Ron_Paul_For_Connecticut
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- Joined
- Jan 20, 2008
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http://blogs.courant.com/capitol_watch/2009/10/mcmahon-spends-2-million-in-se.html
Like a professional wrestler complaining about an unfair tag-team match, Linda McMahon says that the other candidates are ganging up on her.
McMahon's aides note that two of her Republican opponents for the U.S. Senate - former Rep. Rob Simmons and state Sen. Sam Caligiuri - have criticized her for contributing more than $35,000 to Democratic candidates and political action committees through the years.
"As is often the case when a political outsider begins shaking up the system, the career political insiders are fighting for their survival,'' campaign aide Jodi Latina says on McMahon's web site. "That's no surprise. Their careers depend on protecting the status quo. What is shocking, however, is that Linda's political opponents -- just about all of whom are part of the political establishment -- are launching negative personal attacks so early.''
Latina, a former television reporter in New Haven who recently joined the campaign, added, "It appears her primary opponents are so concerned about her candidacy that they are engaging in a seemingly coordinated negative attack on her. What are they afraid of?''
The clear answer is that all of McMahon's opponents are concerned because they expect her to spend as much as $30 million of her own money on the campaign. If she reaches that total, it would be the highest in state history for a single campaign.
McMahon reported that she spent $2 million during the first two weeks of the campaign - the highest ever for the start of a Connecticut race.
McMahon is already spending money at a blistering pace when compared to her opponents. She launched a major television advertising blitz with commercials on the season premiere of "Saturday Night Live'' and during a Notre Dame football game. McMahon spent $2.05 million for the period ending on September 30 and has $1.45 million in cash on hand, the campaign said Tuesday night. McMahon loaned $3 million to the campaign and made $496,000 in in-kind contributions for expenses she paid on behalf of the campaign.
McMahon's TV blitz came during the week from Wednesday, Sept. 23 through Tuesday, Sept. 29, and it included the widely watched New York Yankees vs. Boston Red Sox series.
Simmons, the Republican front-runner in the polls, has raised $1.7 million so far and has $1.086 million in cash on hand, according to his campaign. Simmons is touting that he has the most contributions among any of the candidates - contributions that he says will translate into individual votes. In the last quarter, Simmons had more Connecticut contributions than the other candidates combined, and his campaign believes that will happen again in the third quarter.
More than 9,700 people have contributed to the Simmons campaign, including 5,305 during the just-finished third quarter. The average campaign donation so far is $173 - a small number when compared to the millions expected to be spent by McMahon, Greenwich business executive Tom Foley, and Fairfield County investor Peter Schiff in the five-way GOP race.
"Connecticut's U.S. Senate seat cannot be bought, but must be earned voter by voter,'' Simmons said Tuesday. "My campaign's fundraising success, fueled by contributions from over 5,300 donors, lends further momentum to my campaign and is evidence that voters are rallying to my side as the candidate best able to defeat Senator Dodd and return common sense and decency to Washington.''
Foley, a wealthy former U.S. ambassador to Ireland, contributed $500,000 of his own money in the third quarter, and the campaign has $1.17 million cash on hand - very close to the numbers released by McMahon and Simmons.
Schiff has already raised more than $1 million, while Caligiuri has said his initial fundraising efforts were hindered because he was tied up with his duties as a state senator.
The Republican nominating convention is next May, and a primary would be held in August before the general election against Dodd in November 2010.
Like a professional wrestler complaining about an unfair tag-team match, Linda McMahon says that the other candidates are ganging up on her.
McMahon's aides note that two of her Republican opponents for the U.S. Senate - former Rep. Rob Simmons and state Sen. Sam Caligiuri - have criticized her for contributing more than $35,000 to Democratic candidates and political action committees through the years.
"As is often the case when a political outsider begins shaking up the system, the career political insiders are fighting for their survival,'' campaign aide Jodi Latina says on McMahon's web site. "That's no surprise. Their careers depend on protecting the status quo. What is shocking, however, is that Linda's political opponents -- just about all of whom are part of the political establishment -- are launching negative personal attacks so early.''
Latina, a former television reporter in New Haven who recently joined the campaign, added, "It appears her primary opponents are so concerned about her candidacy that they are engaging in a seemingly coordinated negative attack on her. What are they afraid of?''
The clear answer is that all of McMahon's opponents are concerned because they expect her to spend as much as $30 million of her own money on the campaign. If she reaches that total, it would be the highest in state history for a single campaign.
McMahon reported that she spent $2 million during the first two weeks of the campaign - the highest ever for the start of a Connecticut race.
McMahon is already spending money at a blistering pace when compared to her opponents. She launched a major television advertising blitz with commercials on the season premiere of "Saturday Night Live'' and during a Notre Dame football game. McMahon spent $2.05 million for the period ending on September 30 and has $1.45 million in cash on hand, the campaign said Tuesday night. McMahon loaned $3 million to the campaign and made $496,000 in in-kind contributions for expenses she paid on behalf of the campaign.
McMahon's TV blitz came during the week from Wednesday, Sept. 23 through Tuesday, Sept. 29, and it included the widely watched New York Yankees vs. Boston Red Sox series.
Simmons, the Republican front-runner in the polls, has raised $1.7 million so far and has $1.086 million in cash on hand, according to his campaign. Simmons is touting that he has the most contributions among any of the candidates - contributions that he says will translate into individual votes. In the last quarter, Simmons had more Connecticut contributions than the other candidates combined, and his campaign believes that will happen again in the third quarter.
More than 9,700 people have contributed to the Simmons campaign, including 5,305 during the just-finished third quarter. The average campaign donation so far is $173 - a small number when compared to the millions expected to be spent by McMahon, Greenwich business executive Tom Foley, and Fairfield County investor Peter Schiff in the five-way GOP race.
"Connecticut's U.S. Senate seat cannot be bought, but must be earned voter by voter,'' Simmons said Tuesday. "My campaign's fundraising success, fueled by contributions from over 5,300 donors, lends further momentum to my campaign and is evidence that voters are rallying to my side as the candidate best able to defeat Senator Dodd and return common sense and decency to Washington.''
Foley, a wealthy former U.S. ambassador to Ireland, contributed $500,000 of his own money in the third quarter, and the campaign has $1.17 million cash on hand - very close to the numbers released by McMahon and Simmons.
Schiff has already raised more than $1 million, while Caligiuri has said his initial fundraising efforts were hindered because he was tied up with his duties as a state senator.
The Republican nominating convention is next May, and a primary would be held in August before the general election against Dodd in November 2010.
