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By Karoun Demirjian (contact) 
Friday, Oct. 8, 2010 | 2 a.m.
Sen. Jim DeMint, R-S.C., has morphed into a national champion of Tea Party-backed conservatives.
Sharron Angle speaks during a Senate candidate forum for Angle and Sen. Harry Reid on Sept. 23 at Faith Lutheran High School.
Audio Clip
- Listen to the Angle-Ashjian sit-down
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Sun Archives
- Court: Scott Ashjian to stay on ballot as Tea Party candidate (10-6-10)
- Sharron Angle offers juice to Tea Party of Nevada opponent (10-5-10)
- Team Angle on tape: Shows she is 'blunt, plain spoken' leader: Team Reid: 'supreme hypocrisy' by trying to make deal (10-3-10)
- Team Angle on tape: Shows she is 'blunt, plain spoken' leader: Team Reid: 'supreme hypocrisy' by trying to make deal (10-3-10)
- Angle: 'I’m not sure I can win' if Ashjian’s in (10-3-10)
If Sharron Angle unseats Harry Reid, the Nevada delegation will go from having the influence of official majority leadership to being under the influence of a different kind of leader — the man emerging as the Republican Party’s de facto kingmaker, Jim DeMint.
The South Carolina senator became a household name in Nevada this week after an audiotape was released in which Republican U.S. Senate candidate Sharron Angle told rival candidate Jon Scott Ashjian that her close relationship with DeMint is currency in Washington.
“I have juice with him … I go to Washington, D.C., and want to see Jim DeMint, he’s right there for me,” Angle said to Ashjian on the tape.
Angle’s statement gave a glimpse of how the former assemblywoman, known for her isolation in the Nevada Legislature, sees herself fitting into official Washington.
In the 2010 midterm election, DeMint is wielding considerable influence as the face of the Senate Conservatives PAC, which is helping to fund candidacies of Tea Party-backed Republicans in close Senate races across the country.
One of those Republicans is Angle, to whom DeMint’s political action committee has given $538,000. Among the rest are hopefuls Angle sees as her comrades in arms in a bid to — according to that same taped conversation — defy the “machine in the Republican Party (that) is fighting against me” and “shake this mess up.”
Angle’s list of DeMint-backed candidates includes Alaska’s Joe Miller, Colorado’s Ken Buck, Delaware’s Christine O’Donnell and Florida’s Marco Rubio — staunch conservatives who support a repeal of the health care bill, privatization of Social Security, and have called for constitutional amendments to cut spending and impose term limits.
If that band succeeds in getting to Washington, DeMint will be their conductor — and if he delivers enough protégés, the cues he gives could cause considerable power shifts in the Republican caucus.
DeMint started backing Tea Party candidates during the primaries, including endorsing candidates challenging the picks of his party’s leaders — such as Rand Paul in Kentucky who was running against Trey Grayson.
DeMint’s endorsement of Angle came only after her unexpected Nevada primary victory.
He has expressed confidence that if the Republicans stage a comeback in the Senate and become a powerful minority — or even take back the majority — it will be because of his picks.
“The only reason we have a chance at the majority right now is in large part for the candidates I’ve been supporting,” he told CNN last month.
However, the Tea Partyers — with DeMint as their leader — are exposing divisions among Republicans.
“In 2010, what we will have on the Republican side is a real division between the Tea Party fundamentalists, led by DeMint, a couple of moderates, and the rest of the mainstream conservatives,” said Thomas Mann, a senior fellow at the Brookings Institution.
Within Congress, DeMint champions a fiscally and socially conservative agenda through his chairmanship of the Senate’s conservative Republican Steering Committee, a group that holds weekly meetings and policy lunches for the party caucus. Nevada’s other senator, John Ensign — a former roommate of DeMint’s in the now-infamous “C Street” house — serves as second in command on the committee.
DeMint has not shied away from more public attempts to wield influence. Along with Oklahoma Republican Tom Coburn — another C Streeter — he is one of the most liberal users of a Senate procedure known as a “hold,” which can block the consideration of legislation outright. DeMint recently threatened to use such a mechanism to block any bills not made publicly available at least two days before the Senate adjourned for its pre-election recess.
Those go-it-alone tactics have created friction in the GOP between official caucus leaders and unflinching opposition purists such as DeMint and Coburn who both sides are fitfully trying to ignore for the remainder of the election cycle.
