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StumblePublished Wednesday, July 7, 2010 | 9:13 p.m.
Updated Wednesday, July 7, 2010 | 9:14 p.m.
Ten days after she said she wasn't sure she could vote for Sharron Angle against Harry Reid, the state's only Republican woman to win federal office has endorsed the GOP Senate nominee and given her the maximum donation. In an interview Wednesday evening, ex-Rep. Barbara Vucanovich, ever the straight-shooter at age 89, said Sen. John Ensign called her a few days ago and asked her to meet with Angle. That came after a June 27 Las Vegas Review-Journal story in which Vucanovich expressed concerns about Angle's "rigid" positions and demurred when asked about endorsing her.
Vucanovich said she told Ensign she would not endorse Angle unless she agreed to moderate her views, especially on Social Security, and that the GOP senator persuaded her to meet with Angle. "John said, 'You need to tell her that. We need to defeat Harry Reid,'" Vucanovich told me, repeating those exact words when I asked her a second time about the conversation with Ensign, Reid's putative pal.
Angle, who lives in Reno, came over to Vucanovich's house in that city the next day. "I need to be candid with you," Vucanovich, who was always that, said in the interview. "I read her the riot act. I told her she was scaring the bejesus out of seniors."
The ex-congresswoman said Angle told her: "That isn't what I mean. I don't want to take it (Social Security) away from anybody."
Vucanovich said Angle went on to say that she wanted to privatize it eventually but would protect current recipients. "That scares people," Vucanovich said she told Angle. "I told her, 'If you can moderate it, if you can mke it clear, I will support you. She tried to reassure me she would not interfere with people getting Social Security."
Vucanovich said she accepted Angle's word, even though the candidate has not been clear how allowing people to opt out could keep the system solvent, and gave her $2,400.
Vucanovich repeated to me that she had always thought Angle was "too rigid....She's very conservative and with the Christian Coalition and all those people. You can't get elected that way."
So Barbara Vucanovich embraces the new Sharron Angle and all is right within GOPworld.
And so the road to victory begins for Angle.
If she can convince moderates and independents that she will only take action on fiscal matters, and will set her personal views on social issues aside in favor of what the constituency wants, she has a lock on the election.
She can own up to all her "crazy" ideas and still be elected if the voters feel she will listen to them.
Jon said it himself a couple of weeks ago, Angle needs to have people see her as a "benign eccentric". It's beginning.
She's not eccentric. She's fringe. Nevada doesn't need to trade a power broker for a marginalized fringe player who will one term and out. Maybe Harry needed to be beat by the someone better who could take up the mantle for all Nevadans. Maybe in some world that was Kenny Guinn or Bill Raggio or even Brian Sandoval. But if Sharron Angle is the best alternative...I'm sticking with the one who puts Nevada on the map, not the one who makes us a punchline.
Benign or malignant, a tumor should be removed.
See how easy it is to remake your image in politics?
Out with the Social Security killing Sharron, in with the concerned, 'personalized' Sharron.
How nice.
Another flip flop by Angle, for the time being.
Is Ensign Angle's "puppet master?"
Reid is too chummy with Ensign, he could gain 3 points by taring Angle with Ensign. Time to dump your "friend." Harry
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6Hbvfn96w...
"Harry Reid's opponent is a mental patient"? LOL.
"Harry to Sharron: Bite me
Which Republican genius told Senate candidate Sharron Angle it would be a great idea to threaten to sue Harry Reid for a copyright infringement after Reid's campaign resurrected Angle's dearly departed campaign website? Did they whisper in her ear what a cool thing it would be to threaten the mighty Reid and then tell everyone how despicable he is for re-posting Angle's own words and policy positions, words she is now desperately pretending she never said?"
- George Knapp
LOL
No surprise that Senator Reid's "friend" Ensign turned on him.
What else would anyone expect from a guy that sleeps with his best friend's wife?
Looking forward to Obama coming in to destroy ANY chance Reid had to win the election.
