Dems claim Angle 'wishes death upon her critics' after she criticized Bennett
[cnn-photo-caption image= http://i2.cdn.turner.com/cnn/2010/images/07/13/art.angle.gi.jpg caption ="A war of words has erupted between Sharron Angle and the DNC."]Washington (CNN) - One day after Nevada Senate candidate Sharron Angle said that a Republican senator has "outlived his usefulness," Democrats on Tuesday are claiming Angle "thinks people who criticize her political positions should die." In response, her campaign is blasting that characterization of her remarks as "absurd."
"Outlived" and "die" are the latest entrants in an increasingly bitter war of words between Angle, her supporters - and her detractors. Both sides are throwing sharp verbal knives as Angle hopes to oust the most powerful Democrat in the Senate, Majority Leader Harry Reid.
The Democratic National Committee is responding to comments Angle made to Neil Cavuto of Fox News on Monday. In that interview, Angle was asked to respond to recent comments from Republican Sen. Robert Bennett.
On Friday, the Utah senator told the Associated Press that Angle would likely not beat Reid. Bennett also criticized the Tea Party movement, saying that it is "creating mischief" and is clueless of a clear strategy to govern the country. Bennett lost his re-election bid, at a state convention in May, partly at the hands of Tea Party activists.
Speaking with Cavuto, the Tea Party-backed Angle said of Bennett: "I'm glad to be lumped to a crowd of mainstream Americans who believe as they showed at the polls that Sen. Bennett has outlived his usefulness." Angle added, "I suppose he's not mainstream any longer. He has become one of those elitists that is no longer in touch with what the country is really thinking about in these economic times."
The remark that Bennett "has outlived his usefulness" has now gotten a scathing response from national Democrats.
"While 'death panels' were nowhere to be found in the health insurance reform bill, it looks like Sarah Palin can find a one-woman version of one in Nevada where Sharron Angle thinks people who criticize her political positions should die," DNC National Press Secretary Hari Sevugan said in a statement.
"Her sentiments are sick," Sevugan added, reiterating his party's claim that Angle "wishes death upon her critics."
Reid's campaign is seizing on the comments as well.
"This is yet another example of Sharron Angle's over-the-top rhetoric that underscores an agenda far too dangerous and extreme for Nevada," Reid Campaign Deputy Communications Director Zac Petkanas said in a statement. "Whether she's comparing Social Security to 'welfare', saying that Nevada's unemployed are 'spoiled' or suggesting 'Second Amendment remedies' are a reasonable reaction to defeat at the ballot box, our campaign will not shy away highlighting just how out-of-touch Sharron Angle is with Nevada's voters."
In response, Angle's campaign fired right back.
"We expected Harry Reid to be desperate–we didn't expect him to be totally absurd. When Reid wants to actually have a debate about his atrocious unemployment record and what he has done to destroy Nevada's economy, let's talk."
Harry Reid is far more experienced and level-headed than Sharon Angle, who's nothing more than a fire-breathing fanatic.
Sharron, That great witch is at it again. She must be reminded that bad thoughts may come back in threes. She should choose her words more wisely.
What an idiot! I bet she does wish death to all who oppose her. I pray she doesn't get elected as I don't want a female Hitler.
Considering how nasty Harry Reid is getting with his campaigning, I don't think anyone is going to be too happy to see him reelected. This is why there needs to be a viable third party in America, to prevent races like the one in Nevada where neither candidate is a good option, which seems to be a scenario that happens increasingly often.
," Democrats on Tuesday are claiming Angle "thinks people who criticize her political positions should die."
Hyperbole much?
This woman is nuts. If she is an example of the kind of poliitician that will be taking over the Senate God help us all. Everyone in our government has screwed the American public one way or another. I am feeling the anger as much as anyone else, however, to resort to the disgraceful tactics that have come out lately will not help any of us get through this. Please, enough of the dirty poltitics, let's just get through this.
And when she said if Congress keeps going the way it is (meaning if she loses the election?), people would be looking to Second Amendment remedies to take Harry Reid out she didn't mean KILL Harry, silly, she just meant, uh, take him out. Libtards love to quote strong conservative women verbatim to make them sound like dangerous idiots.
