Dean Heller

Heller To Take Senate Oath, Replace Resigned Sen. Ensign

Jon Terbush | May 9, 2011, 1:16PM

Sen. Dean Heller (R-NV)

The U.S. Senate will return to full strength on Monday when Rep. Dean Heller (R-NV) is sworn in to replace Sen. John Ensign, who resigned last week after the fallout from a sex scandal and resulting ethics investigations continued to cloud his tenure.

After polls showed his popularity plummeting and the odds of retaining his seat next year dwindling, Ensign announced early this year that he would not seek reelection in 2012. Then in late April, as his political standing worsened and as a Senate ethics investigation dragged on, Ensign decided to end his term even sooner, saying he would resign on May 3.

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Sharron Angle

Sharron Angle For Senate? Poll Says Fat Chance

Jon Terbush | April 29, 2011, 8:20AM

According to a PPP poll released this week, Sharron Angle would face strong opposition should she run for a Senate seat in Nevada next year. This time, however, that opposition would come from within her own party.

In the poll, Angle trailed Rep. Dean Heller (R) in a hypothetical Republican primary contest to seek the seat being vacated by embattled Sen. John Ensign (R) -- and it wasn't even close. In that matchup, Heller led Angle by a mammoth 84% to 8% margin.

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NV-SEN

Heller Appointed To Nevada Senate Seat

Eric Kleefeld | April 27, 2011, 3:54PM

Rep. Dean Heller (R-NV)

Rep. Dean Heller (R-NV) is officially the newly appointed Senator for Nevada, the Las Vegas Sun reports. He'll take the seat being vacated in early May with the resignation of Republican Sen. John Ensign.

Heller had already been running for the seat, following the scandal-plagued Ensign's announcement that he would not run again in 2012. When Ensign announced his resignation last week, Heller became the immediate favorite to be appointed by Republican Gov. Brian Sandoval.

"The people of Nevada deserve a new senator who can begin work immediately," Sandoval said in a press release, mounting an apparent defense of his appointment of an already active candidate. "Too many important issues face our state and our nation to name a caretaker to this important position; Nevada needs an experienced voice in Washington, DC."

This appointment gives Heller an initial incumbency in 2012 against his Democratic challenger, Rep. Shelley Berkley. A recent survey from Public Policy Polling (D) gave Heller a narrow lead of 47%-43% over Berkley in this perennial swing state.

John Ensign

John Ensign Resigning Senate Seat

Evan McMorris-Santoro | April 21, 2011, 6:09PM

Sen. John Ensign (R-NV)

Embattled Sen. John Ensign (R-NV) is resigning from his seat in the U.S. Senate. In a statement released by his office Thursday evening, Ensign said his last day as a Senator will be May 3.

"It is with tremendous sadness that I officially hand over the Senate seat that I have held for eleven years," Ensign said in the statement. "The turbulence of these last few years is greatly surpassed by the incredible privilege that I feel to have been entrusted to serve the people of Nevada. I can honestly say that being a United States Senator has been the honor of my life."

Ensign had already announced he wouldn't be seeking a third term in 2012, after his current term was marred by scandal involving an affair with the wife of a longtime friend and former staffer. The scandal put Ensign in the sights of the Senate Ethics Committee.

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Senate '12

Poll: Embattled Sen. Ensign Could Lose Primary Challenge

Jon Terbush | February 15, 2011, 1:48PM

Rep. Dean Heller (R-NV) and Sen. John Ensign (R-NV)

Sen. John Ensign (R-NV) is no David Vitter (R-LA), the Senator who won reelection last year despite having cheated on his wife with prostitutes. But that doesn't mean he's sitting pretty in the Silver State.

Bogged down by a sex scandal and ethics investigations, a new poll conducted by the Tarrance Group shows that Ensign (R-NV) could get knocked off in a primary challenge next year if he decides to seek reelection.

In the poll, Rep. Dean Heller (R) led Ensign in a head to head primary matchup, 53% to 38%. And while the poll was commissioned by the Heller camp -- usually a sign that it should be taken with a grain of salt -- the results still paint a bleak picture of Ensign's reelection prospects, with Heller coming out on top with several crucial GOP demographics.

