Angle: If I win, I will get any constituent who wants a meeting in to see powerful GOP senators

Wednesday, Oct. 6, 2010 | 3:06 p.m.

Could be some long lines outside the offices of Tom Coburn, Jim DeMint and Mitch McConnell, the senators Sharron Angle promised she would have the "juice" to get him into see if Scott Ashjian endorsed her. But that was no quid pro quo, no Reidesque promise of access she was making during that taped meeting with Ashjian, Angle told conservative gabber and Angle campaign booster Heidi Harris, who is emceeing an event for her.

But that's just more revisionist history -- and, again, there's a tape of the meeting to reference, Ms. Angle! -- because she clearly was promising Ashjian a quid pro quo -- help me and I'll help you.

Here's what she said today to Harris:

"Well, of course, I offered him meetings with people that are friends of mine. Jim DeMint and Tom Coburn are friends of mine, and I would offer that to any constituent in Nevada. You know, that’s the whole point of being your Senator is to have availability and accessibility to Washington, D.C. and the laws that are being made that directly affect us. This was nothing more than a political stunt by him to expose whatever he thought he was exposing, but, of course you have that same access through your Senator, Heidi. If you want to come to Washington, D.C. and go and visit with any of these Senators, the only ones that I can offer up to you are the ones that I have good relationships with, and that’s what I offered to him too, is that I would go with him to these folks and you could talk about those things that are concerning you about the legislation that’s come out of Washington, D.C. like Obamacare, and certainly, Harry Reid has not been talking to any of us about that. He’s not been available to us and he’s not been talking about how this is affecting us right now in our lives in Nevada."

Actually, Angle said to Ashjian that she will provide access to "those who helped me." Here's exactly what she said on the tape:

"We’ve got the power of a political machinery that we’ve never seen the likes of. That really gives me some juice. And that gives me juice to help those who help me. And that’s really all I can offer to you, is whatever juice I have, you have as well. You want to see DeMint? I have juice with him now. I go to Washington DC now and I say “I want to see Jim DeMint” he’s right there for me. I say “I want to see Tom Coburn” he’s right there for me. I want to see Mitch McConnell, he’s there."

I also find it humorous, while Harry Reid is not exactly Mr. Accessible, that Sharron Angle, of all people, would be criticizing Reid for not doing town halls. When was her last one -- one where she took questions?

Full transcript of Harris' cross-examination below -- notice how Angle almost says she's open to meeting any "candidate" who wants to meet with her, then quickly switches to say "constituent."

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Harris: Well well well Got a little changeup here. Guess who’s calling us? We were able to grab her this morning as she is in DC. Sharron Angle, how you doing Sharron?

Angle: Just fine, Heidi, sorry about the lateness of my call. We are, you know, of course in a different time zone here in Washington, and having some meetings just finalizing the last of the push in this race.

Harris: Well that’s a good thing, we are glad to hear from you. We didn’t want to think you were ducking us. So tell me, why in the heck did you go and have a meeting with a snake?

Angle: Oh, with, with uhh the other guy?

Harris: Well because I can’t use the real words I’d like to use to describe him on the radio, so we’ll just go with “snake.” What possessed you to go talk to this guy?

Angle: Well you know, Heidi, I’m open to discussion with anybody, any candida, uhh constituent that wants to talk to me. I’ve had lots of private conversations with different ones. You and I have had some private discussions about the race….

Harris: Of course…

Angle: And we’ve also had some public conversations, and so when he approached me and wanted to talk, I’m more than willing to be open. That’s more than Harry Reid ever has been able to do. You know he wouldn’t even have a public town hall meeting with all of us over Obamacare, and certainly that’s what we want is just to have availability and accessibility to our elected officials. That’s what’s gone wrong is folks are avoiding the people.

Harris: Yeah, but didn’t your attorney tell you it wasn’t a good idea to meet with the guy because she believed it was going to be a trap?

