Sharron Angle’s Immigration Ad: Pure Unsubstantiated Lies
Angle’s flailing campaign releases inflammatory ad lacking a single citation, filled with lies about Sen. Reid’s record on immigration
LAS VEGAS – When a desperate candidate runs a television ad that literally lacks a single citation, there’s only one reasonable explanation – they simply can’t back up the claims in the ad with actual facts. No better example exists than Sharron Angle’s latest false attack on Sen. Reid regarding immigration issues.
ANGLE LIE #1: Far from being supportive of illegal immigrants crossing our border in violation of the law, Sen. Reid has fought successfully to secure hundreds of millions of dollars to secure our border – including $600 million in August alone. The bogus reference regarding Arizona’s immigration law has literally nothing to with Sen. Reid’s long-standing commitment, and strong record of success, in taking aggressive measures to secure our borders.
ANGLE LIE #2: Again, lacking any citation whatsoever, the ad falsely claims that Sen. Reid supports “special tax breaks” to illegal immigrants. Beyond containing literally no warrant, this claim is absolutely false – Sen. Reid has never voted to give a single “special tax break” to a single immigrant here illegally, period.
ANGLE LIE #3: With no vote cited and literally no warrant, the ad also claims Sen. Reid voted to give illegal aliens Social Security. Continuing the theme of this ad, this baseless assertion is a complete lie – Sen. Reid has never voted to give Social Security benefits to a single person here illegally, period.
Literally – NEVER has the Social Security Administration legitimately mailed a benefit check to someone here illegally and never under Sen. Reid’s leadership will anyone here illegally be eligible to collect benefits. In fact, Sen. Reid voted for legislation on October 23, 2007 that prohibited the use of funds to process claims based on work performed while unlawfully using a Social Security number that was not the claimant’s number. (Roll call vote here and text of the amendment (No. 3352) here.)
In an instance of rank hypocrisy that’s egregious even for the Angle campaign, her fabricated attack regarding Social Security belies a stark reality about her own record: Sharron Angle has pledged repeatedly that she would eliminate Social Security in its entirety. Angle’s agenda on Social Security is well-documented and has been unwavering until recent attempts by her new DC handlers to lie away her politically-toxic position. Behold! Actual facts with citations!
- “Angle wants to wipe out Social Security”
- “Getting out of Medicare and Social Security is not up for grabs”
- “Going forward we need to phase it out”
- “We need to phase Medicare and Social Security out”
- “It’s very difficult…to justify Social Security”
WATCH ANGLE’S WELL-DOCUMENTED, EXTREME SOCIAL SECURITY RECORD
“In the final desperate days of a campaign spiraling out-of-control, Sharron Angle today demonstrated that she will do or say anything – including flat-out lies designed to appeal to Nevadans’ worst fears – in a last ditch effort to save her tanking campaign,” said Reid campaign spokesman Kelly Steele. “While Sen. Reid continues to fight for comprehensive immigration reform and has delivered substantial resources to secure our border against illegal immigration, Angle and her handlers continue their scorched earth, saying-anything campaign of lies to distract from Angle’s extreme agenda to eliminate Social Security and Medicare, abolish the Department of Education, and make Nevada into America’s nuclear waste dump.”
BACKGROUND: SEN. REID’S STRONG RECORD ON BORDER SECURITY
2010: Under Reid’s Leadership, The Senate Passed $600 Million To Secure The Border. “Democrats Charles Schumer of New York and Ben Cardin of Maryland - returned from their August recess Thursday to give the chamber's approval for $600 million in emergency funding to help secure the U.S.-Mexico border. The measure, which has already been approved by the House of Representatives, now advances to President Barack Obama's desk. Obama is expected to sign it on Friday … Among other things, the bill provides for roughly 1,500 new law enforcement agents, new unmanned aerial vehicles, new forwarding operating bases and $14 million in new communications equipment.” [CNN, Political Ticker, 8/12/10]
$600 Million Included Funding For Two Additional Predator Drones To Patrol The US-Mexico Border. According to Reuters, “The U.S. government will have unmanned surveillance aircraft monitoring the border with Mexico starting Wednesday, a top official said on Monday … Earlier this month, President Barack Obama signed a $600 million bill that would fund some 1,500 new Border Patrol agents, customs inspectors and other law enforcement officials along the border, as well as paying for two more unmanned drones. Napolitano said the additional aircraft pledged under the bill, together with the new aircraft soon to begin operations in Texas, would increase the Customs and Border Protection drone fleet to six by the start of next year. The Predator B drones are made by defense contractor General Atomics. They carry equipment including sophisticated day and night vision cameras that operators use to detect drug and human smugglers, and can stay aloft for up to 30 hours at a time.” [Reuters, 8/30/10]
Under President Obama And Democratic Leadership We Have More Boots On The Ground At The US-Mexico Border Than We Have Since Woodrow Wilson Was President. According to Politifact, the last time the US had more personnel securing the US-Mexico border was in 1916, when Woodrow Wilson sent troops to the border after Poncho Villa launched a surprise attack on Columbus, NM. [Politifact, 7/1/10]
2007: Reid Led The Senate In Passing Close To $7 Billion In Border Funding; Funding Went For Guards, Fencing, UAVs. In December 2007, Reid led the Senate in passing an omnibus appropriations bill that included “$6.8 billion for Customs and Border Protection (CBP) to secure the borders, including funds to continue limited use of National Guard troops on the border and hire 3,000 additional border patrol agents. The bill provides $1.2 billion for border security fencing to complete 370 miles by the end of FY 2008 and almost $15 million for additional unmanned aerial systems to patrol the border.” [PL 110-161, 12/26/07; Lieberman Press Release, 12/19/07]
Sharron Angle’s Immigration Ad: Pure Unsubstantiated Lies
Angle’s flailing campaign releases inflammatory ad lacking a single citation, filled with lies about Sen. Reid’s record on immigration
LAS VEGAS – When a desperate candidate runs a television ad that literally lacks a single citation, there’s only one reasonable explanation – they simply can’t back up the claims in the ad with actual facts. No better example exists than Sharron Angle’s latest false attack on Sen. Reid regarding immigration issues.