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2012

PPP Poll: Sen. Ensign Trails In 2012 NV-SEN GOP Primary

Jon Terbush | January 11, 2011, 2:24PM

Senator John Ensign (R-NV) may be ready to run for office again, but his own party's voters may be ready for someone new. In a PPP poll released today, Ensign gets no love from Republican voters, 41% of whom said he shouldn't even run for reelection, versus a marginally better 42% who say he should run again.

In hypothetical primary matchups, Ensign's reelection prospects look even grimmer. Among the seven candidates posited in the poll, Ensign came in second at 20%, 10 points behind Rep. Dean Heller's 30%, but well within striking distance for the other contenders in the crowded field. Rounding out the top five were two failed candidates for the party's 2010 Senate nomination, Sue Lowden (12%) and Danny Tarkanian (10%), and the GOP Senate nominee, Sharron Angle (9%.)

Also troubling for Ensign, he fared even worse in a one-on-one contest with Heller, trailing in that mathcup 52% to 34%.

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NV-SEN

What The Cluck? Lowden Ready To Run Again (VIDEO)

Eric Kleefeld | January 7, 2011, 6:37PM

Sue Lowden

Sue Lowden might not be done kicking up the dust in Nevada politics. In an interview just now with Chris Matthews, the former Nevada Senate candidate, who lost the Republican primary last year, was asked whether she might run for the Senate in 2012, if scandal-plagued incumbent Republican Sen. John Ensign were to retire. And on top of that, you might be surprised to hear what she's doing now.

"If John Ensign doesn't run, and Congressman Dean Heller decides not to throw his hat in the ring, I would think about it seriously," said Lowden.

"But you don't want to beat Heller?" Matthews asked

"I don't think I can beat Heller," Lowden said, laughing. "I mean, that's an honest answer it's a very honest answer."

What's the matter, Sue Lowden -- chicken?

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2010 elections

Neva-d'oh! 68% Of Nevadans Regret Nominating Sharron Angle

Jon Terbush | January 7, 2011, 8:45AM

Nevada Senate candidate Sharron Angle (R)

If Nevada voters could do it over again, they'd really, really like to nominate someone not named Sharron Angle, according to a new PPP poll.

In the poll, 68% of Nevadans said they think Republicans should have nominated someone other than Sharron Angle to challenge Sen. Harry Reid last year. Only 21% said the GOP did the right thing in nominating Angle, and 11% had no opinion.

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2012

PPP Poll: Sen. Ensign In Big Trouble For 2012 Reelection Bid

Jon Terbush | January 6, 2011, 4:11PM

Sen. John Ensign (R-NV)

Embattled Sen. John Ensign (R-NV), who has been mired in multiple ethics investigations over the past two years, has a steep hill to climb if he hopes to keep his Senate seat in 2012, according to a new poll.

In the PPP poll, half of Nevada voters say they disapprove of Ensign's job performance, and nearly six in ten say he should not seek reelection. What's more, Ensign trails in hypothetical races with every Democratic challenger matched against him, but another Republican, Rep. Dean Heller, tops each of those same Democrats,

In the poll, 59% of respondents said they thought Ensign should not seek a third term in the Senate, while just 26% thought he should run again. And even if he were to run again, he would be hard pressed to convince his constituents that he deserves a second term. Fifty percent of respondents said they disapproved of Ensign's job performance, versus 35% who said they approved.

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Sharron Angle

Sharron Angle: 'Sometimes Dictators Have Good Ideas'

David Taintor | November 18, 2010, 12:13PM

Sharron Angle

Failed Republican Senate candidate Sharron Angle -- who fell short in her bid to unseat Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-NV) -- is making headlines again, this time for having said "sometimes dictators have good ideas."

Jon Ralston at the Las Vegas Sun reports that Angle made the comments at a private meet and greet late in the campaign season.

