Methinks Scott Ashjian doesn’t like Sharron Angle too much!
Anyway correct me if I’m wrong but hasn’t the national news media been telling us that Angle is the Tea Party candidate? So who is this Scott Ashjian person?
Regardless, the conversation is interesting, to say the least. It's not too often that we have a candidate on record offering a third party candidate "anything" to drop out of the race because they don't think they can win otherwise:
At the meeting’s outset, Ashjian seems open to a deal, suggesting if he can get an apology from the Tea Party Express, “we can get on board.” He claims he does not want money, wants the lawsuits about his candidacy to go away – remember those voicemails from GOP lawyer Cleta Mitchell posted elsewhere on my blog suggest she was trying to “settle” something with him. By the end of the meeting, it’s clear this attempted backroom bargain is going nowhere – and I’m not sure Ashjian ever wanted it to.
There’s a lot more, too, including:
----Angle’s open disgust with her own party’s leaders and principles (or lack thereof)
----James’ obvious abandonment of Ashjian’s candidacy and insistence that Angle will lose unless he withdraws and that there is still time to get his name off the ballot
----Some brief trashing of Sen. John Ensign by Ziser and Ashjian
----Ashjian’s claims of physical threats and of being followed
----Angle’s agreement with him that both major parties are “corrupt”
----Angle’s claim to have taken over the Washoe County Republican Party and having her “guys” in the Clark County GOP
----Her promise to deliver to Ashjian “anything I can personally,” including an apology from the Tea Party Express after the election.
Audio clip is here.
The whole thing is really bizarre. Can't imagine why Angle booked this meeting, or why Ashjian leaked the audio tape. There must be a good bit of animosity there. I do remember reading that the Tea Party Express, which is really affiliated with the Calfiornia GOP, is not well liked by other Tea Party groups.