Angle: Umm we hadn’t had that conversation until after I had the meeting. There was a mix-up there. She had called the campaign and they had failed to call me before the...

Harris: Oh I see.

Angle: Yeah there was just a little mix-up there. I didn’t realize that he was, you know, going to be disingenuous the way he was.

Harris: Well yeah, how did you feel when you found out he tape recorded the conversation? Because a lot of what you said, by the way, I agree with. You know, the Republicans have lost their way, and a lot of the other things you said. But how did it make you feel because that’s pretty lousy to tape record somebody without their knowledge.

Angle: Well, I think that probably more to the point is how did his best friend Sid James feel and other private folks that were in on it. You know, as a public figure I understand that the law doesn’t apply to me equally as to private citizens. But to betray your friends, is really one of those things that is almost unforgivable to be betrayed like that. And so my feelings, I guess, were that I was shocked that he would betray those who are close friends to him.

Harris: Yeah, because apparently Sid James didn’t know anything about this tape recording. That’s why he’s basically dumped Scott Ashjian, left the Tea Party of Nevada, and endorsed you. He was so disgusted by the shady dealings.

Angle: Well it is disgusting, but you know more than that, it is so hurtful to be betrayed by someone that you felt was a friend.

Heidi Harris: No question. Now what about the allegations that some of the things you said to Scott Ashjian in the conversation included, you know, offering him meetings with this person or that person if you dropped out of the race. Some are saying that’s like Chicago style politics.

Sharron Angle: Well, of course, I offered him meetings with people that are friends of mine. Jim DeMint and Tom Coburn are friends of mine, and I would offer that to any constituent in Nevada. You know, that’s the whole point of being your Senator is to have availability and accessibility to Washington, D.C. and the laws that are being made that directly affect us. This was nothing more than a political stunt by him to expose whatever he thought he was exposing, but, of course you have that same access through your Senator, Heidi. If you want to come to Washington, D.C. and go and visit with any of these Senators, the only ones that I can offer up to you are the ones that I have good relationships with, and that’s what I offered to him too, is that I would go with him to these folks and you could talk about those things that are concerning you about the legislation that’s come out of Washington, D.C. like Obamacare, and certainly, Harry Reid has not been talking to any of us about that. He’s not been available to us and he’s not been talking about how this is affecting us right now in our lives in Nevada.

Heidi Harris: Yeah, of course not. Looking forward to our big “Get to know Sharron Angle” event coming up on Saturday. That’s going to be a lot of fun.

Sharron Angle: As am I, and I’m looking forward to being there with you at 2, is that correct?

Heidi Harris: Yes, 2 o’clock, yep 2 o’clock at the Blue Martini.

Sharron Angle: Yeah, in fact, I’d like to come a little early and, you know, I know that, well you know that I like to meet the crowd. I like to have some interaction, so I’m really looking forward to it and seeing you there.

Heidi Harris: Well, that’ll be fun. The doors are going to open at 1 o’clock and we’ll talk about some of the things. We’ve had some questions today from callers about privatizing the VA. We’ll talk about that with you on Saturday, and the Department of Education and some of these other things, and I think, when people get a chance to hear what you have to say about these, without your words being parsed, and your phrases being taken out of context, I think they’re going to have a different attitude. So, we’re looking forward to it.

Sharron Angle: Well, thank you Heidi. And certainly, you know, when it comes to the VA, we owe our veterans everything and we need to do better. We need to make sure that they’re our top priority.

Heidi Harris: No question.

Sharron Angle: So, thank you for the questions. I’m looking forward to it and thanks for taking my call on such short notice and being so spontaneous with my schedule.

Heidi Harris: Well, that’s alright. We can work it out. It’s live radio. Glad to hear from you, Sharron. We’ll see you on Saturday.

Sharron Angle: All right, thank you.

Harris: Thanks, appreciate you being here. Alright, so, better late than never. We’re happy to have her.