KLAS reporter Nathan Baca asked Angle about a statement on her website that calls for "transitioning out" Social Security and Medicare programs.
"Why do you want to eliminate [Social Security] for younger folks," he asked.
Angle, who had just returned from a visit to Washington, fired back at him.
"You believe the Harry Reid lie," said Angle, who was campaigning at a Las Vegas restaurant. Angle said she does not believe in eliminating Social Security entirely, but instead transferring the money to private accounts that the government "can't raid."
"You're putting words into my mouth from Harry Reid," a frustrated Angle responded when Baca noted that the stock market downturn would have been devastating to seniors if their savings had been privatized.
"I want you to be very clear on this," she said. "I'm here to save Social Security. Harry Reid is here to bankrupt Social Security."
The former state lawmaker, once considered a long shot for the GOP nomination, easily defeated 12 other candidates in the June 8 primary, thanks in part to help from the Tea Party Express, a national Tea Party organization, and the fiscally conservative organization Club for Growth.
She now faces Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, believed to be among the must vulnerable Senate Democrats, in November.
Reid recently launched a campaign commercial, in which the announcer says, "Shockingly, Sharron Angle wants to wipe out Social Security." Angle's campaign called that ad a "deception, designed to divert attention from Harry Reid's own failures."
When the KLAS reporter asked about her stated opposition to the Environmental Protection Agency, Angle then replied, "Where are you getting these questions? The issues are not about the EPA. The issues are homes here in Nevada. He is trying to make this a campaign about me. But, where's Harry? Go ask him. Please go ask Harry about the EPA, and why they have failed."
Angle has criticized the EPA for proposing domestic energy regulations that she has said will be "harmful to most sectors of the domestic energy industry and eventually substantially raise the utility bill of every American."
Baca, who then repeatedly tried to ask Angle an additional question as she exited the restaurant, later said the Angle campaign aide called him "an idiot and another term that can't be repeated."
Campaign spokesman Jerry Stacy told CNN the comments did not come from an Angle aide.
"I reviewed the video," he said. "I do not recognize the person in the video that the reporter was talking to. It was not an employee of the campaign."
A Mason-Dixon poll conducted a week before Angle won the primary showed her and Reid statistically tied.
From CNN Politics
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Did she knock a camera out of someone's hands? Did she grab someone by the wrist or neck? No? OK then! NEXT STORY, please !
Sometimes it is very laughable to hear Republicans say they want to save social security. Which political party implemented social security? Who were the opponents of this implementation in 1930s? Who were calling FDR a socialist, Marxisist, communist? These Republicans should be ashamed of themselves to even bring up such issues like social security and medicare. They're about to privatize social security again in the hand of corporates.
Living proof of the dumbing down of America.
Reporters spew the words of the politician they want to their opponent? So this is now what we call "reporting"? This country does not need more of the Pelosi/Reid clan. It is time for them to go. I wonder if Reid is paying 18,000 a month for his office like his friend Pelosi is? Where is the reporting on that?
Sounds like the news media is already trying to save Harry Reid.
she will say anything, reminds me of Meg running for governor of California
Thank you nevada g.o.p. for snatching defeat out of the jaws of victory.
The lieing of the most incompetent candidate since Sarah Dufus continues, isn't it wonderful when their stupid ideas come back to bite them in the backside? Makes you wonder if the Repugnants have any candidate with a brain anywhere in the country, from what keeps coming out one would have to say that just like the Party platform, the answer is a resounding and definite NO!
Ms. Angle has hit the nail right on the head. The democrats want to open the floodgates on our pockets and the Republicans are trying to protect what senior citizens have worked very hard for. When I went to the social security office to sign up for MY social security, the lobby was over flowing with people under the age of forty while there may have been about a half dozen senior citizens.
Harry reid speak with forked tongue, from both sides of mouth. me no trust him.
Actually, that has been the GOP's position on Social security, and it makes perfect sense. Transition to a personal account, that is truly the property of the citizen, and that government cannot raid.
The way the government uses funds, has many downsides, and there needs to be changes.
Of course, the way Obama is spending, he is going to bankrupt the country anyway, and China will take us over (if Mexico doesn't accomplish that first), because the US government has allowed all of the manufacturing for US companies to be sent to China.
The government is so inept, they actually are printing US passports off shore.......I leave you to figure out the problem with that........can anyone say "fake passports"?
Sharron Angle is a liar just like the rest of the GOP. All they are good for is name calling and hate. America, vote out the party of No in November.
I hope she wipes out the Social Security and Medicare benefits of every senior who votes for this vacuous head job.
Why do people continually vote against their own best interests? In 50 years people will look back and say, "Can you beleive there was a time when there was no universal health care in the U.S." What would millions of us do if Roosevelt had not instituted Social Security? Of course, there is no free lunch, but, these Tea Party people are just nay sayers without a better solution.
This woman is a Republican........we KNOW she's lying!!!
hey professionals:
"...must vulnerable Senate Democrats, in November." < good work.
Where did this fruit cake come from? Again?
Republican = stupid.
They are great for entertainment. I love watching this chick trying to put three words together to make a sentence.
This woman is a nut case. If she is the best the Republicans can offer, this country is in trouble. I am hoping people will vote with reasoning thought process rather than just voting as they are told to vote.
I am glad she call reid exactly what he is and that is he is a liar. Applies to 99 percent of liberals.
Sadly the GOP has a certain set of believes that works in favor of the rich and big corporations (as we just saw by Rep. Joe Barton opinions in an official hearing) and against a large segment of society. They want the “small” men to fend for themselves. NO “normal” person has the time, funds and knowledge to plan 40-50 years ahead into the retirement years – and nobody can say today what the markets will look like that far in the future. So for most people Social Security and Medicare programs are of greatest importance and also what they deserve after many, many years of work (often at minimum wages – profit again: Corporations etc.) and raising their families and support their communities! Not to say that things cannot be improved, but anybody that thinks the GOP is the party that would do that – instead of “doing away with that” – has not been paying attention when the GOP was “in power”!
If we had put our Social Security money in private accounts, as Bush wanted to do and now Angle wants to, it would have been mostly wiped out—"raided" by the greedy Wall Streeters that nearly destroyed the entire economy. Tea party idiot.
She is 100% correct......
If the government wasn't handling SS it wouln't be broke. The government begs, borrows and steals anything with value then lays it in taxpayers hands to fix it by charging them more taxes.
The US government is a very corrupt organization and must be fixed by voters. The lies that they all throw at each other SHOULD BE a prison sentence. Why? because they are trying to fool the AMerican public into believing them.
Mr. Harry Reid knew all along that this country couldn't afford the HC plan but it didn't matter, he lied just like Obama lies, Pelosi lies and yes even replublicans lie.
We need true American people representatives in Washington that answer to the people. Not these Harry Reid gods and Nanacy Pelosi queens.
it's one thing to disagree with your opponent. It's another to get paranoid about it. Angle needs a bit of a sit-down and needs to get her answers in order or else she's going to continue to look like she will instantly blow up at anyone asking her questions she doesn't want to deal with.
Sharon Angle obviously believes you have to be cruel to be kind. Be cruel to all those millions of people who have contributed to Social Security and be kind to her friends on Wall Street who want to play with that money, like they played with credit default swaps.
Where is he getting these questions? Why, Ms. Angle, from statements you made in the past. Of course, her campaign aide called the reporter an idiot. When a candidate can't answer a legitimate question, what else can they do but resort to name calling. I have my own opinion on who the idiot is here, and it isn't the reporter.