Friend -

You and I know that this is a campaign - both in the primary and the general election - that needs to be fought on the issues.  One of the biggest issues facing our country is the rampant, out of control spending in Washington, D.C., and the misguided economic policy being implemented by the likes of President Obama, Tim Geithner and Chris Dodd.

In recent days, the media reported that Linda McMahon endorsed one of the central tenets of that dangerously flawed policy - the $700 billion TARP bailout bill that Dodd helped author.  Now, because the Simmons campaign circulated her own words, the McMahon campaign is crying foul.  But they aren't disputing the facts.  It's an old Washington, D.C. slight of hand: kick up enough dust and people will forget the truth.

And here is the truth: Linda McMahon would have voted for TARP.  Rob Simmons didn't say that.  Linda McMahon said it.  And if you don't think that's true, I encourage you to ask them point blank how she would have voted and let me know if they tell you something different.

On the other hand, Rob Simmons would have opposed TARP.

There is nothing "negative" or "out of context" about making the distinction, it's just a difference of opinion on a critical issue, and you deserve to know.  That's what campaigns are all about.  Did Mrs. McMahon really believe she could skate through this primary by writing a $50 million check, advertise that she's against bailouts, and have no one point out that she is actually for the biggest bailout of them all?

Even Hartford Courant columnist Rick Green call's McMahon "disingenuous" in her comments about TARP.  And now she's being disingenuous about Rob Simmons.

In recent weeks, the media has revealed a lot of other "negative" truths out about Linda McMahon -- serious questions about her management of the WWE and treatment of her employees; that she voted only twice in her life; tens of thousands of dollars in Democrat political donations to the likes of Rahm Emmanuel and the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee; a youtube video where she refuses to definitively rule out switching parties to run as an independent candidate against the Republican nominee; and that she hedged her bets on whether the 9/11 terrorists should be tried in New York civilian courts, saying "I'll probably have more firm policy statements after the first of the year."  The list goes on.

This is just a taste of what will come down the pike should Chris Dodd and national Democrats have the good fortune of running against Linda McMahon.  We know Democrats like Dodd have no problem misrepresenting the facts, but they won't need to when they've got this much truth to work with, and it's better for all of us to understand this sooner rather than later.

As an idea-oriented Republican, you know issues matter.  You know loyalty matters.  You know electability matters.  Rob Simmons has led a life of honorable service to our Republican Party, our state and our nation.  In this campaign, he has never strayed from the issues, the record or the facts.  That is what is most concerning to the McMahon campaign.

Sincerely,

Sean Williams
State Representative