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NV-SEN

John Ensign Is Running Again -- And One Poll Shows That's Not A Bad Idea

Evan McMorris-Santoro | November 17, 2010, 3:23PM

Sen. John Ensign (R-NV)

Sen. John Ensign (R-NV) -- yes, that Sen. John Ensign -- thinks he can convince the voters of Nevada to grant him another term in office in 2012.

Broke and under investigation for trying to cover up an affair by allegedly funneling contracts to his mistress' husband, Ensign doesn't have the kind of resume recruiters generally look for when trying to populate the ballot.

Nevertheless, his staff told the Las Vegas Review-Journal yesterday that the Senator is ready to earn a third term.

"Senator Ensign has been focused on earning back the trust of Nevadans and does plan to run for re-election at this time," spokesperson Jennifer Cooper told the paper.

Some new numbers from Nevada suggest that as crazy as an Ensign campaign might sound, on paper it might actually make sense.

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John Ensign

PPP Poll: John Ensign Leads In Early Look At NV-SEN Primary

Marc Kilstein | November 10, 2010, 12:50PM

Sen. John Ensign (R-NV)

Embattled Sen. John Ensign (R-NV) surprised many when he started gearing up for a 2012 re-election bid, amidst his sex-and-lobbying scandal. But according to a newly released PPP poll (D), Nevada's junior senator remains popular among Republicans and is well-positioned in the state's Republican primary.

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Stephen Colbert

Colbert On Sharron Angle's Loss: Now We'll Never Find Out What Her Positions Are (VIDEO)

Jillian Rayfield | November 4, 2010, 10:36AM

Stephen Colbert said he is "devastated" about Republican Sharron Angle's loss in Nevada. She was "so close to giving us all the answers," he said. And "now we'll never find out what her positions were."

Angle told a reporter last week that she'd be happy to answer questions "when I'm the senator."

"That was her whole allure," he added. "The mystery, the suspense. She was like a Dan Brown novel, but with even more historical inaccuracies."

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Sharron Angle

Sharron Angle Boasts Of Raising Millions From Out Of State Donors (VIDEO)

Brian Beutler | November 3, 2010, 9:50AM

Sharron Angle

Most politicians try to distance themselves from money filtering into their races from out-of-state, or out-of-district. But in her concession speech last night, Sharron Angle actually boasted that a big chunk of her $14 million haul last quarter came from donors whom she wouldn't even have been representing.

"We were able to inspire not only Nevadans, but a country," Angle said. "Think of this. In the last quarter, we raised $14.3 million. Eighty percent of that came from out of our state. That means that America was wanting, was desperate, to help us."

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Harry Reid

Harry Reid: 'Difficult Is Not Synonymous With Impossible'

Megan Carpentier | November 3, 2010, 2:07AM

Sen. Harry Reid (D-NV)

Sen. Harry Reid took the stage at his raucous victory party to thank his wife, his family and all his supporters for not giving up on him. He said his victory represented a repudiation of black-and-white ideology -- presumably represented by his opponent Sharron Angle "It's not about us versus them," he said. "It's about every Nevadan working together."

But Reid acknowledged that his victory wasn't the end of his fighting days.

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Sharron Angle

Harry Reid Defeats Sharron Angle

Brian Beutler | November 3, 2010, 12:43AM

Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-NV)

In most election years, the fact that Harry Reid beat a far right political naif like Sharron Angle wouldn't be big news. But this year its among the biggest and happiest for Democrats all night.

With both MSNBC and Fox calling the race in Reid's favor by shortly after 12:30 a.m. ET, Reid was beating Angle 51 percent to 44 percent with less than half the precincts reporting and the results trending in his favor.

Reid was not supposed to win this election. His approval ratings are terrible in Nevada, where unemployment and foreclosure rates are among the highest in the country. And as the face of the Senate Democrats, his constituents rightly hold him accountable for unpopular Democratic policies that have been unable to prevent economic depression in his state.