Ask the following how the President has helped their run for office:
John Corzine
Martha Coakley
Barbara Boxer
Creigh Deeds
He's so powerful that Rory....Uh, what's his last name....is in Washoe County today - 450 miles away!
Talk about smart - I might vote for that guy!
Also, I ask EVERYONE whether they are Dems or Repubs, aren't we all sick of seeing these career politicians sitting next to each other and referring to each other as "My Good Friend.."
Yeah, John McCain is Patrick Leahy's "Good friend"
Every time I see that kind of stuff I want to puke.
I'd really like to hear Sharron Angle go into detail on her proposal to personalize Social Security. Before 1990, retirement planners talked about a "three legged stool," comprised of private pensions, Social Security, and personal savings. Then most employers terminated their defined benefit pension plans, and more recently quit matching employee contributions to 401(k) plans. So now, workers have to make all of the contributions and shoulder all of the risk in the "replacement" for private pensions.
So I'd really like to hear Sharron Angle tell us why the 95% of American workers who earn less than the wage base ($106,800 in 2010) will have to assume literally all of the responsibility and risk associated with their retirement, so that the other 5% (and their employers) don't have to continue to pay that 6.2% tax on earnings above the wage base. Because, according to the most recent report for the actuaries, that is all it would take to fully fund Social Security.
Sharron, do you realize that making retirement more uncertain only keeps people in the workforce who would otherwise leave to make room for younger workers? Are you willing to see unemployment stay at staggering levels, and homelessness increase? Do you have any plan to lower investment costs for the working class, so we're not paying exorbitant plan administration fees, investment fees, and service fees out of our 401(k) plan earnings? Or are you just going to cut us all loose, and let God sort us out?
putting someone with crazy ideas in office is redundantly stupid. "That isn't what I mean" No, it's just what you've been saying, repeatedly. Politicians politicking.
At 89 years old I would surmise that Barbara's decision to support Shingles indicates a creeping case of dementia.
@ OpenRange,
WIN!!!
Reid will lose in November.
http://therealharryreid.nrsc.org/
The road to victory begins with John Ensign?
The raving right-wing has gone mad.
Vucanovich has been a Republican party tool since she moved to Nevada to get a divorce. We are not suprised that she endorsed Frau Angle after Ensign told her to do it. How many voters will this endorsement sway?
Vucanovich spent most of her adult life as a Republican party operative or on the public payroll as a congressional rep., yet always campaigned as an "outsider" wanting to "take on Washington". Then, she would go back to Washington and vote the Republican party line.
Angle convinced Vucanovich to accept her pinky promise, or was that a wink and a nod, or possibly, you scratch my back, and I'll scratch Ensigns.
Vucanovich's comments clearly indicate she is uneasy with her decision. At 89, all that winking, scratching and promising can be confusing.
Senator Reid will win by a landslide in November.. Yiiiiipeeeeeee.... A true Nevadan....:)
I would say Ms. Vucanovich has sunk to new lows of irrelevance by not only listening to Senator Ensign, but also choosing to endorse Sharron Angle.
Birds of feather flock together.
Except in the Gulf of Mexico.
Angle's husband is retired BLM so he is getting a federal pension. Hey Sharon- the private sector does not get a pension so perhaps you and your husband should turn down the federal money like your grandfather did. You say anything you want-so since you talk the talk then it is time to walk the walk. You were a teacher and state rep- are you getting a state pension as well because if you are elected to federal post then will you and your family be getting 2 state pensions and 2 federal pensions and lifetime health insurance?
Angle will win. Obama is in town campaining for Harry.. We all know his record for helping out his democratic friends-- 0 - 4...soon to be 5. I actually am thankful that BHO came here!!! ha ha... all together now... nah nah nah nah---hey hey hey---good bye Harry!
OK, it's time for Reid to let the dogs loose on Ensign's philandering affairs. Of course, that would mean some junk about Heller might come out too.
Why are CONServatives such hypocrites? Angle's husband was a federal employee so it's ok for them to be at the federal tit for time and eternity? Wow. Wow. Wow. Scumbags.
