Dem website targets ‘BP Republicans’

The
first image on the site targets Angle, who called the $20 billion
account a “slush fund” on Wednesday. She backed off the comment the next day.

The site builds on political momentum
Democrats saw after Rep. Joe Barton (R-Texas) expressed similar
sentiments about the fund during a hearing last month where BP CEO Tony
Hayward was testifying.

“It’s more than Barton redux, it
proves that an expression of empathy toward BP is not an isolated
misstatement by a wayward Republican,” said a DNC official, pointing
also to Republicans’ opposition to raising the liability cap for oil
companies that cause accidents, or the GOP’s opposition to an energy and
climate bill.

But the site is just as much about taking issue at Angle as it is anyone.

“If
Sharron Angle’s going to fight for BP and be their candidate, we thought
we’d make it official. Besides, we understand that Sharron Angle is a
fan of having more than one campaign website,” said the DNC official.
“Since she took down the one with her true positions, we
thought the voters of Nevada would be interested to know who she’s
really fighting for.”

Angle is the Republican candidate this
fall against Harry Reid, who, as Senate majority leader,
serves as the top Democrat in that chamber. Republicans have made a
point of trying to defeat Reid this fall in what has become an
especially heated race.

To that end, President Barack Obama was in Nevada on Thursday evening to help raise money for Reid.