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Stephen Colbert

Colbert: Sharron Angle's From The Desert And Uses Decoys - Just Like Saddam! (VIDEO)

Jillian Rayfield | November 2, 2010, 10:13AM

Stephen Colbert figured out last night how Sharron Angle is pulling ahead in the Nevada Senate race: "What's the secret to the popularity of Angle's policies? That she keeps her policies a secret."

Angle has repeatedly dodged the press during her campaign, even going so far as to using decoys to fool reporters.

"Bravo Miss Angle," Colbert said as he put up a picture of Saddam Hussein. "It has been a while since we've had a strong leader from a desert land who uses decoys."

[TPM SLIDESHOW: Stranger Than Fiction? TPM Casts The 2010 Midterms Movie]

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NV-SEN

'Monopoly' Makers Send Angle Cease-And-Desist Letter Over Website

Eric Kleefeld | November 1, 2010, 7:32PM

Nevada GOP Senate Candidate Sharron Angle

Heh, this is funny. It is now being alleged that one of the Sharron Angle campaign's efforts to attack Harry Reid for being soft on illegal immigration was itself... illegal!

As the Huffington Post reports, the Hasbro corporation, which owns the "Monopoly" game, has sent Team Angle a cease-and-desist letter over their website "Harry Reid's Amnesty Game," which uses Monopoly imagery and touts itself as being "fun for the whole illegal family":

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2010 elections

Senate In The Balance: TPM's Look At The 9 Key Races Still Up For Grabs

Eric Kleefeld | November 1, 2010, 5:06PM

Clockwise from top left: Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-NV), Sen. Michael Bennet (D-CO), Sen. Russ Feingold (D-WI), Sen. Patty Murray (D-WA)

As we head into Election Day, one thing is clear for Senate Democrats: It's going to be bad. Seriously. There's no going anywhere but down. But how far down?

It's unlikely that Democrats will manage to lose their majority outright, since they're starting at the high mark of 59 seats. But things sure look rough. Open seats in Indiana and North Dakota seem to be gone already, along with incumbent Sen. Blanche Lincoln in Arkansas. Republican seats that seemed like potential Dem pickups much earlier in the cycle -- North Carolina and open seats in Florida, Kentucky, Missouri, New Hampshire, and Ohio -- are clearly out of reach.

[TPM SLIDESHOW: Stranger Than Fiction? TPM Casts The 2010 Midterms Movie]

The few bright spots for Democrats are open seats in Connecticut and Delaware, where very weak Republican candidates Linda McMahon and Christine O'Donnell have spared the Dems from total humiliation. So with that in mind, let's take a look at some other key races to watch tomorrow.

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NV-SEN

Fox News Poll: Angle Ahead By 3 Points In NV-SEN

Eric Kleefeld | November 1, 2010, 12:05PM

NV-SEN candidates Sharron Angle (R) and Harry Reid (D)

The new Fox News poll of the Nevada Senate race has Republican nominee Sharron Angle maintaining a narrow lead against Democratic Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid.

The numbers: Angle 48%, Reid 45%. The survey of likely voters has a ±3% margin of error. In the previous Fox poll from three weeks ago, Angle led by 49%-47%.

The TPM Poll Average gives Angle a lead of 49.5%-46.4%.

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NV-SEN

PPP Poll: Neck And Neck In Nevada Senate Race

Eric Kleefeld | November 1, 2010, 9:57AM

Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-NV) and Sharron Angle (R)

The new survey of the Nevada Senate race from Public Policy Polling (D) shows Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid and Republican nominee Sharron Angle running neck-and-neck.

The initial numbers, including all candidates on the ballot: Angle 47% Reid 46%, Tea Party candidate Scott Ashjian 3%, five other candidates at 0%-1%, and the peculiar Nevada option of "None of the Above" 1%.

When the question was asked against a strict two-way option of Reid and Angle, Reid has an edge of 49%-48%. Keep in mind that support for third-party candidates often collapses in the voting booth, with people breaking to the major candidates, though this effect is very hard to predict.

The survey of likely voters has a ±3.8% margin of error. The previous PPP poll from early October put Reid ahead by 47%-45% in the multi-candidate race, and ahead 49%-48% in the two-way race.

