Sharron Angle: Nevada Senate Candidate's Controversial Views Come Under Scrutiny

 After Sharron Angle claimed victory in Nevada's Republican primary race for Senate on Tuesday night, it didn't take long for buzz to start swirling about the Tea Party-backed candidate's unorthodox -- and often controversial -- political views.
Angle defeated primary opponents Sue Lowden and Danny Tarkanian, winning the right to take on Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid in November. And Reid's campaign appears to be relishing the opportunity to run against Angle, who has said she wants to "wipe out Social Security, shutter the Education Department and return to the days almost a century ago when the federal income tax was unconstitutional."
Here's a peek at those and some of Angle's other eyebrow-raising policy views:

Angle Proposes U.S. 'Deregulate' Big Oil

In light of the BP oil spill continuing to devastate the Gulf Coast, Angle recently suggested that an appropriate response to the massive disaster -- which she called an "accident" -- would be to "deregulate" the oil industry:

QUESTION: You have been in support of onshore drilling in the United States as well as offshore drilling, are you rethinking that policy with what is going on in Louisiana?

ANGLE: No. I think that what happened in Louisiana was an accident. They're cleaning it up. We need to go forward and talk about prevention and not about whether we keep it out all together. We know that lot of the problems that have been caused for us with foreign policy and even with our own gas prices here domestically going up is our dependence upon foreign oil.

We have oil reserves and petroleum reserves that we should tap into. And that's a policy that we really need to look at as a nation. How do we deregulate enough to invite our industries to come back into the United States and quit outsourcing their business?

Angle Pushed For Scientology-Based Saunas & Massages In Nevada Prisons

Talking Points Memo reports that Angle, when serving in the Nevada state legislature, endeavored to garner support for "a prison drug rehabilitation program that would involve prisoners quitting drugs cold turkey, with saunas and massages as part of treatment -- an idea promoted by the Church of Scientology. Angle also tried to organize a legislative trip to a jail in Mexico that uses this program, and the trip would have been paid for by an individual who is a Scientologist, according to the Sun."

Former Angle opponent Sue Lowden assailed the Tea Party-backed contender over the matter in an unforgettable campaign ad released prior to Nevada's primary election.

Angle Thinks It's Wrong For Both Parents To Hold Jobs Simultaneously

 Sam Stein: Angle suggested pretty clearly that it is unacceptable and wrong for both parents to actually hold jobs simultaneously.

"Right now, we say in a traditional home one parent stays home with the children and the other provides the financial support for that family," she said. "That is the acceptable and right thing to do. If we begin to expand that, not only do we dilute the resources that are available, we begin to dilute things like health care, retirement, all the things offered to families that help them be a family."

Angle Advocates Abortion-Causes-Breast-Cancer Myth

HuffPost's Sam Stein reports: There is, indeed, a veritable treasure trove of information from which Reid and his backers can pick. And as evidence, a Democratic source sends over a few Angle bits that have yet to gain national attention but which, nevertheless, seem likely to drive a wedge between the GOP candidate and the contingent of female voters who might be intrigued by her campaign.

The first is a 1999 Associated Press piece that noted Angle's proposal of a bill that "would have required doctors to inform women seeking abortions about a controversial theory linking an increased risk of breast cancer with abortion." Angle is devoutly pro-life. But the abortion-causes-breast cancer theory is myth (spread, in part, to discourage abortions).

Angle: A Proponent Of Modern-Day Prohibition?

Liberty Watch:

Angle's faith quickly surfaced, extinguishing her argument that she disapproves of medical marijuana primarily on the elementary premise that it's illegal. 'I would tell you that I have the same feelings about legalizing marijuana, not medical marijuana, but just legalizing marijuana,' Angle offered. 'I feel the same about legalizing alcohol. The effect on society is so great that I'm just not a real proponent of legalizing any drug or encouraging any drug abuse,' she continued. 'I'm elected by the people to protect, and I think that law should protect.'

Angle Embraces Group Warning Of 'Giant Concentration Camps'

 Talking Points Memo reports:

The peculiar ideology of Sharron Angle, the Republican nominee challenging Sen. Harry Reid in Nevada, is perhaps no better illustrated than by her embrace of the patriot group Oath Keepers, whose membership of uniformed soldiers and police take an oath to refuse orders they see as unconstitutional -- including enforcement of gun laws, violations of states' sovereignty, and "any order to blockade American cities, thus turning them into giant concentration camps."

Several months ago, Angle told TPM she was a member of the Oath Keepers and earlier this week her husband confirmed to the website that the GOP hopeful remains affiliated with the group:

On Monday, we decided to call Angle's campaign to confirm her relationship to the group. Angle's husband, Ted, picked up the phone.

"We support what the organization stands for," he told us. "Sharron does."

Angle Favors Abolishing Social Security

Angle calls Social Security 'a broken system without much to recommend it.' She hasn't offered a detailed plan but says seniors now collecting benefits would not be cut off. Workers over time would be shifted to private retirement accounts, an idea that is similar to what former President George W. Bush proposed six years ago only to see it flop. 'I really don't trust big government,' Angle told voters gathered at a private home, explaining her support for ending Social Security. 'When big government gets in control, we know those great ideas turn out to be something that hits us right in the wallet.' Tinkering with Social Security has long been politically perilous, and none of Angle's leading GOP rivals agree it should be phased out. Social Security faces a $5.3 trillion shortfall over the next 75 years and it's projected to run out of money by 2037.

Angle: No Fan Of The Department Of Education

Sharron Angle advocated for abolishing the Department of Education on her campaign website -- claiming the existence of the establishment is "unconstitutional." Though the page where Angle initially featured her position is no longer live, the Washington Post relays the original text from the Tea Party contender defining her view:

Angle believes the U.S. Education Department should be abolished, as she explains on her campaign Web site: "Sharron Angle believes that the Federal Department of Education should be eliminated. The Department of Education is unconstitutional and should not be involved in education, at any level."

Angle Favors Eliminating Department Of Energy, IRS Code

 In an "e-Interview" with Nevada News and Views, Angle had this to say when asked if there were any federal departments should would support eliminating:

QUESTION: Is there a Federal department/cabinet position you would support eliminating? Explain.

ANGLE: Yes. There are several Federal departments that are not covered by the Constitutional Federal enumerated powers clause and should be given back to the states per the Tenth amendment. Those cuts should include the Department of Education, Department of Energy, Environmental Protection Agency, IRS code, audit the FED leading to cuts, National Endowment of the Arts, Freddie Mac and Fannie Mae, Planned Parenthood funding, funding of czars and more. I include these cuts in my economic policy for taking back our government. ]