State House Minority Leader Lawrence Cafero, R-Norwalk, was one of the first GOP heavyweights to endorse former U.S. Rep. Rob Simmons’ bid for U.S. Senate.
Simmons, who lives in Stonington, lost the nomination in late May to political newcomer Linda McMahon of Greenwich, who is using the fortune her family built running Stamford-based World Wrestling Entertainment to self-fund her campaign. She has pledged to spend $50 million if she must to beat the popular Democratic nominee, long-time Attorney General Richard Blumenthal.
On August 10 McMahon and Simmons, along with Weston economist Peter Schiff, face-off in the Republican primary.
Simmons initially decided while he earned enough delegate support at the convention to qualify for the primary ballot, that he could not compete with McMahon’s money and suspended his campaign. But that changed late last week when Simmons suddenly launched a television spot reminding voters he is still in the race.
But Cafero, rather than cheering Simmons on, finally decided late last week to publicly endorse McMahon after spurning her prior efforts to woo his support.
Cafero said he broke the news to Simmons Friday and the McMahon campaign made the announcement this afternoon.
Cafero is not convinced that, should Simmons win August 10, he will be able to mount an aggressive campaign against Blumenthal.
“That’s the finish line. Election Day. It’s not August 10 and we need a candidate who will be able to run August 11 through November to victory,” Cafero said. “(Simmons) suspended his campaign. He was not actively seeking funds, employing field staff, gearing up for an election. Even if he were to win the primary the question is ‘now what’?”
I suggested to Cafero that, were Simmons to pull off this comeback victory, the wind would be at his back and the donations would begin pouring in.
“It might happen,” Cafero said, adding Simmons during their conversation last week suggested the same occurred in Massachusetts in the case of Scott Brown’s shockingly successful campaign earlier this year for the U.S. Senate seat held for decades by the late liberal lion Ted Kennedy.
But, Cafero said, Brown won a special election when all eyes were on the Massachusetts race.
“I can’t argue in a general election the same would be the case,” Cafero said. “I presume not only individual donors but organizations including the national party has to pick and choose and fund more than one race at any given time.”
During our conversation I also noted that not once did Cafero make the case McMahon will make a better Senator than Simmons. His reasons for endorsing her, both during our interview and in the press release issued by McMahon’s staff, were all about her ability to win.
“I’ve had a meeting with Linda McMahon,” Cafero said. “I was very impressed with her. She’s a very real person. She has, unlike some others, gone through ups and downs of life and business. She’s a very determined person. Very well-grounded. She has some good old Southern common sense.”
But should Simmons win the primary, Cafero made it clear he will be behind him.
“Should the voters come out on August 10 and choose otherwise, hey, I’m backing the Republican.”
UPDATE:
Touched base with state Sen. Minority Leader John McKinney, R-Fairfield, who, like Cafero, backed Simmons and has not publicly endorsed McMahon. Unlike Cafero, McKinney told me today he has no plans to change his position prior to the primary and still believes Simmons is the best candidate to beat Blumenthal.
“I did vote for Rob Simmons at the convention. I did believe that Rob Simmons was dropping out of the race. And I think having not talked to Rob since his re-emergence, I am a little confused, like a lot of people, as to what his end goal is. Is he trying to run in the primary or not?,” McKinney said. “But I still think out of respect for Rob this situation’s got to play out. We only have until August 10 left so I’m going to let it play out until August 10.”
I asked McKinney if he shares Cafero’s concerns about Simmons’ inability to wage a campaign against Blumenthal?
“If he were to miraculously win on August 10, and I do think it would be somewhat of a miracle, then he would have probably garnered some pretty good momentum and a great deal of national attention and that momentum and national attention can provide a lot of name recognition that otherwise you would have to buy with campaign funds,” McKinney said. “Having said that I am concerned that if you wake up on August 11 with close to no campaign funds can you physically raise the amount of money necessary in about a month to a month and a half? … My guess is you’ll see heavy Dick Blumenthal ads on August 11. So that period between August 10 and when he could get enough money to get up on the air could cost his campaign.”
Rob Simmons has already been voted out of office. If you can’t win your own district how can you win a statewide election? On the other side, Dick Blumenthal is a windbag. Jane Fonda served more time in Vietnam than he did. Not to mention, he claims he’d never take on Pac money but flew 3,800 miles to do so.
Linda is the best candidate due to the fact that she’s not a career politician and know how to balance a checkbook.
