Vucanovich endorses Angle, says Ensign told her, “We must defeat Harry Reid”

Wednesday, July 7, 2010 | 9:13 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.