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NV-SEN

Angle Camp Bans Two TV Stations From Election Night Party -- For Asking Questions

Eric Kleefeld | October 29, 2010, 5:17PM

Nevada Senate candidate Sharron Angle (R)

Republican Sharron Angle's nasty relationship with the press is reaching yet another whole new level, the Associated Press reports: Her Nevada Senate campaign has now banned two local TV stations from her Election Night party. Their offense? Apparently, it was that they asked her questions without permission:

Journalists from the local CBS and NBC news affiliates surprised Angle at McCarran International Airport on Friday to ask her questions about national security and unemployment. Video footage shows the GOP Senate candidate telling the reporters she will answer questions once she is elected.

Hours later, Angle spokeswoman Ciara Matthews told the news stations they are no longer invited to the election night party.

The incident referred to here is outlined in this post, when Angle said she would answer questions on national security and diplomacy "when I'm the Senator" -- that is, after she is elected. During that same interview of sorts, Angle answered a question about the two wars the country is fighting: "You know, the two wars that we're in right now, is exactly what we're in."

The TPM Poll Average gives angle a lead of 49.7%-46.4% over Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid.

NV-SEN

Angle To Reporter: I'll Answer Questions 'When I'm The Senator' (VIDEO)

Eric Kleefeld | October 29, 2010, 4:42PM

Sharron Angle and KLAS-TV reporter Nathan Baca

Nathan Baca, the local CBS affiliate reporter in Las Vegas who has made a good career this year of chasing around Republican Senate candidate Sharron Angle and attempting in vain to get her to answer his questions, has just posted another gem.

As Baca's latest segment shows, he intercepted Angle at McCarran International Airport, and tried to ask her questions about national security and diplomacy, such as her calls for the United States to withdraw from the United Nations, and who would be our country's willing allies.

Angle answered: "I think when it comes to major policy issues, the people of Nevada are most concerned about our jobs, our homes and our economy."

"But if you want to be one of 100 U.S. Senators that are going to be deciding on war powers and on ratifying treaties, which is what a Senator has to do, you have to answer these questions."

"Well, certainly," said Angle. "And I'll answer those questions when I'm the Senator."

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NV-SEN

Angle-Backers' Flyer To Retirees: 'Your Lifespan' Depends On Voting Against Reid

Eric Kleefeld | October 29, 2010, 4:08PM

Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-NV) and Sharron Angle (R)

Wow, the rhetoric among Republican Sharron Angle's supporters is getting really intense in the home stretch of the Nevada Senate race. As Jon Ralston reports, a group of Angle-backers put together a flyer and distributed it throughout the Sun City Summerlin retirement community -- apparently coming from a board member of the community association -- that resurrected the "death panels" smear to warn that a vote for Democrat Harry Reid could kill these elderly voters.

The message carries a disclaimer that it was not authorized by any candidate. And I should add that the overall sloppiness does make it seem like an independent, amateur job.

Key quote:

Your Lifespan
will depend on what you do on
November 2, 2010

Harry Reid voted for and pushed through the $1.1 trillion government-run healthcare takeover that has "Benefit Panels" for our seniors. These panels will decide if you get needed medical treatment, in part based on age, even if your doctor says it is medically necessary in order to save your life. If the panel decides no...that means your life will not be saved, just like in Canada, England, France, Denmark, etc. Do you want Harry Reid's government bureaucrats to make these life and death decisions for you and your family?

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NV-SEN

Reid Ad: Angle Is A 'Pathological' Liar (VIDEO)

Eric Kleefeld | October 29, 2010, 2:57PM

A TV ad from Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-NV), "Running"

Harry Reid has a new ad in the Nevada Senate race, taking on his Republican opponent Sharron Angle's pattern of dodging the press -- and going further, citing the Nevada press calling her a "pathological" liar.

The ad opens with a video clip of Angle walking quickly away from reporters. "She ran from reporters, and now she's running from the truth," the announcer says. "Lying about Harry Reid in ads called 'misleading' and 'false.' Angle is so dishonest, the press calls her 'pathological.'"