Yah, the same guys said Palin talked about "death panels"... yeh yeh!
WOW! Nevada is gambling with Sharron Angle. What a loosing hand.
The Republicans want to raise the Social Security age requirement then privatize and eliminate all Entitlements. Angle and the Republicans indeed would prefer if the old just died before they reached 65 so they can spend all our tax $ on corporate welfare.
The Democrats really don't have anything to run on, do they?
Sharon Angle has stepped in a puddle of crap and she doesn't have the boots for it.
Really Dems? Really?! I hope you didn't pay whoever advised you to do that. I mean really, how could you not tell that was a dumb idea? Ohhhhh Dems.... You're the lesser of two evils, but you just can't do anything right can you?
So I guess "second amendment remedies" are nothing more than a healthy, holistic treatment.
Powerful emotions sometimes cause humans to utter phrases calling for the deaths of others.
My closest friend said to his failed, alcoholic father, "I wish you were dead," and the man soon died pouring more martini from a water-cooler spigot.
Powerful things, words.
I live in Southern Nevada and Angle is hiding out from the media. She only appears in venues where she's going to get softball questions.
She did appear on Ralston's Face to Face and what a disaster. She's for phasing out Social Security and thinks unemployment benefits are so generous people stay unemployed instead of seeking work. Totally out of touch with reality.
She's lucky the main stream Republican Sue Lowden the "Chicken Lady" ran a horrendous primary campaign. Otherwise this nut job from Norhtern Nevada would never have been nominated.
The Tea Party reminds me of the politics in the South during the sixties. I was born and raised in Alabama and the retoric they use is almost verbatim what was used back then.
One of the reasons I left and moved West.
More good paying jobs please...
This is shameful. Anyone who supports this woman is just as nuts as she is. People: How could you seriously allow this woman to serve in the U.S. Senate? She will bring the Senate to a standstill. Nevadans, it's time for you to step up and vote intelligently. It's a matter of conscience.
This just shows Reid and the democrats desperation. Parsing every statement to highlight it in the most negative way. I always find it interesting when a candidate spends his campaign attacking his opponent. It usually means he wants to distract the voter from his own record.
OK she has said some dumb things, and I would never vote for her, but this is just a figure of speech. The spin put on this to say she wishes him dead just makes the people arguing it look ridiculous.
When Sharon Angle loses by ten points in the fall, perhaps the media will realize that the Teabaggers are just today's version of the Brownshirts in Hitler's Germany.
They are a vile and despicable lot that has poisoned the gop
Olberman is going to have to fill in the blanks everynight when he says "this woman is an idiot" between Palin, Michelle Bachmann and this Angle fiasco. Where are all these idiots coming from? Do you just need a really low IQ now to get into Republican politics? As a retired, professional woman I am embarrassed for how they represent women. They sure do help the Democratic party so I guess they do serve a purpose after all!
Well, if the former US Senator of Utah, William Bennett (Republican) , who is or was quite conservative in the real, comparative world of national US politics, has "out-lived his usefulness"; then, perhaps, Madame, wannabe Reactionary ala McCarthy-Goldwater era, maybe, you have already: "in-lived" your uselessness?
In other-words, say bye-bye, in the general election after you lose. Hopefully, you will give a generous election defeat speech as a mature adult, or at least pretend to be. Oops, on second thought, I have no reason to believe that.
Ms. Angle, Bennett is about 135 years old. Give him some slack. Just because he has your number over there at thge Tea Bagger Party, doesn't mean he deserves to be sentenced to death. You are just not quite as important as you think you are.
People should go ahead and vote for this fruitcake – that is if they believe Social Security should be gone, Medicare should be gone, and Education should be gone. Another crazy who gets even crazier when someone catches her in her crazy sayings and thoughts. Apparently the Tea Crazys are not aware that in this day and age there are audio and video recordings of almost everything you do and say – especially if you are running for national office.
Suppose these folks sit down and write out their views on important subjects so we can all see and then make an intelligent decision at the polls?