sense Im just keeping pace with you bud. I cant get on here everyday so I gotta catch up. Thanks for reading them! Just so we are clear-; -Angle is a plant elected by the creepy ole democrats? You know the ones who can't vote in the republican primary-and we independents didn't vote either-so I guess ole Harry fixed quite a few ballot machines huh? Bagger logic? Pathetic and yet humorous at the same time. So if you baggers knew Reid was campaigning against Lowden-you didn't vote for Tark because? I've said it 50 times-Tark would have been a slam dunk for the GOP; but the baggers watched themselves on Fox and got all giddy being on tv and all, with their cute outfits and posters and THEY elected in the primary an unelectable candidate. So you are going to have to learn to live with that. But have some hope-there is still time for a Rove trick or two, and Mama Griz will stop by too, hey maybe GW will swing on out for a little boost huh?