The ad then shows a video clip of Nevada political journalist Jon Ralston, apparently commenting on the Reid-Angle debate from two weeks ago: "Angle frequently twisted the truth -- which she's done this entire campaign."

Then the announcer comes back. "Harry Reid? Worked his way up, never forgot who he's fighting for. Creating thousands of jobs, and clean energy, tourism, mining.

"Harry Reid: fighting for us. Sharron Angle: pathological."

The TPM Poll Average gives Angle a lead of 49.7%-46.4%.

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NV-SEN

Mason-Dixon Poll: Angle Leads Reid By 4 Points

Eric Kleefeld | October 29, 2010, 9:30AM

NV-SEN candidates Sharron Angle (R) and Harry Reid (D)

The new Mason-Dixon poll of the Nevada Senate race has Republican nominee Sharron Angle expanding her narrow lead against Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid.

The numbers: Angle 49%, Reid 45%. The survey of likely voters has a ±4% margin of error. In the previous poll from two weeks ago, Angle led by 48%-46%.

As the Las Vegas Review Journal, which commissioned the poll, reports on the internals: "The survey shows both Reid and Angle having most of their party bases, with the incumbent picking up 84 percent of Democrats and the GOP challenger 85 percent of Republicans. But Angle is winning the all-important independent voters by double digits, 55 percent to 38 percent, as Nevadans not aligned with either major political party swing her way as they settle on a choice."

The TPM Poll Average gives Angle a lead of 49.7%-46.4%.

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NV-SEN

Angle Ad: 'They Promised Change -- Now, It's Our Turn' (VIDEO)

Eric Kleefeld | October 28, 2010, 2:36PM

From a Sharron Angle campaign ad, "Our Turn"

Republican Sharron Angle's new ad in the Nevada Senate race makes a simple pitch against Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid: Reid and the Democrats have wrecked the country since President Obama was elected, the ad says, and it's "our turn" for voters to get back at them.

"They promised change," the announcer says, as the screen shows Reid, President Obama and Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-CA). "But they delivered unprecedented spending, overwhelming debt, heartbreaking job loss, astounding foreclosures, skyrocketing bankruptcies.

"They promised change -- now, it's our turn."

Note the on-screen text, "Send Washington a message," basing a vote for Angle as being against the Democrats, rather than coming up with a genuine reason to vote in favor of Angle. Both of the candidates in this race are so unpopular with the voters, that they're basing their pitches more on being in opposition to each other. (Though this is even more true on Angle's side than it is for Reid, who has included some positive pitches mixed in with his anti-Angle spots.)

The TPM Poll Average gives Angle a lead of 49.6%-46.6%.

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NV-SEN

Reid To Maddow: Wear A Disguise Like Angle Does And Maybe You'll Score Interview (VIDEO)

Eric Kleefeld | October 28, 2010, 1:14PM

Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid on MSNBC's Rachel Maddow Show

During an interview yesterday with Rachel Maddow, Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-NV) offered the liberal TV host an idea for how she could land an interview with his Republican opponent, the very inaccessible Sharron Angle: Dress up like Bill O'Reilly.

Maddow ended the interview on a joke question: "Do you have any suggestions for me on how I can get Sharron Angle to talk to me while I'm here in Vegas?"

"Maybe you should do what she does," said Reid. "Pretend you're somebody else."

Maddow and Reid then talked about the possibility of a disguise. "Maybe you could dress up as Bill O'Reilly," Reid said.

It's possible that Reid might have been referring to the Republican Angle campaign's recent use of decoys for Angle to dodge a crowd of reporters -- one of her more creative means to avoid answering questions from anyone other than conservative media venues that she can use to raise money.

The TPM Poll Average gives Angle a lead of 49.6%-46.6%.

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NV-SEN

CNN Poll: Angle Grows Lead Over Reid

Eric Kleefeld | October 27, 2010, 4:59PM

NV-SEN candidates Sharron Angle (R) and Harry Reid (D)

The new CNN poll of the Nevada Senate races suggests that Republican Sharron Angle is expanding her narrow lead against Democratic Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid.

