Murphy Won’t Back Down from McMahon Campaign’s Attacks on Jobs Plan
by Hugh McQuaid | Aug 6, 2012 4:30pm
(16) Comments | Commenting has expired
Posted to: Election 2012, Jobs
(Updated 5:46 p.m.) U.S. Senate candidate Chris Murphy defended his “work in progress” jobs plan Monday against criticism from Republican candidate Linda McMahon.
Murphy and McMahon are front-runners in their campaigns for their respective party nominations and, with about a week left before the Aug. 14 primary, both have recently spent more time attacking each other than their primary opponents.
The McMahon campaign has been airing a TV spot criticising Murphy’s jobs plan and Monday issued a statement accusing Murphy, a current member of the U.S. House, of conducting photo ops without having a plan in place to create jobs.
“Maybe this is news to Chris Murphy, but attending photo ops has never created one job,” McMahon’s campaign manager Corry Bliss said in a written release. “He hides behind his ‘Buy American’ rhetoric, but conceals from voters that he actually voted against his own legislation – TWICE!”
Speaking to a group of senior citizens Monday at an assisted living home in New Haven, Murphy stressed how much he still had to learn as a representative of his constituents. He asked the group for their help in identifying what issues were important to them.
Murphy said listening and adapting is a crucial part of the jobs plan McMahon has attacked.
“If you turn on the TV today, Linda McMahon’s got an attack ad against me and she’s criticizing me because my jobs plan, I said, was a work in progress. Well, you know what? I don’t back down from that. What I said when I unveiled my jobs plan was I’m going to listen to people. And if people come up with better ideas, I’m going to put them in my jobs plan,” Murphy said.
“I’m going to never stop listening to people. You know what? That’s okay. There’s not enough listening that happens in government today,” he added.
After the event Murphy said he wasn’t surprised that the “Linda McMahon attack machine” has set its sights on him. But he said he thought it was a political mistake for the McMahon campaign to attack him over his willingness to continue listening to voters.
“I just think this is about, you know, are you going to continue listening to people or are going to shut yourself down from good ideas that you hear,” he said.
But McMahon spokesman Tim Murtaugh said Murphy should know by now what it takes to create jobs.
“Chris Murphy has held public office for 13 years. If he hasn’t heard people who want jobs and an improved economy by now, I recommend he see an ear specialist,” Murtaugh said.
In defending his jobs plan, Murphy accused McMahon of spending tens of thousands of dollars to buy her plan from a consultant. He said her plan seems more designed to give McMahon, the former CEO of World Wrestling Entertainment, a $7 million tax break than to help the average citizen get a job. Murphy said that if McMahon was still listening to voters, she likely wouldn’t have include a tax break for herself in her plan.
Murtaugh said Murphy was trying to “muddy the waters” with an irrelevant number. The vast majority of McMahon’s income comes from stock dividends, not earned income, so her plan to cut the middle class tax rate from 25 percent to 15 percent wouldn’t save her $7 million, Murtaugh said.
He said McMahon’s proposal to reduce taxes for the middle class shouldn’t be confused with the current debate in Congress regarding the extension of the Bush tax cuts.
“As far as the debate in Congress over whether the existing tax brackets should stay the same or go up, Linda does not believe that now is the time to raise taxes on anyone,” Murtaugh said. “When the economy improves, however, she would be willing to pay more herself. That is a wholly separate issue from our proposal to actually cut taxes for the middle class.”
But according to the Murphy campaign, he wasn’t basing the figure off of McMahon’s middle class tax cut proposal, rather another proposal which would fix the capital gains and dividends tax rate permanently at 15 percent. If the Bush-era tax cuts are permitted to expire, that tax rate would revert to 39.6 percent, which using the McMahon’s 2010 tax filings, would cost them an extra $7 million in taxes.
Still Murtaugh said there’s a difference between keeping tax rates where they are and proposing a “tax break.” He said Murphy voted to allow the tax cuts to expire for all brackets recently.
“The surest way to kill a recovery is to start raising taxes. If Murphy’s jobs plan is to kill growth, I guess he should say so,” he said.
Murtaugh said Murphy has been dishonest with voters about his Buy American agenda.
During his time in the House, Murphy has promoted legislation to encourage the federal government to purchase goods made in the U.S. over products made in other countries. But so far he’s been unsuccessful in seeing the language adopted into law.
This year a Buy American provision was included in two defense spending bills, but Murphy voted against the underlying bills in May and July. Despite Murphy’s “no” votes, the underlying bills each passed the House but has yet to be raised by the Senate.
A press release from Murphy’s congressional office referred to the passage of the Buy American amendment as a “major victory” and did not mention his opposition to the underlying bill.
Murtaugh said it was dishonest to tout the passage of a bill he opposed.
“To vote against a bill that contains your legislation then brag about its passage is exactly what career politicians do and it’s what people are sick of,” Murtaugh said.
Murphy said he was proud of his work on the defense bill, even if he couldn’t vote for it. He said having to vote against legislation he worked on is a reality that comes with being a member of the minority party.