“It’s a shotgun wedding. Both parties are stuck with each other whether they like it or not,” Nevada Republican strategist Chuck Muth said. “Angle would love to be able to thumb her nose at the party establishment. But the fact is she does need them.”
The first such display of public face took place when Angle went to Washington this week to attend National Republican Senatorial Committee-sponsored fundraising events, despite having had her taped comments of disdain for the party’s leaders publicly aired only days before.
Whether those tensions will turn into outright divisions in the Senate depends on how big DeMint’s camp delivers on Election Night.
If Republicans take the majority, those cracks could start to come to the surface, experts say. If they simply emerge a very strong minority, it’s likely that the need to form a strong opposition to Democrats will be enough of a cohesive force to keep party factions glued together.
“It’s easier to remain unified if you’re in the minority than in the majority,” Nevada Republican strategist Robert Uithoven said. “That’s why a lot of people in Republican circles don’t want the Republicans to take control of either chamber … If they do, that gives the president something to campaign against in 2012. If they come just short … that’s a win enough. They can then focus on taking the White House.”
In either circumstance, DeMint is not expected to make a direct challenge to Mitch McConnell’s party leadership.
But the lack of an official mark of authority won’t necessarily keep potential Tea Party newbies from turning to DeMint as their Sherpa of choice nonetheless.
“There is the technical leadership, and then there is the de facto leadership,” Muth said. “Angle is going to fit in perfectly with Coburn and
DeMint, and they’re going to have an enormous amount of influence over her as a senator.”
"DeMint has not shied away from more public attempts to wield influence. Along with Oklahoma Republican Tom Coburn -- another C Streeter -- he is one of the most liberal users of a Senate procedure known as a "hold," which can block the consideration of legislation outright. DeMint recently threatened to use such a mechanism to block any bills not made publicly available at least two days before the Senate adjourned for its pre-election recess."
This is why 99-to-Angle is a sure-fire way to paralyze governance of the United States.
She is unfit to be a United States Senator.
Is this an article or an editorial?
So, CraZy AnGleS has Juice with a couple of C-Street Nuts... roomies of our disgraced John Ensign, and of the same THEOCRACY???
Are they gonna let her join the CULT?
I tell ya, she get's more & more attractive every day!
"I got juice"!
"I got juice"!
"I got Juice"!
You got NOTHIN!
Hatred is on the march, love live white power. (This is really what the teatards stand for).
The only thing more remarkable than the fact she is in this race still is the out and out stupidity of the people who would vote for her.
New leadership is needed, and I could have been for a new republican who didn't tell me I am a socialist for wanting the fire departments of America to put out every fire, regardless of whether stupid public officials have said it is no longer one of my rights.
The inbred intellectual incuriosity of the Angle supporters can be forgiven in the senior citizen centers of Nevada, politicians have used scare tactics on old folks on both sides of the aisle since there was opportunity to be gained.
What is frightening is the 35-60 year olds who can't see anymore. It is like their eyes have been replaced by a 30 second "The Ni**ers and Mexicans are going to kill you" ad that runs over and over in their minds.
Other than these pleasing thoughts, hope you all have a great weekend.
with all this secondary issues how about Reid who has voted with the Democrats on every issue (Tarp,stimulus,Unemployment benefits 99 weeks,HEALTH PLAN which was put through Christmas Eve that no one read )let's just run on Harry's record and Angle and most of the Repub,Tea Party will win. Another point u Reid lovers have forgotten Pelosi (who is a complete moron) said the food stamps is the best way to put money in the economy. How about jobs?This morning report says we lost 95,000 jobs. This is all Bush's fault.
Jeff's ok with his government spending three dollars for every two it takes in as long as "he get's his." And then, in the pinnacle of hypocrisy he turns around and calls Sharron Angle extreme because she wants to try and bring some fiscal sanity to our government.
@ bbtbrain - I'm all about fiscal sanity in our government, but she's a WHACK JOB! I don't like Harry Reid, but at least I know what I'm going to get with him. Sharron Angle is a loon and I'm not going to vote Harry Reid out for a loon.
"If Sharron Angle unseats Harry Reid, the Nevada delegation will go from having the influence of official majority leadership to being under the influence of a different kind of leader..."
Now let's see, what good has it been to have Harry Reid in the US Senate.
Harry Reid and the rest of the government leadership brought 14+% Unemployment to Las Vegas and much of the rest of Nevada during their watch.
Harry Reid and the rest of the government leadership brought real estate values crashing during their watch.
