This diary originally appeared at brainspank.org
I grew up in Carson City Nevada. Harry Reid is friend of my mother’s. She worked for him as his secretary when he first appeared in the Nevada State Legislature, when he came to be known as one half of the "Gold Dust Twins" along with Dick Bryan who went on to be governor and to the U.S. Senate as well. The first political campaign I ever worked in was for Mr. Reid when he ran for Lt. Governor against Paul Laxalt. I was nine years old.
He lost.
A few years ago I asked my mother for an autographed copy of Harry’s autobiography "The Good Fight" for my birthday. The following January, before my February birthday, Mr. Reid in his quiet but inimitable way, summoned my mother, since retired but working the bi-annual legislative session, to a brief private meeting. He handed her a copy of his book, signed and inscribed. They didn’t talk politics. He asked about her. Her life, her children and her husband. She did the same. About forty years had gone by, but they’d been in touch. It was personal.
That night Harry Reid kissed my mother on the cheek on live television in the State Senate chambers after delivering a speech.
The preface is necessary. I’m compelled, in the interest of disclosure, because I have no intention of recusing myself from another task for which I feel compelled. Said task would be a sincere examination of that crazy bitch who would usurp the power and position Mr. Reid has fought for and earned, a position that finds Harry Reid one of the most powerful men in America.
I will tell you that I have vehemently disagreed with Harry. Often. No one individual can be expected to consistently agree with another unless such an individual does not know his own mind or is willing to ignore it. Yes, he’s an old school incumbent. Indeed part of the status quo, quid pro quo, old boy network that is often an egregious component of the problem. But I will tell you this, from far outside the beltway, but still from someone far more likely than you dear reader are able to know, Harry Reid will never ever be caught up in an ethics, money, sexual or any other kind of scandal simply because the man is honest and humble. I know this to be true.
If they could have, trust me those dirty bastards would have by now.
I’ve been stuck in Carson City, against my will for far too long. Soon to be free. Yet it has afforded me a front row opportunity to this contest, one I observe to be of the most important in these mid-term elections, particularly for Nevadans.
When I first began to pay attention, Harry was in trouble. An anti-incumbent tsunami was sweeping the land fueled by boiler plate Republican bullshit; casting blame for a disastrous economy on the Democrats who’d been in power, at least theoretically, for two years before Bush left office. Whatever. That’s another blog. Early polls had Sue Lowden ahead of Harry by double digits. She was a force to be reckoned with, at least until she stuck a greasy foot in shit by suggesting that people actually barter with their physicians by bringing chickens to their offices in a lame attempt to refute the health care legislation Harry had so labored to pass.
Until then, Sharron Angle had pretty much escaped my attention. My mother knows her too. Said she was a very nice lady. I pointed out she was a little bat shit and mother just reiterated that she was a pleasant woman.
I had written her off.
In a political heartbeat, the party faithful realized Lowden was an asshat and it was all over but the shouting. The hard right, Tea Party financed, despicably Christian nut job, Sharron Angle emerged from the primary a victor. The dark horse now the white. It took a few days, goofcock Michael Steele notwithstanding, the RNC had it’s "Oh Fuck" moment. As in, "what have we done?" As in, "This bitch is crazy, what do we do now?" They are absolutely justified in their sentiment. The woman fashions her chapeaus from tin foil because aluminium is probably too worldly and sophisticated.
She’s a mess:
On tape, video and/or audio and therefore on the record, she has called for the repeal of social security, medicare and medicaid.
She’s opposed to abortion under any circumstance, suggesting that an adolescent victim of incestuous rape make lemonade from the lemons life has dealt her because it’s God’s plan.
Her campaign ads focus laser like on unemployment despite stating that it would in no way be in her purview to create or advocate for jobs for Nevadans, her constituents, as a United States Senator. When asked about the City Center development in Las Vegas, a city already suffering and near destitute from chronic and rampant job losses, she stated she would not have lifted a finger to help save 21,000 jobs.
Harry did. And he saved those jobs.
She posited that unemployment benefits in Nevada (maximum $362.00 a week) pay too much money and are therefore a disincentive to seek honest employment. She said that we have spoiled our citizenry. Even in rural Nevada, if you have a family, $1600 a month is really dumb math.