“When you’re a minority member of the House of Representatives you don’t control what’s in the bill so you spend time trying to make the bills better, even if they’re not good enough in the end,” he said. “. . . It’s easy for Linda McMahon to sort of criticize from the outside, having never served in government.”
At the end of the day he said couldn’t support the legislation because it continued an open-ended timeline for the withdrawal of U.S. troops from Afghanistan.
Murphy will face former Secretary of the State Susan Bysiewicz in next week’s Democratic primary election. McMahon is seeking the Republican nomination in a contest against former U.S. Rep. Christopher Shays.
Tags: chris murphy, Linda McMahon, jobs plans, jobs, U.S. Senate, dh
(16) Comments
posted by: CitizenCT | August 6, 2012 8:43pm
Chris Murphy is a career politician that has accomplished nothing during his six years in congress. He touts his Buy American act which in fact has had no impact to date. Murphy would have preferred to see the country default on its obligations including social security, by voting against extending the debt ceiling. More recently, he voted against the defense appropriation bill last month, which is critical for jobs in CT. Murphy was the ONLY CT congressman to vote against this defense bill. Murphy wants you to think he’s a mainstream, centrist. But really, he’s a career politician with nothing to show except being a Nancy Pelosi puppet.
posted by: SalRomano | August 6, 2012 9:57pm
Chris Murphy, the biggest non-achiever in Congress—had better start worryung about Chris Shays, as he will defeat Murphy, after Shays disposes of the wrestling queen, Linda McMahon on August 14. However, Murphy should not sell an honest Susan Bysiewicz short either, as she has voter-appeal class, that Murphy lacks, “as a no-account politician.”
posted by: AndersonScooper | August 6, 2012 11:19pm
CitizenCT—
We aren’t electing a Czar to go down and dictate to D.C. how it’s going to be. And no one legislator, (nor even the President) gets to set the agenda.
Obviously Murphy is an adroit and experienced politician, and one who would make an immediate splash as the youngest member of the US Senate.
Otoh is Linda. Likely she’d be one term and done, and I honestly don’t see Senate Republicans ever marching to her tune. (And the last thing this state needs is a rogue headline-grabbing newbie, insisting she knows best.)
PS—Can you tell me where Linda is on an actual jobs bill. Are her tax cuts more important than getting people back to work, and reducing the deficits?
posted by: ALD | August 7, 2012 9:04am
There are so many holes in Murphy’s defense of his track record here that if he were a piece of cheese he would have to be Swiss.
He loves to “listen”. Maybe, but he seems to hear Nancy Pelosi better than anyone else.
“When your a minority member you spend your time making bills better “!! That maybe the case for the last year and a half he has been part of the minority party in the House. But how about the 4 years before that when he was part of the majority?
“McMahon’s out to give herself a $7 million tax break”.... Well over the years I’ve never had the feeling math is Murphy’s strong suit, so when he produces the math he used to arrive at that figure I’ll be able to better decide how accurate that is.
“It’s easy for Linda to criticize, having never served in government”. Given the mess career politicians ( from BOTH parties) who have spent virtually all their working lives in government have made in this state and country I would say that is just one more reason she deserves a chance.
Now he says after 6 years in Washington his job plan is still a work in progress. Has there been many other things more important to the people and the economy of this country those last 6 years than the lack of good jobs? So what is it about Murphy’s record in the House these last 5 1/2 years that would indicate his jobs plan has evolved at all? Beyond his own personal jobs plan that is?
Government seems to be the one place where there are too many examples of too much experience not being a good thing. 13 years of government experience in Hartford and Washington with so little to show for it in this case seems to be too much.
posted by: Matt W. | August 7, 2012 2:49pm
He “won’t back down”? Wow! How admirable. I figured he’d agree with McMahon that he doesn’t have a plan. Rather it sounds like his plan is to both promote and kill a Buy American program and then leave the rest of his plan (as yet undefined) open to change from day to day. Solid plan. Good call!
posted by: mm | August 7, 2012 5:00pm
@Hugh McQuaid…
Let’s get the background facts correct. Tower One is NOT an assisted living community. Tower One/Tower East is a senior Community that has some assisted living apartments. These comprise less than 50% of the apartments.
posted by: christopherschaefer | August 7, 2012 9:31pm
Gotta love Rosa…a crony career politician always looking for a photo op, whose every move is motivated only by the goal of re-election.
posted by: CitizenCT | August 8, 2012 6:48am
Mr. Scooper, not sure why you think Murphy would make a splash in the Senate, when he didn’t make even a ripple in the House. Can you name one piece of legislation he actually carried the ball on? Actions speak louder than words. Scooper, at least we seem to agree Murphy is another career politician. Does he think voters are stupid when he says he’s this mainstream centrist? The record is clear 9+ times out of ten Murphy and Nancy Pelosi’s vote is the same.
posted by: SalRomano | August 8, 2012 9:40am
Rosa DeLauro and Chris Murphy, despite doing nothing to help taxpayers, they wooed to get elected—the have accoumulated a huge retirement fund for themselves. Let’s vote theses non-achiever parasites out of office—and return our statesman former Congressman Christopher Shays to office, as unlike our Democratic Connecticut congressional Pres. Barack deficit-spenting team—former Congressman Chris Shays actually balanced our federal budget—and he did it for four years. Chris Shays “is the only CONNECTICUT CHRIS vying for Congress,” who is not a deficit spender. Vote Chris Shays into the U.S. Senate - as he is our ONLY HOPE TO stop our bankruptcy-driven Democratic deficit budget spending! It’s later than you think—to SAVE AMERICA!
