President Obama campaigned last night at a fundraiser in Las Vegas for Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid — and directly took on Reid’s opponent, former state Rep. Sharron Angle.
Obama never mentioned Angle by name, but frequently singled out the view of “Harry’s opponent” on such issues as financial reform, oil industry regulation and jobs. “On a lot of these issues, she favors an approach that’s even more extreme than the Republicans we got in Washington,” said Obama, to the audience’s laughter. “That’s saying something.”
The TPM Poll Average currently gives Angle a lead of 46.0%-40.8%.
Here is one excerpt, from the White House’s official transcript, of Obama talking about Sharron Angle’s denunciation of the $20 BP escrow account and then quickly retracting it, á la Joe Barton:
Obama: Well, this congressman, he, in a hearing, apologized to BP executives — said — said that the fund we’d set up was a tragedy, a shakedown — (laughter.) A tragedy? You think about all those people down there who — a lot of folks down there, just like Vegas, rely on tourism. And it’s much more seasonal than Vegas, so they’ve got basically three, four months where they make money for the entire year. You talk to some fishermen — they had already — or guys who own boats who take fishermen out — they’d already bought all their supplies, bought all their gasoline, and suddenly that’s it, wiped out. That’s the tragedy. It’s not asking BP to do what’s right and what’s fair.
But Harry’s opponent, she agreed with this guy. She called the compensation we’re providing a slush fund.
Audience: Booo!
Obama: To compensate fishermen and compensate shrimpers and compensate small restaurant owners.
Now, a few hours later, her campaign puts out a memo saying, well, she didn’t mean that. (Laughter.) They said there was some “confusion.” (Laughter.) And I’m sure she meant “slush fund” in the nicest possible way. (Laughter and applause.)
Read the full transcript here.
Eric Kleefeld
Eric Kleefeld joined TPM as an intern for the final months of the 2006 midterm elections, and then kept showing up for work. His other interests include guitars, old comic books and the politics of various English-speaking countries.
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