Sharron Angle rallies Tea Party supporters, breaks into song

By Delen Goldberg

Friday, April 15, 2011 | 8:49 p.m.

Sharron Angle channelled British Prime Minister Winston Churchill to motivate Tea Party supporters during a speech Friday to Las Vegas.

“Never, never, never, never give up,” Angle said, quoting Churchill. “It’s the beginning of a quest. We’re going to elect a different president, elect more conservatives to Congress and we’re going to send our message again and again and again.”

Angle, who is running for Nevada’s 2nd Congressional District seat, was the featured speaker at a tax day Tea Party rally outside the Grant Sawyer Federal Building. A similar rally was held in Carson City.

Supporters wore American flag T-shirts and waved anti-Obama and anti-tax signs, but they seemed more lethargic than during past tea party rallies. The crowd swelled to about 250 at the peak of the three-hour event but dropped to just more than 100 by the time Angle spoke.

She delivered a short speech that lasted less than 10 minutes. She thanked Tea Party members for their support during her 2010 race against Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid and urged them to stay committed in the 2012 elections.

“It’s only the beginning,” Angle said. “We’re not quitting until we have a country that goes back to constitutional principles. We’re going to send them another wave of conservatives in 2012.”

Several people in the audience shouted that Reid “stole” the election, a belief Woody Stroupe, vice chairman of the Clark County Republican Committee, echoed in an earlier speech.

Angle acknowledged that she heard rumblings about voter fraud last year and urged supporters to volunteer at election precincts to ensure a “truly secure” vote in 2012.

Angle ended her appearance with an impromptu performance of “God Bless the USA” She belted the song into a microphone as supporters waved flags behind her and photographers clamored for pictures.

In an interview before her speech, Angle said she is confident she will be elected to replace Republican Rep. Dean Heller, who is leaving the House to run for Senate. She said the growing field of opponents doesn’t concern her.

“I’m not running against them,” she said. “I’m running for the office.”

She said voters have seen her record and trust that she’ll do what she says. Angle vowed to run a positive campaign for the Northern Nevada seat and blamed Reid for the viciousness of the 2010 Senate race.

“Harry Reid brought it up,” Angle said of the negativity. “I tried to stay respectful. But 24 hours after I won the primary, Harry Reid felt compelled to begin what I feel was a very ruthless (campaign) and a very personal attack.”