Linda McMahon: “Mr. Blumenthal Needs To Stop Ducking The Issues, And Take Positions On Important Economic And Fiscal Affairs. He Must Tell Voters Exactly Which Tax Hikes He Supports. He Must Side With Or Against The Destruction Of Secret-Ballot Union Elections. He Must Clarify His Views On A Stimulus Package That Has Done Nothing To Revive Our Economy.”
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Outlining Policy Differences With Senate Opponent
Connecticut Post By Linda McMahon Sunday, August 29, 2010
Richard Blumenthal is a formidable force in Connecticut politics. For 20 years, he and his media-savvy staff have relentlessly told voters about the alleged benefits of his many lawsuits.
But Mr. Blumenthal has never had a competitive race, and it shows.
As the Republican Party's nominee for U.S. Senate, I have attempted to engage my opponent over the most pressing matters facing the nation. Washington is creating a perfect storm of job destruction. Tax hikes, a deeply flawed health care law, cap and trade, record spending, $13 trillion debt, "card check" – all, taken individually, are job-killers. Taken together ... economic disaster.
Yet I find myself asking the same question again and again: Whom am I running against?
Mr. Blumenthal is avoiding discussions of serious issues. He's dodging the media. And what little he's saying about public policy often contradicts his previous statements.
WFSB's Dennis House, reflecting on an interview he had just conducted, wrote that "Blumenthal seemed to avoid" questions, preferring instead to deliver "answers to something else that seemed rehearsed."
There's no question that this election's major issue is the economy. I agree with the majority of economists who think that raising taxes during a recession is unwise. Tax relief passed in 2001 and 2003 will "reset" on Jan. 1. That means hikes in income, capital gains and dividend taxes, and the return of the death tax.
Mr. Blumenthal recently said that tax relief should be extended "for the middle class," but he seems intent to move forward with tax hikes on small-business owners. Mr. Blumenthal needs to provide an answer on who will be hit by his planned tax hike. The fact is that taxes shouldn't be raised on anyone during a recession, and we certainly shouldn't be raising taxes on the small-business owners who create 70 percent of the jobs we need.
And what about the death tax? A former director of the Congressional Budget Office believes that making its repeal permanent would create 1.5 million jobs. If Mr. Blumenthal thinks otherwise, he should tell voters why.
Another open question: the attorney general's position on "card check." The legislation removes the secret ballot from union-certification elections. Business leader Jack Welch believes that it will "introduce intimidation and coercion by labor organizers." I agree. Card check empowers union bosses, not workers – and it hurts our international competitiveness. As a U.S. senator, would Mr. Blumenthal vote for or against card-check legislation? He's the only one who knows.
I support trade agreements that boost Connecticut's export-dependent economy. I'm disappointed that Washington has stalled free-trade pacts that promise to help our state's struggling manufacturing sector.
Is Mr. Blumenthal a protectionist? Or does he favor the removal of trade barriers? Once again, he's not saying.
The national debt tops $13 trillion. I believe the best way to restore fiscal sanity is to add a balanced-budget amendment to the U.S. Constitution. Does Mr. Blumenthal?
One of the reasons we need a balanced-budget amendment is to avoid the passage of astronomically expensive, special-interest-driven legislation like the "stimulus" package. Washington borrowed hundreds of billions of dollars for public projects that politicians said would create jobs. It hasn't worked. Last month, Mr. Blumenthal claimed he would have voted against the stimulus. He felt quite differently in October, when he joined Vice President Joseph Biden at an event held to promote the stimulus.
Mr. Blumenthal needs to stop ducking the issues, and take positions on important economic and fiscal affairs. He must tell voters exactly which tax hikes he supports. He must side with or against the destruction of secret-ballot union elections. He must clarify his views on a stimulus package that has done nothing to revive our economy.
This is an election, not a coronation. Being in office for decades doesn't make career politicians like Mr. Blumenthal entitled to a free pass on the tough issues.
In interviews with reporters, discussions with voters, and in my reform agenda, "Preserving The American Dream: A Plan To Put Connecticut Back To Work," I've made my positions clear. It's time for Mr. Blumenthal to do the same.
Linda McMahon, the former CEO of World Wrestling Entertainment, is the Republican Party nominee for U.S. Senate.
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For more information, contact the Linda McMahon for Senate Press Office, 860-244-2010.
973 Farmington Avenue | West Hartford, CT 06107 | |
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