I cannot vote for someone who believes that the federal government should criminally punish a 13 year old girl who was raped by her father because she aborted the pregnancy. I cannot vote for someone who believes abortions cause breast cancer. I cannot vote for someone who believes tax dollars should pay for scientologist massages of prison inmates. These are all Sharon Angles positions and I cannot vote for someone so ignorant.
IT'S IN THE BAG!!!
A man in Purgatory and surely on his way to Hell, John "Toast" Ensign, whispers into a nearly-90-year-old's hearing aid that she should speak well of Crazy Angle, for "the good of the old party".
Problem is, the old batwanger KNOWS ANGLE'S NutJob PLATFORM, and asks that she "tone it down".
Sooooo, Crazy Angle has a "makeover", and disavows her own prior words and actions, and BINGO, we have a tacit endorsement from Great, Great Gramma.
Oh, wow.
Harry, you old DOG you!!!
She's PERFECT. Just PERFECT!
MUST SEE TV: Morning Joe' Panel, Conservative and Liberal Alike, Eviscerates Sharron Angle http://bit.ly/bTVoZE
Harry just barely won last time...like 500 votes...he's a dead duck! the Reid's will no longer be a problem, gone with the wind...good riddance! to bad rubbish. They are despicable! It sure will be funny to see Nancy having to step down too, she can go grow grapes with her illegal workers in the Wine Country CA. Yes, there were many hired by her, she's such a cheap skate and liar.
I bet Ensign is indited in August or September, which would be good timing for Reid.
Heller says Ensign doesn't show up to Nevada caucus meetings.
I wonder how much money the Tan-Man has gotten for his defence fund.
Sharron Angle's winning of the nomination means one thing: people are sick and tired of big Federal politics as usual; they are sick of big corporate businesses controlling THEIR government. Sharron's slogans: Down with the IRS, down with the dirty cartel of bankers we call the Federal Reserve; if all the stimulus money had been equally divided among taxpayer and returned to them, then there would have been stimulus. Instead, the commoners had no decision on who gets the stimulus. Now, for all you Harry Reid lovers, a question: where f__k is it? The bailout Czar Neel T. Kashkari, another Federal Reservist whose buddies with Timmy Geithner knows. Oh yaah, but after 4 months of hard work of distributing bailout money to the banks, he retired to a million dollar log cabin on the border of Nevada in Nevada Country and 2 billion is unaccounted for. If Obama and Reid are for the people, then how the heck did a Federal Reservist from the NYC Fed get into the White House Treasury???? Enough of the corruption. Reid has got to GO!!! Hope and change should be called Poop and bullsh-t.
Angle is backed by Freedumb Works, which is as establishment as you can get, Angle is empty vessel that gets filled and molded as we have seen: over social security, BP slush fund, and so on.
We didn't get as much stimulus benefits because of Gibbons. Michigan, New Mexico, Oregon, etc. have seen unemployment drops.
Gibbons and Ensign? They have nothing to do with Nevada's economy?
Look what happened to the Gulf. If Angle puts nuclear waste at Yucca, the tourism and retirement business will collapse if there is an accident.
Name one scientist that says reprocessing is feasible at Yucca?
It does not matter who says it, the one truth is "WE MUST DEFEAT HARRY REID" at all costs.
As much as he and his cronies (including Obama) tout his power, experience etc., it does absolutely no good for the people of Nevada, in fact it has hurt Nevada for many years. And, the same goes for Dina Titus in the House. All she does is play follow the leader with either Reid, Obama or Reid and Obama.
Let's just take since Obama took office. Harry Reid (and Dina Titus) have done absolutely nothing to help the people of Nevada, their Constituents. They have continually voted party line (as Harry Reid did the last 2 years of the Bush Administration when the Democrats controlled the Congress and, therefore, must shoulder the blame for that period of time). By voting party line all that has happened is that Obama's far left agenda has been shoved down the throat of the majority of the voters in the state of Nevada. In Reid's own words at times he has stated that he "knows what is best" and that is how he votes (his whims, his way, his mind), not that of the majority of his constituents which is his responsibility.
