Q&A: Linda McMahon Talks West Hartford, Politics
West Hartford News recently sat down and had a quick chat with US Senate candidate Linda McMahon at Starbucks in West Hartford Center. The former director of WWE talks about West Hartford, her position on the bailouts and how she thinks Sen. Chris Dodd will be very beatable come Nov. 2010.
WHN: Why did you choose West Hartford Center to be the headquarters of your campaign?
McMahon: It’s kind of in the middle of the state and it seemed to be a good place to have our permanent headquarters. I’m enjoying all the local businesses here. In fact I lived in West Hartford (1974-1979). Then we moved to New Britain and lived in Torrington for a while.
WHN: What was West Hartford like back then?
McMahon: (laughing) Not like it is now.
WHN: Do you have any favorite restaurants that you go to when you’re in your campaign office?
McMahon: Well, right next to the campaign office we go to Grant’s, Max’s Oyster Bar, Barcelona – they were so great they bought us free lunch for the day. The danger for me is we’re right next to the toy store and I have four grandchildren and Christmas is coming.
WHN: You announced your candidacy in September. When did you begin to think about running for the US Senate seat?
McMahon: It was probably late spring/early summer of 2009. It was a decision I reached because I just felt that the country was going in the wrong direction. I had a great career – built and run a successful business – and those are skills that are highly needed in our government because I think there are too many career politicians and not enough business people. And with today’s economic environment and the unemployment rate, Connecticut’s numbers were up again (8.4 – 8.8 percent unemployment). It’s just scary. And I think people who have business skills that have created companies, created jobs, know how to make the payroll — those skills need to be used. And I said, “Well, I’m not gonna talk about it anymore, I’m just gonna sit back and do something about it, and I decided to run for the Senate. To jump in and run for the Senate seat is a lofty goal. I think I can have the most influence there and the most impact and that’s what I wanted to go for.
WHN: How did you feel about the (Wall Street) bailout?
McMahon: And TARP?
WHN: Yes.
McMahon: TARP (Troubled Asset Relief Program) I think it was a necessary thing to do at the time. Our economy was on the brink of collapse. Something had to be done, but TARP got sideways. TARP was designed to buy toxic assets. It went far beyond that. Now government owns part of banks and part of the automobile industry and the TARP money that’s coming back is not bringing the debt down, it’s more or less looked at as kind of a revolving charge so the government can take the money that’s coming back and put it elsewhere, instead of paying the debt, our debt is just growing and growing. TARP was a necessary step to take at the time at the very end of the former administration. Now I think steps have been taken that are just not the right ones.
WHN:Do you think in the upcoming election the primary battle is going to be harder than the actual election against Dodd? It’s a crowded (Republican) field now. (Current Quinnipiac results show both Simmons and McMahon ahead of Dodd).
McMahon: I think the Republicans are lucky to have many good people in the race. I think there are clearly differences with those that are in the race. Same Caligiuri may run for the 5th district (against Rep. Chris Murphy). And I think there are clear differences between myself and Rob Simmons. Rob is not a business person. He should be commended for his service in the military and the CIA. But as I’ve said before I really think we need people who are outsiders and bring different skills and can make a difference.
WHN: Being with that business background what’s your position on taxes?
McMahon: I think now is not the time to increase taxes in any form, on any segment of the population, especially on small businesses. If you look at Cap and Trade that really becomes a tax on consumers. If you look at health care reforms as the way they are being proposed now they are going to be taxing small businesses. It’s just going to create a burden and not do what it’s intended to do.
(The stimulus package) did not do what it was supposed to do, which was to stop unemployment at 8 percent and not let it get any higher. The reason it didn’t work is because the money didn’t get into the hands of small businesses. Small business owners create 70 percent of the jobs in this country. If you get money to small business owners even through tax incentives for them, making credit more available through local banks to help them bridge loans to either expand, or even stay in business at this particular time, the economy will start to recover because they’re gonna create jobs, grow businesses. Those people are gonna buy more goods and services and then it works the way it’s supposed to in a capitalistic/free market society.
WHN: But why don’t you think our system favors small businesses, like the ones in West Hartford Center.
McMahon: The system, in typical times when it’s working right, allows small businesses to grow. When I lived in West Hartford, West Hartford Center didn’t look like anything like it does today. And you see that growth, you see the economy being good, allowing these small businesses to grow. Small business and entrepreneurial people are the backbone.
My former company, WWE, started out with my husband and I sharing a desk. And we built it and grew it into now a global brand trading on the NYSE. It’s part of the American dream to have that opportunity. One of the things I am afraid of is the way the economy is moving to continuing the accumulation of debt. The American dream is not going to be alive, especially for my grandchildren.
WHN: What do you think Dodd’s biggest flaw is?
McMahon: You know I think Dodd’s been in office now for a long time.
WHN: Has he gotten too comfortable?
McMahon: For some of his actions he’s lost trust from the people of Connecticut. And I think if an elected official loses the trust of the people who’ve elected him and put him in office, it’s a real hard place to come back from. I think he’s making some efforts now, he’s in the state, he’s more visible in the state. What I hear as I travel around the state is that he’s become disconnected from the state and the people here. He moved to Iowa to run for the presidency. And the issues he’s addressed and faced with Country Wide and the AIG bonus flip flop, those (are the) issues he’s lost trust with and that’s really a hard place to come back from.
WHN: Yea, I was reading something on Huffington Post where they had a list of the top 15 congressional candidates taking money from Wall Street and Dodd came in at number four with over $750,000 in accepted donations…
McMahon: … And the hard part of that is he takes money from the special interests that he’s really regulating.
WHN: Yea, it’s a conflict.
McMahon: It’s a conflict there. You gotta step back from that. Running a public company, one of the things that you learn is “perception of reality.” And you have to make sure the actions you are taking in a public company are perceived the way you intend them to be because if they’re misperceived, then it’s really hard to turn it back around. So you have to be really careful and make sure your actions are transparent, that your negotiations are straight forward. If you’re in government your responsibility is to the people who’ve elected you then you have to maintain that transparency. I’m not taking any special interest money. I’m funding my own campaign. I’m not taking any money from PACs. I’m accepting up to $100 from individuals because there are people that like to invest.