State Senator McKinney shares liberal political alliances with former Congressman Robert Simmons so it is not likely McKinney will back Linda McMahon anytime soon and, possibly, not even against Blumenthal. It would be welcomed, but Linda hardly needs anything McKinney could give her.
More and more the true face of Blumenthal comes into focus. His terrorist tactics against successful businesses, medical practioners, contractors, and ordinary citizens has escaped attention of the media. But now the blackout is slowly being lifted. His shoddy 5 year legal attack on Dr. Lavy was shot down by the presiding judge and opens the state of Connecticut to damages. Blumenthal has taken women to court for protesting the killing of infants, dragging procedures on and on at great cost to these women’s families, only to drop the charges months later for lack of evidence. During his last election, to gain votes, he falsely accussed a national insurance company of misleading advertising. The company pulled the ad, thereby depriving revenues to TV broadcasting companies in Connecticut. When challenged publicly he has had small businessmen harrassed with costly investigations.
McMahon has worldwide business experience, a sharp mind to acurately read difficult and complex worldwide situations, the moral character to make right choices, and an independent spirit to fight for Connecticut citizens in the Senate, to combat rising trillion dollar federal budget deficits, rising unemployment, increasing restrictive business regulations and the Obama regime’s escallating attacks on the U.S. Constitution and Bill of Rights.
Connecticut needs Linda in the Senate. She is a qualified and worthwhile candidate.
Linda McMahon v. Dick Blumenthal is where we are heading. I think CT will not lose with either person. Blumenthal career politician and a good one at that v. Linda McMahon, fresh air who would add tremendous value to Washington as an “outsider”.
Take your pick folks: Career Politician v. Career-Driven Woman.
I’ll take my shots with a breath of fresh air !!
George, you actually think that Linda McMahon started from scratch?! Stating that she is willing to spend $50+ million on a campaign is hardly starting from scratch. And please don’t insult our intelligence by insinuating that she actually has a “message (on jobs, the economy and reforming Washington)”. Her empty headlines message has been that we should add more jobs, improve the economy and reform Washington. That’s it. No plan, no substance. The only thing she knows about jobs is the 10% staff cut she made at WWE in 2009. Any intelligent CT voter would choose Schiff or even Bloomy ahead of the out-of-touch with reality grandma from Conyers Farm.
If Linda McMahon gets into office, we will be exposed to a constant stream of reports on her husband’s drug problems, his numerous affairs, and the sordid trailer trash “wrestling” world she hails from.
I can do without it.
One of myths about this campaign is that R voters are attracted to McMahon solely due to her willingness to spend her personal wealth. Not so. McMahon has waged an extremely effective one-on-one grass roots campaign while she has spread her message (on jobs, the economy and reforming Washington) via TV and direct mail. Just look at her website, which lists the hundreds of small, community events she has attended across the state.
The fact is, Rob Simmons (and Peter Schiff) have been out-campaigned by McMahon on the ground as well as on TV and in the mailbox. Rob was clearly the party favorite a year ago, before McMahon entered the race. That is just no longer the case. And if you listen carefully to Rob you’ll hear the pained whine of a entitled politician who just can’t have what he wants.
Starting from scratch less than a year ago, McMahon’s plan was to qualify at the convention, and defeat Simmons in the primary. Like any good businessperson, she is ahead of plan. She won the convention and is now on course to win the primary as well.
When Simmons ‘suspended’ his campaign two months ago, he stated the obvious: that to continue the effort was equivalent to “Pickett’s Charge.”
He was correct. But he has since changed his mind. Now, he is asking his supporters to assume the role of loyal soldiers on a doomed assault. And that’s will be his legacy.
Rob Simmons was at first the dream candidate for Senate. Then Dodd pulled out, and Blumenthal was caught with a naughty lie. Robs chances never seemed better, but then the other candidates saw blood and dove in with a sea of money swamping Robs boat. He didn’t seem to have the fire in his belly for the fight, but remains the best candidate with the best credentials to battle Blumenthal.
Unfortunately, Republicans seem to be driven by who has the most money to pump into the race, rather than who is the best candidate. That very money has already scuttled one campaign and endangered another when paid petition gatherers got a little loose with the rules.
While I am a Blumenthal supporter, I would still hate to see the ship of state lured by the sirens of wealth only to founder upon the rocks of Charibdis, with only Linda McMahon’s Sexy Bitch afloat.