He, Harry Reid, is the epitome of the type of politician that close to 70% of the entire country's voters want to get rid of. He has "hammered out legislation" BEHIND CLOSED DOORS WITH THE EXACT "SPECIAL INTEREST GROUPS" THAT THE AMERICAN CITIZEN IS AGAINST. That's why you don't see the one most important issue of TORT REFORM in the Healthcare Reform legislation. All you see is bigger, big government, more power/control over the people and their liberties/rights and privacy.
If allowed, they will nearly double your energy costs in the name of "CLEAN OR GREEN ENERGY". Just last week the article in the paper Nevada Energy is trying to ram down our throats the "smart Meters". That article stated that the oil/coal fueled energy cost something like $13 per KWH and the "Clean/Green Energy" is like $35 per KWH. By a certain date, not in the too distant future a minimum of 25% must be clean/green. Figure it out, that's an increase of AT LEAST 42%, not including NV Energy recouping the cost of those meters, the labor to put them in etc. And, to boot, they're not accurate in California where they were tested and people are getting astronomical energy bills. This is the energy that HARRY REID, BARACK OBAMA AND DINA TITUS ARE TOUTING AS "THE FUTURE".
Consequently, if we re-elect Harry Reid, Dina Titus and Barack Obama we can look forward to the Healthcare fiasco (which MUST be repealed) and double, possibly triple the cost of energy (gas & electric). Not to mention amnesty for the Illegal Immigrants that cost the country between $332 billion and $538 billion per year ($3.32 trillion to $5.38 trillion over the next 10 years) that they ARE NOT ENTITLED TO.
YES, WE MUST DEFEAT HARRY REID, DINA TITUS AND IN 2012 BARACK HUSSEIN OBAMA.
P.S. -- IF HE'S SO POWERFUL, WHY IS NEVADA #1 IN UNEMPLOYMENT AT 14% AND STILL GROWING.
tarbox60.....
Because the damage from the BUSH DEPRESSION is
still working.
We're not going to let you greedy republicans
do any more damage, your days are over.
We Democrats have to fix your republican mess.
John Ensign can move to Reno and become a Reno Republican too. Sounds good to those who live in Southern Nevada.
tarbox = Rush replay
Dina Titus is a fantastic woman who cares about women's rights and has backed and helped passed legislation that guarantees the rights of our women in the military.
Angle wants to legislate Dr's LYING to women - and advocates women be reliant on men for income.
We MUST RE-ELECT DINA TITUS, HARRY REID AND YES IN 2012 BARACK HUSSEIN OBAMA!!!!
Republiscum has F-ed up our country for long enough - it's time for us to KEEP TAKING IT BACK!!!!
Agree with Jenlv---electing Angle would be like electing someone from another century---we want this country to go forward, not backward. Ms. Angle appears to need professional therapy to deal with her multiple personalities.
Titus, Reid, and Obama will all be re-elected.
Let's hope Senator Reid enjoys his retirement; he truly deserves it. He has worked so hard this past year trying to make Nevada number one in JOB LOSES.
Harry Reid is an embarresment to Nevada. Our state is crumbling before our eyes. When I see him patting himself on the back when people are hurting out there it makes me dispise him even more. What an arrogant jerk!
REID IS USING ALL KINDS OF DIRTY TRICKS TO TRY TO SCARE PEOPLE FROM VOTING FOR SHARON ANGLE. THE TRUTH IS THE DANGER IS VERY REAL FOR REID TO CONTINUE BEING THE SENATE PRESIDENT AS SHOWN BY OBAMA COMING TO VEGAS SEVERAL TIMES TO CAMPAING FOR HIM. OBAMA NEEDS REIDS TO CONTINUE TO PUSH HIS SOCIALIST IDEAS LIKE THE OBAMACARE AND GRANTING CITIZENSHIPS TO ALL ILLEGALS.
You must throw your ensign in jail. Another case of the blind leading the blind.