Angle blasts GOP on tape

When a third-party foe secretly taped Sharron Angle questioning Republican Party principles, then leaked it to the media, U.S. Sen. Harry Reid's campaign declared it "an absolute bombshell" that would sink his GOP challenger's bid to unseat him.

"Sharron Angle is willing to do or say anything she thinks will help get her elected," the Reid campaign said Monday, promoting the audio of her saying, "The Republicans have lost their standards."

Time will tell, but for now the revelation that the self-declared "Tea Party" candidate Scott Ashjian surreptitiously recorded his private meeting with Angle displayed a new level of political skullduggery in the high-stakes race between Angle and the Senate majority leader.

Ashjian's attention-grabbing maneuver is the latest example of Angle's private comments being secretly taped, leaked to the media and then used by the Democratic incumbent to criticize her.

"Technology makes it so easy. Candidates should assume anytime they're outside their front door they're going to be recorded," said Nathan Gonzales of the Rothenberg Political Report. "I assume it's happening in other races, but because we're talking about the Nevada race, it gets a lot more attention."

Reid's controversial comments get the same sort of treatment. But his campaign is more careful to ensure that private meetings and events aren't taped so that remarks can't be used in ads or go viral on the Internet as right-wing and left-wing bloggers and pundits compete to dish the dirt.

Last month, Reid was embarrassed when it leaked that he had called New York's junior senator, Kirsten Gillibrand, "the hottest member" of the Senate. The comment, made at a closed fundraiser Mayor Michael Bloomberg hosted for Reid at his townhouse, prompted Gillibrand to turn red and "created a bit of stir among the small crowd," according to sources quoted by Politico. Media attention to the remark, which was not taped, was short-lived.

The question becomes what effect such comments will have on voters, especially the 15 percent of registered nonpartisan Nevadans just tuning into the race two weeks before early voting starts Oct. 16.

Reid enjoys strong support among women, and they might forgive his remark. Angle, who has the backing of the national and local Tea Party movement, has run her campaign as an outsider within the GOP and has said in public what she told Ashjian in private.

"I'm not sure it hurts her," Howard Kurtz, the media critic of the Washington Post, wrote Monday. "Why? Because many voters will probably sympathize with her for the surreptitious taping."

Kurtz called the secret taping a "down-and-dirty trick" but also said it was "political malpractice for Angle to take the meeting," although "she obviously never expected to be taped."

Angle's remarks in the leaked tape serve as another distraction from her main message that Reid is responsible for Nevada's dismal economy and record high jobless, home foreclosure and bankruptcy rates. It's an argument the Reid campaign disputes, saying things would be worse without the bailouts and $787 billion stimulus package Democrats approved.

The publicity surrounding Ashjian's long-shot campaign could help him siphon off "Tea Party" votes from Angle, although true Tea Party adherents denounce him as a fraud. Angle is competing for the anti-Reid vote with half a dozen little-known contenders and a "none" choice.

Gonzales of the Rothenberg Political Report said most pundits think Reid can win with as little as 44-46 percent of the ballots if the anti-incumbent vote splinters. The latest poll for the Las Vegas Review-Journal showed Reid and Angle tied at 43 percent and Ashjian at 1 percent with the remainder split among the 8 percent undecided, none and other minor candidates.

"I wouldn't be comfortable if I were a Democrat," Gonzales said, explaining nonpartisans appear to be swinging toward Republicans. "But this one is a pure toss-up."

Angle agreed to meet with Ashjian last Wednesday at the Las Vegas home of Richard Ziser, who lost to Reid in 2004. The meeting was at the request of Dr. Sid James, titular head of the Tea Party of Nevada. Ashjian, a former Republican, registered the new party this year so that he could run in the U.S. Senate race.

Cleta Mitchell, Angle's Washington attorney, spoke to James and Ashjian as they tried to arrange a meeting. She advised the Angle campaign not to meet with Ashjian, saying it was a setup.

Ashjian refused to quit the race during the hourlong meeting, although Angle, Ziser and James said his appearance on the ballot could throw the race to Reid.

"I believe you can do some real harm, not to Harry Reid but to me," Angle told Ashjian, according to the 38-minute audiotape. "I'm not sure you can win, and I'm not sure I can win if you're hurting my chance. And that's the part that scares me."

Angle, agreeing with Ashjian, criticized the Republican Party, something she often did as a Reno assemblywoman when she fought her own GOP leadership over taxes and spending.

"They've lost their principles," Angle said. "Really that's why the machine in the Republican Party is fighting against me. They have never really gone along with lower taxes and less government."

Arguing she is an outsider like Ashjian, Angle reminded him the establishment GOP had backed her main primary opponent, former Nevada Republican Party Chairwoman Sue Lowden.

"There was no one more shocked than they were when I won that primary. When I went back to Washington, D.C., they were still moaning and groaning and weeping and gnashing teeth over Sue Lowden," Angle said, adding that she told them, "I am what you got. This is it."

Angle told Ashjian she could not meet his request for an apology from the Tea Party Express, the group that endorsed her and denounced Ashjian, because she can't legally communicate with the group while it supports her campaign. But she said she could get him access to GOP senators such as minority leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., Jim DeMint, R-S.C., and Tom Coburn, R-Okla.

"That's really all I can offer to you is whatever juice I have, you have as well," Angle told Ashjian. "I go to Washington, D.C., and want to see Jim DeMint, he's right there for me. I want to see Tom Coburn, he's right there for me. I want to see Mitch McConnell, he's there."

Angle, who is scheduled on Wednesday to be in Washington for a fundraiser, reached out to GOP leaders over the weekend after the tape leaked to apologize and explain her remarks.

"Everything is water under the bridge from the national Republican perspective," one Republican strategist said, speaking on condition of anonymity to discuss private conversations.

In an interview, Ashjian said he secretly taped the meeting to protect himself. He then leaked an unedited copy of it to Jon Ralston, a TV pundit and Las Vegas Sun columnist, who didn't disclose where he got the audio when he posted it on Sunday.

"My intention was never to go public with this," Ashjian said. "But I wanted to get the facts out."

Asked whether he leaked the tape just to get free media attention, Ashjian said, "Why would I need attention? Am I looking to get votes? Absolutely. If telling the truth is getting attention, so be it. I'm going to give Nevada a choice."

Jarrod Agen, a spokesman for Angle's campaign, called the secret taping "a political stunt." He also defended Angle's criticism of the Republican Party, saying it was in line with voters' feelings.

"Sharron expressed what many working families in Nevada and across the country are feeling," Agen said. "They are angry with Harry Reid. They are angry with Washington, D.C., and they want blunt, plain-spoken leaders who are willing to shake things up. Sharron represents the interests of Nevada, not the interests of Washington, D.C., like Harry Reid does, and that's why she is going to win."

Under Nevada law, a person can secretly tape someone if the person doing the recording stays in the room, said Clark County District Attorney David Roger. It's illegal to tape someone over the phone without their permission in the state.

Roger said the law is a reminder for candidates of an old political axiom, "Don't ever say anything in private or public that you don't want to see on the front page."

Contact Laura Myers at lmyers@reviewjournal.com or 702-387-2919.