ANGLE LIE #1: Far from being supportive of illegal immigrants crossing our border in violation of the law, Sen. Reid has fought successfully to secure hundreds of millions of dollars to secure our border – including $600 million in August alone. The bogus reference regarding Arizona’s immigration law has literally nothing to with Sen. Reid’s long-standing commitment, and strong record of success, in taking aggressive measures to secure our borders.
ANGLE LIE #2: Again, lacking any citation whatsoever, the ad falsely claims that Sen. Reid supports “special tax breaks” to illegal immigrants. Beyond containing literally no warrant, this claim is absolutely false – Sen. Reid has never voted to give a single “special tax break” to a single immigrant here illegally, period.
ANGLE LIE #3: With no vote cited and literally no warrant, the ad also claims Sen. Reid voted to give illegal aliens Social Security. Continuing the theme of this ad, this baseless assertion is a complete lie – Sen. Reid has never voted to give Social Security benefits to a single person here illegally, period.
Literally – NEVER has the Social Security Administration legitimately mailed a benefit check to someone here illegally and never under Sen. Reid’s leadership will anyone here illegally be eligible to collect benefits. In fact, Sen. Reid voted for legislation on October 23, 2007 that prohibited the use of funds to process claims based on work performed while unlawfully using a Social Security number that was not the claimant’s number. (Roll call vote here and text of the amendment (No. 3352) here.)
In an instance of rank hypocrisy that’s egregious even for the Angle campaign, her fabricated attack regarding Social Security belies a stark reality about her own record: Sharron Angle has pledged repeatedly that she would eliminate Social Security in its entirety. Angle’s agenda on Social Security is well-documented and has been unwavering until recent attempts by her new DC handlers to lie away her politically-toxic position. Behold! Actual facts with citations!
- “Angle wants to wipe out Social Security”
- “Getting out of Medicare and Social Security is not up for grabs”
- “Going forward we need to phase it out”
- “We need to phase Medicare and Social Security out”
- “It’s very difficult…to justify Social Security”
WATCH ANGLE’S WELL-DOCUMENTED, EXTREME SOCIAL SECURITY RECORD
“In the final desperate days of a campaign spiraling out-of-control, Sharron Angle today demonstrated that she will do or say anything – including flat-out lies designed to appeal to Nevadans’ worst fears – in a last ditch effort to save her tanking campaign,” said Reid campaign spokesman Kelly Steele. “While Sen. Reid continues to fight for comprehensive immigration reform and has delivered substantial resources to secure our border against illegal immigration, Angle and her handlers continue their scorched earth, saying-anything campaign of lies to distract from Angle’s extreme agenda to eliminate Social Security and Medicare, abolish the Department of Education, and make Nevada into America’s nuclear waste dump.”
BACKGROUND: SEN. REID’S STRONG RECORD ON BORDER SECURITY
2010: Under Reid’s Leadership, The Senate Passed $600 Million To Secure The Border. “Democrats Charles Schumer of New York and Ben Cardin of Maryland - returned from their August recess Thursday to give the chamber's approval for $600 million in emergency funding to help secure the U.S.-Mexico border. The measure, which has already been approved by the House of Representatives, now advances to President Barack Obama's desk. Obama is expected to sign it on Friday … Among other things, the bill provides for roughly 1,500 new law enforcement agents, new unmanned aerial vehicles, new forwarding operating bases and $14 million in new communications equipment.” [CNN, Political Ticker, 8/12/10]
$600 Million Included Funding For Two Additional Predator Drones To Patrol The US-Mexico Border. According to Reuters, “The U.S. government will have unmanned surveillance aircraft monitoring the border with Mexico starting Wednesday, a top official said on Monday … Earlier this month, President Barack Obama signed a $600 million bill that would fund some 1,500 new Border Patrol agents, customs inspectors and other law enforcement officials along the border, as well as paying for two more unmanned drones. Napolitano said the additional aircraft pledged under the bill, together with the new aircraft soon to begin operations in Texas, would increase the Customs and Border Protection drone fleet to six by the start of next year. The Predator B drones are made by defense contractor General Atomics. They carry equipment including sophisticated day and night vision cameras that operators use to detect drug and human smugglers, and can stay aloft for up to 30 hours at a time.” [Reuters, 8/30/10]
Under President Obama And Democratic Leadership We Have More Boots On The Ground At The US-Mexico Border Than We Have Since Woodrow Wilson Was President. According to Politifact, the last time the US had more personnel securing the US-Mexico border was in 1916, when Woodrow Wilson sent troops to the border after Poncho Villa launched a surprise attack on Columbus, NM. [Politifact, 7/1/10]
2007: Reid Led The Senate In Passing Close To $7 Billion In Border Funding; Funding Went For Guards, Fencing, UAVs. In December 2007, Reid led the Senate in passing an omnibus appropriations bill that included “$6.8 billion for Customs and Border Protection (CBP) to secure the borders, including funds to continue limited use of National Guard troops on the border and hire 3,000 additional border patrol agents. The bill provides $1.2 billion for border security fencing to complete 370 miles by the end of FY 2008 and almost $15 million for additional unmanned aerial systems to patrol the border.” [PL 110-161, 12/26/07; Lieberman Press Release, 12/19/07]