posted by: SalRomano | August 8, 2012 10:57am
CitizenCT: Don’t be too hard on Chris Murphy, as he did give THE GREAT IMPOSTER, Pres. Barack Obama,—the voting support in allowing him to put our country into a $3 trillion dollar deficit in less than four years. As a good Democrat, Chris Murphy, fulfilled his party obligation to a Democratic President—but he failed the American people—very badly, and MUST BE VOTED OUT OF OFFICE! Vote for OUR HOPE FOR AMERICA’S FUTURE—Chistopher Shays!
posted by: CT Jim | August 8, 2012 12:14pm
Mr Citizen, Chris Murphy has dedicated his life to public service is that such a bad thing? Would he had beeen a better senator if he spent the bulk of his life enrichening himself at the expense of others?? Would it had been fine for Chris while enrichening himself he decided to have the people that worked for him to fill out IRS 1099 forms to avoid paying taxes on them as well as avoiding paying for thier healthcare??? And is voting with Nancy Pilosi as bad as voting with Mitch McConnell??? I would think not. McConnell said it himself his job for 4 years has been to make sure Obama doesn’t win re-election while americans are starving to death including some 8.3 million senoirs up from 5 million just three years ago. And with the right wing hate squads out there shooting up the public I think I’ll stick with Murphy maybe he can help pass some common sense gun laws as well as shore up our healthcare system instead of voting with Mitch (the turtle) McConnell
posted by: CitizenCT | August 9, 2012 7:23am
CTJim, Nothing’s wrong with dedication to public service, but something is wrong with a complete lack of achieving any results in six years. Would prior experience of selling a legal good or service to people eagerly willing to pay for it be a good quality for a senate candidate, absolutely. Do companies sometimes use independent contractors rather than employees depending on the circumstance, sure. Microsoft does the same but that doesn’t stop you from using their Internet Explorer product. Would voting 90+% of the time with either Pelosi or McConnell be an indicator of a non-partisan centrist approach, we both agree no. Too bad Chris Murphy wants you to believe he is, but his voting record clearly says otherwise.
posted by: Bingo balls | August 9, 2012 10:14am
Let me see if I have this correctly!! “Linda says that she is a proven job creator”, what kind of jobs did she create? How much did those jobs pay? Was affordable health insurance offered to her employees? Only the people who made headline status and were deemed “stars”, and the executives like Linda and her husband, Vince, made the big bucks, everybody else was paid at minimum wage or lower because Linda didn’t even know how much the minimum wage was when she ran for election last time. Is this the kind of job creator we need??? We need someone who can create a job with good paying livable wages and good benefits, not minimum wages and no benefits.
Linda says that she had to declare bankruptsy and lose everything; however, she never says whether she paid back all the creditors that she and Vince screwed out of their money when they went bankrupt. Linda and Vince took advantage of a system in place to screw their creditors out of money because they spent more than they could afford (hmn, isn’t this what conservatives preach, “you shouldn’t spend more than you can afford”???) Linda and Vince basically ran a porn business by using bikini clad women that men could gawk at and mentally challanged people that viewers could laugh at to make themselves very wealthy. Does this make anyone a candidate to be a U. S. Senator???? I don’t believe so.
Linda doesn’t walk in the shoes of the working class, nor does she care for the working class. All Linda wants is to go to Washington and create more laws to grow and protect the fortunes she has. If Linda really cared about the working class as she claims, she would donate the tens of millions of dollars that she’s willing to blow on trying to buy an election to the many needy working class people who need jobs, food, and health insurance for their families. Let her donate her millions to help people who are down and out make a new start for themselves and possible make themselves as wealthy as she and Vince are!!!
posted by: SalRomano | August 9, 2012 3:26pm
Bingo balls: Very well written appraisal on a rich woman who did not necessarily make her money “the honest way”—and is now spending millions of dollar of “her tainted money” to buy an election by buying town committees and votes with a huge money advantage against statesman and former Congressman Chris Shays. Realistically, Linda McMahon isn’t qualified enough to “Shine Shays Shoes.” McMahon failed to buy the election against Richard Blumenthal, and I believe that intelligent Republican voters will not allow her to buy the Republican Primary against Chris Shays on August 14. Voters will vote for “a balance our federal budget achiever, “rather than wasting their votes on dubious wrestling business multi-millionaire progidy—“who would be chewed up by opposing members in Congress”—due to her
being in the wrong place, at the wrong-perilous time, by “trying to get on-the job training.
Shays needs no OJT, and we need him to balance our national budget, as he’s done it four times—where McMahon wouldn’t have a clue. It’s the survival of the fittest in Congress, and Linda McMahon is not fit to survive. A vote for Chris Shays on August 14, is the only rational vote that Republican voters can make of August 14. God bless America.