Harry Reid and the rest of the government leadership crashed 401K values during their watch.
The list of Harry Reid's accomplishments goes on and on and none get any better than this.
Is THAT what the people of Las Vegas and of Nevada want, more of that ????
If so, go right ahead and vote yourselves more poverty, more unemployment and less personal wealth, because that is what Harry Reid's influence has done for you and for the rest of the country as well.
@ChipThome - Wow. What a ridiculous comment. Since it all started under Bush, I suppose you hate him now, don't you? Doubtful. But, by extension and your silly logic, it's also the faults of Jim Bunning, Tom Coburn, Jon Ensign, Lindsey Graham, Orrin Hatch, John McCain, Mitch McConnell, and John Boehner. So, you are proposing that everyone in office should be removed because a bad turn on the economy happened "on their watch".
Absurd. I wish people would think before they spoke.
Harry Greed looks nervous. The latest polls could be a reason. Rasmuessen...CNN....Fox News... have found that our next Senator Angle is leading with the momentum in her favor. 14% jobless...high foreclosures....food stamp lifestyle....healthcare forced on the citizens but not on the lifetime politicians.....could be a few legitimate reasons for his concern. November is coming...and as Obama once said...thats what elections are for...cant wait.. Enjoy
Pleeeese Nevadans, Please don't deliver "Old Harry" back to Washington. Our Country just can't afford him.
Lets see, we could have Angle as a handmaiden for the moderately powerful Jim DeMint and rely on that to take care of Nevada and hope DeMint doesn't marginalize her for being too crazy.
or
We could simply re-elect Harry Reid, the most powerful Senator!
Nuff Said!
dribbler...
Your Pipe Dream.
My nightmare.
So... DeMint is from South Carolina and Crazy Sharron is in his pants? (Opps, in his pocket) Another article stated that South Carolina wants Yucca nuclear waste here in Nevada. No wonder Crazy Sharron is in favor of nuclear waste here. YOU want nuclear waste here?? Put it in Elko or somewhere in Northern Nevada, where they don't do anything but hunt rabbits for their stew anyway. Go, Sharron, Go AWAY!
...give it up, give it up, Angle, give it up...
http://www.dailymotion.com/video/xkew5_k...
Tony: How is she different than say..Harry Reid circa 1993 when he was for rescinding the rights of anchor babies? Tony are you someone who believes in the statement "Ask not what your country can do for you, but what you can do for your country?"
It's not "Harry" that needs to go. It's a lion share of the incumbents in office today. Our government (GOP and Democrat) has become far to cozy with the forces that wish to influence it such that it no longer represents its electorate. And I'm not blaming Harry or any other politician for that. We can only blame ourselves for our greed and selfishness. There are times when we need to "take out the trash" and send a message to government who really writes the checks and pulls the strings. Government's inevitable desire is to expand its power and it is the citizen electorate's job is to act as a foil to that process.
As John Philpot Curran said, "The price of liberty is eternal vigilence." We've lost our vigilance and we stand dangerously close to the precipice of losing it entirely. This election is a tipping point in our generation that will determine whether we believe in a self-reliant nation of equality of opportunity or a nation that ignores the rule of law and tacitly approves of government corruption as long as you get your cut. And Sharron Angle's position is more in line with the founding principles of our country than Harry Reid. That's why I'm voting for Sharron Angle.
Why is it that every article that this paper writes is negative against Sharron Angle? I think that it helps her because voters start to take notice of what true, and what's not, Senator Reid is in trouble, he will lose.
bbbrain, that was a good post on our history, However, when a STUPID girl talks about "juice" which no one in this or any other Country, understands except for the Mobsters and the people who live here, One has to wonder. Mangles, the next GREAT GODFATHER!! ALL HAIL TO ANGLES!!! GET ME BOY??
pmontg53 - Why is it that every article that this paper writes is negative against Sharron Angle?
BawHaHaHa!!!
You do not know???
BawHaHaHa!!!
Hint - Angle speaks - Newspaper prints Angle's words.
That Angle Juice is mind altering.
november-red - Harry Greed looks nervous. The latest polls could be a reason.
BawHaHAHa!!
Angle looks like she just came out of a mind control experiment. The GOP Handlers could be a reason.
Jim Demint is another teabagger nut just like
Sharron Angle.
These two belong on a funny farm.
Politics is out of the question today. In this day and age normal political update is undone.
Hangman was history long ago. Politics stands in the same finishing line.