She told Fox News about the press in general, "We wanted them to ask the questions we want to answer, so that they report the news the way we want it reported." What the fuck? The first amendment appears to be inconvenient for Ms. Angle. She continued by saying that she would like it if the press would allow her to plug her Web site and solicit donations on the air. Who is this woman? Methinks she’s operating under some serious misconceptions.
Earlier this year she said, "And these programs that you mentioned — that Obama has going with Reid and Pelosi pushing them forward — are all entitlement programs built to make government our God," Angle said in an April interview with TruNews Christian Radio. "And that’s really what’s happening in this country is a violation of the First Commandment. We have become a country entrenched in idolatry, and that idolatry is the dependency upon our government. We’re supposed to depend upon God for our protection and our provision and for our daily bread, not for our government."
What? She said that shit.
She’s a hardcore homophobe and would prevent gay couples from adopting and I don’t doubt attempt to wrest children from their gay adoptive parents.
She suggested that Americans exercise their 2nd amendment rights, as in take up arms, if they’re not satisfied with the outcome of the elections. She didn’t reference fraud or anything, just that people use their guns if they don’t like the way it turns out.
Sheezus!!!
I have to tell you that I quite literally hate Sharron Angle, everything she stands for and anyone like her.
Where are we as a State of this Union, that such an astringently dogmatic and spectacularly frightening societal, populist heretic can be a legitimate contender for such an exclusive and important legislative body? One could easily point to those that have come before her; Jesse Helms, Tom Delay, Rick Santorum, Michele Bachmann, Louie Gohmert, Sam Brownback, John "Agent Orange" Boener, Mitch McConnell..........the list is long and they are all prick bastards.
Sorry for getting all didactic.
I do have a point beyond this.
What often rankles me about some of the aforementioned is I’m that I’m reasonably sure they know what they’re doing. They’re assholes, but at least they’re deliberate assholes. They know exactly what they’re doing and they do it because they’re greedy power lusting fuckheads. They are bad people. That, has always pissed me off.
But Sharron Angle scares me. This woman is an empty headed vacuous agent of ......evil? What really unnerves me is how she delivers such abject nonsense with that ridiculous grin and those vacant, Stepford, Manson eyes. Empty, illogical, hollow but sincere glee. She has the conviction of the pious. She believes what she says. She believes the absolute sewage she spews. She’s so goddamn wacky, pun intended, that whenever she opens her mouth, the entire GOP machine shutters and then scrambles and then stumbles.
There is comedy to be had here. But it’s not pretty.
What I mean to say, is that although I’m an agnostic, she’s the closest thing to an Anti-Christ I’ve ever seen. Trust me. Let’s sit her down and ask her about the apocalypse. I bet she can’t wait. She’s nuts.
Harry Reid is among the most powerful men or women in America and thus the world. This woman is poised, much like Sarah Palin was, to fill some very important shoes. Such zealots have no place in contemporary politics. Regardless the proximity to flame such creatures are somehow allowed to enjoy, they just don’t belong there. There is zero possibility they can do any good at all. Deleterious waves and ripples without a doubt. Despite her convictions, Sharron Angle would occupy the office she seeks, instantly become one of a hundred as opposed to the Majority Leader, a face in the crowd......no power and no influence, and fuck it up completely by virtue of those very things she utters and so obviously believes. She doesn’t understand that she’s a joke, but I do. She’s absent any clue what the people want or need. She has her own agenda. She’s a fool. Forgive her for she knows not what she does? Fuck that. I can’t help it if she doesn’t understand how dangerous and stupid she’ll be and I don’t care.
In, way over her head. Not my problem and you shouldn’t make it yours. Please don’t make it mine. Please.
If Nevadans elect this crazy stupid broad. They deserve her. We’re in bad shape. Highest unemployment and foreclosure rate in the country, I know. It’s because we’re an economy entirely too dependent on tourism and yes, the Dick-in Bush administration was avaricious, clueless and really fucked up. Wanna see how much worse it can get? Put this callow inchoate, utterly clueless bitch in office.
We will have reaped what we’ve sown. We will have it coming.
Republicans prove it over and over, when you try to fuck the future, the future fucks you.
Harry, I understand you are loathe to fight dirty, but you need to understand what happens to the rest of us if you lose. You were a boxer. Lace up dude, this is much bigger than you.
Drinks for my friends.