Sharron Angle: Harry Reid is "the Best Friend an Illegal Alien Ever Had"

On the heels of Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid's announcement that he wants to put up an immigration reform measure up for a vote next week, his Republican opponent Sharron Angle is out with a new ad calling Reid "the best friend an illegal alien ever had."

The harsh ad says Reid's policies are "putting Americans' safety and jobs at risk," highlighting the unique confluence of economic and immigration problems in Nevada. The state is struggling with the nation's highest unemployment rate, which stands at 14.3 percent, as well as the highest share of undocumented workers in the nation, according to the Pew Hispanic Center.

More than half of Nevadans think undocumented immigrants are taking jobs away from Nevada citizens, a recent Las Vegas Review-Journal poll showed.

Angle's ad blasts Reid for voting to give "special tax breaks to illegal aliens" and to give them Social Security benefits "even for the time they were here illegally." The Review-Journal reports that the ad is referencing Reid's votes on some amendments, offered in 2006 by Nevada GOP Sen. John Ensign, to prohibit undocumented immigrants applying for legal status from collecting tax refunds.

Angle has come out in support of Arizona's controversial immigration law, which makes it a state crime to be in the country illegally, as well as other conservative approaches to immigration. She nonetheless is courting Hispanics, who make up 26 percent of Nevada's population and accounted for 15 percent of the electorate in 2008.

Reid, meanwhile, has been touting his alliance with Nevada's Hispanic community. Yesterday he said he would insert the DREAM Act into a Defense authorization bill that is going up for a vote next week. The DREAM Act would provide a pathway to citizenship for undocumented young people who came to the United States as minors and attended college or joined the military.

With Reid and Angle nearly tied in the latest polls, both candidates have come out with hard-hitting ads. Reid this week released an ad blasting Angle of voting to bar Nevada police officers from enforcing restraining orders issued in other states. The ad features a Nevada patrol officer saying Angle's vote would have made Nevada a "safe haven for domestic abusers."

CBSNews.com Special Report: Campaign 2010

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Stephanie Condon is a political reporter for CBSNews.com. You can read more of her posts here. Follow Hotsheet on Facebook and Twitter.

[crawdaddy1964]

Not to be rude but...what is wrong with the people of Nevada? Sharron Angle is a complete idiot! And one who advocates government and the rule of law based on the bible and her ultra-conservative Christian values. Isn't that kind of like Sharia law or being governed by the Taliban? It is embarrassing, especially given her ridiculous public statements, that this woman is even competitive in a national race.

[tlludwig]

I have watched plenty of interviews with Angle and I have not heard her talk about her religious beliefs. Besides whats wrong with a politician having religious beliefs anyway? As long as their beliefs dont control their decision making then Im not sure what the problem is. And no, its not anything like Sharia law or being governed by the taliban. Sharia law was created from a religion. The constitution, which is the document that rules the law of this land, is not based on a religion including Christianity. Jeez, take your own advice and watch your "ridiculous public statements". Its better to keep your mouth shut and be thought a fool than to open it and remove all doubt.

[noloyalisti]

Lay off the illegal, they were INVITED in by the filthy rich to drive down workers wages and increase profits for the fat cats.

Coming down on fellow workers just divides us which is what the big corporations want.

[kaycay1]

Dingy Harry, Nasty Pelosi, and our Book writing, vacationing, ever campaigning, hoop shooting, job losing President are destroying our country. Not the rich who pay their taxes to support those who don't want to work.

[noloyalisti]

I agree, we need to vote out all those who are not progressive and liberal. We desperately need to take on the special interests, the big corporations and filthy rich that have turned our democracy into a joke. They don't care about workers or their country, only their excess profits.

At least there are some of those people already in the Democratic Party. Keep getting rid of the obsolete and extremist Republican Party of big corporations.

[kaycay1]

What poor man have you ever worked for? Do you know a poor man who pays taxes? It is the filthy rich and big corporations who support our government now, so how does your idea end??

[stormerF3]

Scum all incumbants need to go,we need to send a message,they work for us we do not work for them. No more cushy retirements for politicans or free medical let them save up like the rest of us,stop all Political retirements on the Tax payers back.

[noloyalisti]

Tax the rich. Only 1% of the population (13,000 households) get over 215 of the wages in America. Get those people off of the taxpayers back and welfare rolls.

[noloyalisti]

Sharon (Tea Bag moron) Angle want to TAKE AWAY YOUR social security. She wants you to give YOUR insurance that YOU paid into for the profits of the already filthy rich.

What's wrong with that picture.

[stormerF3]

Having Dingy Harry stay in office is what is the greater evil. Angle is not going to take any thing any where,especially as a newbie Senator,but dingy harry has already found ways to circumvent the proper channels and Screw the Tax Payers.

[Bevofthejungle]

Since Social Security is in great danger of failing (because it is unsustainable spending)in the not too distant future, the suggestions to let us have our own accounts which the Government can't raid (which it has done to SS) are meant to give us a sustainable and protected way to plan for our retirement. Other techniques have been 401K's, for example that let us save and invest our own money for retirement are already government approved. The only thing wrong with this picture is your ignorance and apparent inability to behave like a decent person.

[georgiadog8]

Time to vote out incumbents who vote against the will of the people and Reid is long overdue. Most senators need to be replaced in both parties. (eg Mitch McConnell. Nancy Pelosi, Harry Reid - too many to list).

[tlludwig]

Amen to that. Someone on this post is actually paying attention.

[lizbeth89]

This Kids are not asking for food stamps, free food nor free money. They are just asking for a chance to graduate College and a job. Yes there is many of our american people unemployed, but at my job there is alot of people that come in asking for us to sign a paper just so they can get an unemployment check and we have a big sign that says hiring part time and full time. There is jobs out there but some people are to lazy and like to wait for free stuff. All Young people are our future, no matter what country they are from because they live here in the U.S, why can't we just give them a chance to open up more bussiness and prepare them for a better future not full of hate, nor racial comparison.

[stormerF3]

If dingy Harry gets his way they will be working to support another 15 million illegals.

[aliba1]

Those "kids" can and should take their educations and return to their homelands to build THEM up. The foreign students I teach are required to jump through immigration hoops, pay high student fees, and show their intent to return to their homelands to do just that. Now, why should an illegal alien get benefits (in-state tuition, student loans) for breaking the law, while those who obey it don't? And why should my nieces and nephews (Mexican-American and Arab-American) have to compete for seats in college with illegal aliens, compete for financial aid money, and compete for jobs, all the while subsidizing illegal aliens from the taxes on their part-time jobs? Furthermore, this bill would let virtually anyone under the age of 35 claim to have come here before age 16, requires no proof, has minimal requirements for college or vocational school (and why is THAT considered a favor to us?), AND would allow the legalized "students" to eventually sponsor the very people who brought them here illegally along with sundry other family members. In short, the DREAM Act is UNFAIR to Americans and unfair to legal foreign students.

[buddesatva]

I would say Sharon Angle is an ****** but apparently this is in fashion with conservatives.

[stormerF3]

Honest people are hard to find,for sure dingy Harry and Princess Pelosi don't fit the mould.

[tlludwig]

Angle is a better choice than Reid, who only serves himself.

[Whistlepunk]

I'll be sending money to the Sharron Angle campaign today!