WASHINGTON -- The fractious relationship between Sharron Angle and the press continued on Friday when she steadfastly refused to answer policy questions while walking through the airport and then, through aides, abruptly shut down television access to her campaign.
Posting on his twitter account Jon Ralston, one of the state's top political reporters, said that the Angle campaign had announced that following a run-in with the media they would be banning television reporters "from events now." In a follow up email to The Huffington Post, Ralston elaborated a bit: "TVs were waiting when she returned this AM. Took a question or two but spokeswoman said they were disrespectful and now banned from Election Night festivities."
A call and email to the Angle campaign seeking further clarification went unreturned.
The offending incident seems to have happened when CBS Nevada reporter Nathan Baca tried to approach Angle during a stroll through the airport and the airport parking lot with questions about her foreign policy views.
After going through several evasive answers, an irritated Angle replied: "I will answer those questions when I'm the senator."
Pressed as to whether she didn't think it was appropriate to further outline her position on the dual wars in which the U.S. is engaged, she came back with a memorable rejoinder: "You know, the two wars that we are in right now are exactly what we are in."
The entire exchange is worth a look if nothing else because it shows the depths of frustration to which the Nevada press corps has been reduced. Should Angle win the Senate election -- and signs point to that likelihood -- it will send a fairly chilling message to other candidates running for office: mainly, you don't have to talk to the press to get into public office.