FALLON - Sharron Angle, who ran an unsuccessful campaign against incumbent Sen. Harry Reid last year, told local Republicans twice Saturday night that she is not a candidate for president of the United States.
Angle, a longtime Reno lawmaker who ran on the Republican ticket against Reid, offered her comments to the Churchill County Central Republican Committee's Lincoln Day Dinner as keynote speaker.
For the past three weeks, Angle has visited Iowa and South Carolina promoting, "Genesis Code," a film about a female journalism student and a college hockey player trying to reconcile creationism and evolution.
It was no accident that Angle was promoting this film in two key battle states for the presidential primary election in 2012.
"I was promoting something to get the press out there," Angle said of her drawing-card status.
While the national media speculated on Angle's options for national office, she had to fend off questions asking her about a presidential run.
"I am not running for president," Angle told the Churchill Republicans. "I am promoting a film."
Instead, Angle took the opportunity to repeat her intentions that she is exploring all options.
"I am looking carefully at my options, and I will make a personal announcement in a couple of weeks," she said.
With two major races in play for 2012, Angle has eyed both the U.S. Senate seat held by John Ensign and the House of Representative's spot occupied by Dean Heller and a state senate seat in her Reno district.
Angle, for most of her speech on Saturday, focused on local involvement in the election process.
"We have seen something I think we can thank God for, and that's a resurgence of patriotism that this nation needs to take back the constitutional principles, not only for us but also for our children," she pointed out.
She listed five areas in which citizens can be more active: Adhering to the Constitution, practicing fiscal responsibility, limiting government, maintaining a strong national security and taking personal responsibility.
"It is up to us to take care of the government," she said, stressing that responsibility first begins at the local level where precinct captains ensure people are registered and eligible to vote and organize teams to go door-to-door.
Gov. Brian Sandoval, who is serving his first term, gave attendees some insight into a telephone conversation he had with Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker, who has proposed eliminating collective bargaining for teachers in the Badger State. Nevada, like Wisconsin, is also experiencing a major budget deficit in trying to balance the budget.
"We are all working together," Sandoval told Walker. "No one is going to buckle, no one is going to blink."
Sandoval outlined some of his proposals for education in the Nevada.
"I have an aggressive reform bill for education," Sandoval said. "The status quo has gotten us to the bottom of the heap."
Sandoval said there will be no more social promotion and also an end to teacher tenure.
As Sandoval moved away from education to reapportionment, he issued a challenge to the Legislature to make redistricting equitable. Unless the Assembly and State Senate come up with a fair plan, Sandoval said he will veto it.
Heller and Ensign spoke to a crowed of about 200 people. Heller, who has been rumored to challenge Ensign for the U.S. Senate seat, steered clear of the topic; instead, he centered his remarks on the nation's deficit.
The House of Representatives, which concluded its session 5 a.m. Saturday, voted on $61 billion of cuts for this year's budget.
"For the last 90 hours we had a budget resolution. The whole process was open," Heller said. "Any member of Congress at any time in the last 90 hours could add any amendment on the budget. We had 400 amendments (and) 70 voted on and approved."
To the roar of the crowd, Heller said the Republican-led House voted to defund Planned Parenthood, Obamacare and all the president's czars.
"One of my amendments was to cut foreign aid," Heller said. "I didn't want to bail out banks in this country. Why do I want to bail out banks in foreign countries?"
Heller said any reforms must come from the Republican majority in the House.
Ensign, who is nearing the end of his second term, said he has been talking to constituents about previous successes and what must be done for the future. Looking over to Heller, he thanked the House Republicans for putting principles above politics with their budget reductions.
But Ensign issued his own warning.
"We are headed to economic disaster if we don't get this budget under control," he added.
Ensign said the economy is hurting Nevadans. For example, he said two-thirds of Nevadans are underwater with their mortgages, owing more than what their houses are worth. Furthermore, he said the deficit is a challenge for all Americans.
Ensign said such outside forces like terrorism, for example, are not the United States' No. 1 enemy.
"The greatest threat to our country is our debt," he said.
