Politics & Government

John McCain Stumps for Linda McMahon in Norwalk

Hundreds of supporters showed up to hear the pair speak at the Norwalk Inn Monday night.

 

If nothing else, Arizona Senator John McCain is at least certain Linda McMahon is the next U.S. Senator to come out of Connecticut and the Mitt Romney and Paul Ryan are destined for the White House.

"I'm very honored to return to the state where, as a young boy, my father was commander of a submarine," McCain said. "I have nothing but pleasant memories. I am most happy to be here on behalf of the next senator from the state of Connecticut, Linda McMahon."

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McCain backed McMahon on the basis of her business sense, citing her understanding of how jobs are created as a basis for his faith in her abilities.

"I am excited about this candidate. I am excited about serving with her in the United States Senate. I am excited about the experience and knowledge and background which she brings to the United States Senate," McCain said. "I believe, like Kelly Ayotte over in New Hampshire, she will have an instant impact on the United States Senate because she knows what the economy and growth and jobs is all about. She understands, like Mitt Romney understands, it's not the government that creates jobs, it's business that creates jobs."

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And, while McCain was there to support McMahon in her race for the United States Senate seat, he didn't hesitate to set his sights on Obama while on stage. McCain said, with McMahon as the 51st vote in the Senate, ObamaCare would be repealed and replaced, to raucous applause form the crowd.

McCain focused largely on Obama's current handling of efforts on the Afghanistan/Iraq front, claiming Obama's stance is too weak to give any real meaning to the loss of military lives the United States has witnessed.

"We sacrificed about 4,000 young Americans in Iraq. We left. We left without a residual force. Now the place is unraveling," McCain said, claiming Iranian forces are flying in the area, ready to move in and help massacre people.

McCain told attendees the recent attacks on the British-run Camp Bastion air base in Afghanistan and motorcycle suicide bombing in the city of Khost Monday were due to Obama pulling troops home, saying insurgents wished to cause harm because they were fearful and angry the United States would no longer be present to protect them.

"There's nothing that hurts morale more than when you can't trust your allies and it's because they believe we're leaving," McCain said. "Have you ever heard the words 'victory' or 'success' come out of this president's mouth? He doesn't understand the role America has to play in the world. He believes in not leading from in front, the way Ronald Reagan did. He believes in leading from behind and that doesn't work, my friends."

McCain said in order for McMahon and Romney to pull out a win, the Republican party was going to have to focus on getting more women out to the poles.

"I'll give you a little straight talk: we need to do better with the women's vote," he said. "Is there a better example to motivate young women to serve their country...than Linda McMahon? With her background and experience, she can attack what is plaguing America today and that is too much government, too much regulation, too much ObamaCare, too much stimulus, too much of the debt that went from $10 trillion to $16 trillion on this president's watch."

When McMahon took to the podium, she wasted no time honing in on her opponent, Congressman Chris Murphy. She parlayed stories of different veteran's events she and McCain and other party members had attended into conversation about Murphy voting against the Defense Appropriations Act twice.

"That means we could lose jobs here in this state," McMahon said. "We can not have that. I will absolutely fight to keep every defense job we have here in our state, at our submarine base, at Pratt & Whitney, UTC, Sikorsky and for all those smaller businesses that you never hear about."

She didn't let up, either, claiming he's voted against the middle class multiple times while her jobs plan, which McMahon claimed was much more fleshed out than anything Murphy has produced for the public yet in terms of initiatives he would like to implement.

"Congressman Murphy says he has jobs plan to put people in Connecticut back to work—but it's a work in progress," McMahon said. "Well, I have a jobs plan that's not a work in progress. It's definitive. It's detailed. It has some meat on the bones. You can look at it at Lindasplan.com. It talks about reducing tax to the middle class. Congressman Murphy has voted to raise taxes on the middle class three times. Now he talks about how he's going to reduce taxes on the middle class. I can't figure it out."

Mayor Richard Moccia joined McMahon and McCain on stage for the event and was exulted by McCain as a man who works hardest to do a job that keeps him most in touch with the people he lives around—which can be tough when things aren't going smoothly.

"I want to thank Mayor Moccia for his leadership in Norwalk and want to point out that mayors are important. Mayors are very important," McCain said. "They're the closest to the people. I can blame it on Obama, I can blame it on Harry Reid—there's nobody that the mayor gets to blame it on.

Also in attendance for the event was Representative Chris Shays, who was running against McMahon in the primaries, Steve Obsitnik, who is running for U.S. Representative, State Representative Mike Molgano, Stamford Mayor Michael Pavia and Miss Connecticut Christina Sciongay.

"I'm here just to support McMahon, to show my support because I'm a woman & I've worked for everything I've achieved," Sciongay said. "She's such a great example. I really admire her and would love to see someone like her in the Senate."


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