Is Harry Reid the luckiest mofo in politics? Fresh off getting the craziest imaginable opponent, he scored two big endorsements, both from Republicans. Reno Mayor Bob Cashell had backed Sue Lowden in the primary, but after Chicken Lady’s goose got cooked, he switched to Reid instead, calling Angle “wild” and “an ultra-right winger.” He’s right!
The other boldface name newly in Reid’s corner belongs to Dawn Gibbons, the estranged and soon-to-be-ex-wife of lame-duck Gov. Jim Gibbons. Dawn Gibbons, you may recall, came in third against Angle in the NV-02 GOP primary in 2006, and describes her as a tough campaigner. (Angle lost to now-Rep. Dean Heller by fewer than 500 votes.) But Gibbons says she thinks Reid is better on the economy. (She also declined to endorse Brian Sandoval, the man who beat her husband in the gubernatorial race.)
While we’re on the subject of Reid’s good fortune, a piece in the WSJ suggests he might be able to win this year with less than 50%. That’s because there are multiple independent candidates, at least two third-party candidates, and Nevada’s famous “none of these candidates” option on the ballot. Interestingly, Todd Palin-like, Angle was once a member of one of these third parties, the Independent American Party, which, according to the WSJ, “opposes gun control, illegal immigration, abortion, gay rights and ‘global government’.” There’s probably a treasure trove of dirt on these nutters.
Meanwhile, Reid has a new ad up absolutely lacerating Angle for wanting to do away with Medicare and Social Security. And I think it even uses a clip from that gonzo Sue Lowden ad attacking Angle for her “massages-for-cons” proposal. (Relatedly, Angle surfaced in a 2007 video touting this Scientology-backed program.) No word, as per usual, on the size of the buy, though the AP says it’s “airing statewide.” See it for yourself:
For her part, Angle just hired Scott Brown’s web consultants, hoping to recreate his sui generis success in Massachusetts – but I know I don’t need to list the myriad ways in which Angle and Brown are nothing alike. She’s also jetting off to Manhattan to parlay with the “Monday Meeting,” a right-wing cabal of NYC plutocrats, modeled after Grover Norquist’s DC-based Wednesday meetings. While I’m sure the cultural differences will be extreme, as long as Angle sticks to her plan to abolish the 16th amendment, she’ll get along fine with this gang of banksters.