The numbers: Angle 49%, Reid 45%, and Tea Party candidate Scott Ashjian 2%. In a direct two-way race, Angle leads Reid by 51%-45%. The survey of likely voters has a ±3.5% margin of error.

In the previous CNN poll from three weeks ago, Angle was ahead by only two points, leading in the three-way race by a narrower 42%-41%-5%, and in the two-way race by 47%-45%.

The TPM Poll Average gives Angle a lead of 49.6%-46.6%.

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NV-SEN

Angle: Social Security, Welfare And Legal Divorce Are Nation's 'Wicked Ways' (AUDIO)

Eric Kleefeld | October 27, 2010, 4:41PM

Nevada Senate candidate Sharron Angle (R)

Oh boy. After months and months of insisting that she really doesn't oppose Social Security -- despite her past statements about wanting to phase it out -- now a tape has surfaced of Nevada Republican Senate nominee Sharron Angle decrying the program as an example of society's "wicked ways." And this was just two and a half weeks ago.

As Politico reports, an audio recording was uploaded to the Democratic National Committee's Accountability Project site, of Angle speaking at a church on October 10. During her speech, Angle offered a confession for America's sins -- going beyond just the standard religious conservative issues of abortion, but also the legislation of divorce, and various social welfare programs.

"And yet we're saying, 'Well, the government, we have all these programs now. Aid for Families with Dependent Children and Medicare and Social Security,'" said Angle. "That's fine, but isn't it we that should be thinking about this, isn't it us that should be caring in our community for those that the Lord has called us to? Didn't he say you honor him, you love him if you've cared for these the least among you? So we do have a lot of wicked ways that we can confess as a church, and I think that's what he's calling us to now."

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NV-SEN

Reid Ad: 'Sharron Angle's Nevada' Is Really Scary (VIDEO)

Eric Kleefeld | October 27, 2010, 12:44PM

Ad from Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-NV), "Sharron Angle's Nevada"

Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-NV) has a new ad against his Republican opponent Sharron Angle, seeking to warn the state's voters against the consequences of Angle potentially winning the election.

"In Sharron Angle's Nevada, there are no background checks to catch sex offenders working with kids," a male announcer says, alternating sentences with a female announcer. "There's no Social Security for seniors. Insurance companies don't cover cancer tests. Prisoners get massages in a radical Scientology program. For Sharron Angle, it's not her job to fight for jobs. There'd be no City Center. Our jobs, outsourced to China."

"Sharron Angle's Nevada? No."

The TPM Poll Average gives Angle a lead of 49.3%-36.9%.

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NV-SEN

DSCC Ad In Nevada: 'You Want To Send A Message To Washington -- But Sharron Angle?' (VIDEO)

Eric Kleefeld | October 27, 2010, 11:59AM

Ad from the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee, "Two Candidates"

The Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee has a new ad in the Nevada Senate race, making an odd sell in the effort to save Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid.

The ad briefly re-employs the motif from their previous spot, using the metaphor of the frustrated voter as a woman boxing against a punching bag. "It's frustrating," the announcer says. "You want to send a message to Washington -- but Sharron Angle?

"Sharron Angle says it's not a Senator's job to help create jobs. Sharron Angle says the unemployed are 'spoiled.' She wants to phase out Social Security and Medicare. Two candidates: Harry Reid will fight for Nevada jobs and defend Social Security and Medicare. Sharron Angle will cost us, and hurt our economy. Vote 'No' on Sharron Angle."

The TPM Poll Average gives Angle a lead of 49.3%-46.9%.

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NV-SEN

Rasmussen Poll: Angle Leads Harry Reid By Four Points

Eric Kleefeld | October 26, 2010, 2:17PM

NV-SEN candidates Sharron Angle (R) and Harry Reid (D)

The new Rasmussen poll of the Nevada Senate race has Republican Sharron Angle leading Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid by four points.

