Las Vegas Sun

March 19, 2024

Sharron Angle denounces ‘favor-buying’ politicians at Las Vegas rally

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Republican Senate candidate Sharron Angle speaks during a Nevada Tea Party Patriots event near Durango Drive and the 215 Beltway on Wednesday, Sept. 1, 2010.

Republican U.S. Senate candidate Sharron Angle bashed politicians during a Saturday rally for "favor-buying" but didn't mention she offered to use her political "juice" to help a third-party candidate she was trying to convince to drop out of the race.

Angle spoke to a friendly crowd of several hundred supporters at The Blue Martini in Town Square and answered questions from conservative radio host Heidi Harris, an Angle supporter who called herself the "official defender of Sharron Angle."

Although Angle answered more than two dozen questions about education, immigration, health care and Social Security, she never mentioned a secretly taped conversation she had with Tea Party of Nevada candidate Jon Scott Ashjian, in which she said that if elected, she would use her influence for his benefit.

"Whatever juice I have, you have as well," Angle told Ashjian. "You want to see (U.S. Sen. Jim) DeMint? I have juice with DeMint. I go to D.C., say 'I want to see Jim DeMint,' he's there for me."

Instead, Angle said while talking about the health-care reform bill that Congress passed this year: "We don't need some kind of favor-buying pork ... Harry Reid isn't just another vote. He pushed it, he promoted it, he made the deals."

Angle's conversation with Ashjian received international attention. Harris didn't ask about it.

She did ask Angle about her feelings about Mormons. Angle's pastor recently called the religion "a cult."

Angle didn't denounce Pastor John Reed's statements but she did say she honors the Mormon faith.

"The LDS church is stellar," Angle said, noting that Mormons defend marriage and life, values she holds dear. "I respect their efforts."

CORRECTION: A quote in this story was changed from "favor-buying whore," as was initially published, to "favor-buying pork" after a spokesman for the Sharron Angle campaign contacted the reporter Sunday night and offered an audio recording of the event to set the record straight. | (August 1, 2013)

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