Political shocker: Rhetoric doesn't always jibe with lifestyle

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http://www.lvrj.com/news/political-shocker--rhetoric-doesn-t-always-jibe-with-lifestyle-97141019.html?ref=019

Jun. 25, 2010
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JOHN L. SMITH: Political shocker: Rhetoric doesn't always jibe with lifestyle

To hear her tell it, U.S. Senate candidate Sharron Angle would rather have a family member working in a house of ill repute than one who draws a paycheck from the federal government.

The rock-ribbed conservative has called for the elimination of the Department of Education, the Department of Energy and the Environmental Protection Agency. Small government, that's the only kind Angle likes.

But I've noticed she's not spending a lot of time protesting the existence of the Bureau of Land Management, an agency with an extremely mixed relationship with rural Nevadans. In fact, I'll speculate the BLM is the least liked federal agency in rural Nevada.

It might surprise supporters of Angle's small-government candidacy to learn her husband, Ted Angle, worked for many years at the BLM. In fact, he draws a federal government pension.

Not that there's anything wrong with that. Actually, I'd argue that the Angles are like a lot of rural Nevada families who rely on federal agencies and programs for their livelihoods but find a way to criticize the size and effectiveness of government every chance they get.