The numbers: Angle 49%, Reid 45%. The survey of likely voters has a ±4% margin of error. In the previous Rasmussen poll from last week, Angle led by 50%-47%.

The TPM Poll Average now has Angle leading by 49.3%-46.9%.

Read more »

NV-SEN

Angle Campaign To Base: Reid Wants To Steal The Election! Now Please Donate $80,000!

Eric Kleefeld | October 26, 2010, 1:26PM

Nevada GOP Senate Candidate Sharron Angle

Sharron Angle's campaign is getting on the Republican bandwagon of warning the base about the supposed threat of voter fraud from the Democrats -- and they're seamlessly spinning it into an appeal to their fundraising base.

As Jon Ralston reports, Angle campaign attorney Cleta Mitchell has sent out a fundraising letter, saying that Harry Reid intends to steal the election, and she must ask for $80,000 in order to fight it. They key quote:

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NV-SEN

Reid Ad Features Nevada Voters Slamming Angle (VIDEO)

Eric Kleefeld | October 26, 2010, 12:10PM

From a Reid campaign ad, "More Than Wrong"

Harry Reid has a new ad in the Nevada Senate race, continuing to hammer his Republican opponent Sharron Angle as extreme. This ad features various Nevada voters, who would be potentially affected by Angle's positions.

"Sharron Angle says she wants to end Social Security. But we depend on that money...She doesn't think insurance companies should have to cover the colon cancer tests that saved my life...Sharron Angle voted against background checks for people who work with kids...She says if you've been raped, you should be forced to have the baby. She calls it 'making lemonade out of lemons'...As a Republican, I can't, I can't see voting for Sharron Angle.

Then the on-screen text declares Angle to be "Not just extreme, dangerous."

The TPM Poll Average gives Angle a narrow lead of 48.5%-47.4%.

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NV-SEN

Angle Ad: Reid On Illegal Immigrants' Side, 'Not Yours' (VIDEO)

Eric Kleefeld | October 25, 2010, 4:55PM

Ad from candidate for U.S. Senate Sharron Angle (R-NV), "The Wave"

Nevada Republican Senate nominee Sharron Angle has a new ad, pushing further on a theme she's been hammering for some time: That Democrat Harry Reid is friendly to scary illegal immigrants, harming good law-abiding (white) Americans and their children.

"Waves of illegal aliens streaming across our border, joining violent gangs, forcing families to live in fear," the announcer says. "And what's Harry Reid doing about it? Voting to give illegal aliens Social Security benefits, tax breaks, and college tuition. Voting against declaring English our national language -- twice. And even sided with Obama and the President of Mexico to block Arizona's tough new immigration law. Harry Reid, it's clear whose side he's on -- and it's not yours."

As with a previous ad, the victims of illegal immigration -- in this case the families living in fear, and kindergarteners who won't grow up in an America where English is the only official language -- all appear to be white, and stand in stark contrast to the dark-skinned criminals illegally coming from the Mexican border.

The TPM Poll Average gives Angle a lead of 48.5%-47.4%.

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Despite Angle Campaign Denial, New Video Appears To Show Angle Did Shush Reporter

Eric Kleefeld | October 25, 2010, 2:01PM

From a Reid campaign ad, "Stark Contrast"

Remember that moment last week when a local Fox affiliate reporter in Las Vegas said that Republican Senate nominee Sharron Angle shushed him when he tried to ask her a question as she was leaving an event? The Angle campaign strongly denied she had done so, saying instead that it was someone else in the crowd. (And of course, the camera angle from the Fox reporter, as he and he cameraman made their way through a crowd of reporters, made it impossible to truly prove otherwise.) But now some other footage appears to show that Angle clearly did shush the guy.

The video is part of a CNBC segment about the two candidates on the trail, and the whole segment was posted on YouTube by Democratic Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid's campaign. The key moment comes at the 1:43 mark. It does appear to be the same moment as on the original video -- it is the same reporter's voice, the same "shhh," Angle is wearing the same clothes, etc. And it does seem to clearly contradict the Angle campaign's denial.

The Angle campaign has not returned our requests for comment.

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