Opinion.LINDA McMAHON: An outsider’s perspective
Published: Sunday, July 25, 2010



The double-barreled attacks on my U.S. Senate candidacy last week by Chris Powell and Keith Burris in this newspaper demonstrated a stunning lack of understanding of who I am, what I stand for and why I’m running. Fortunately, the voters I talk to every day have a much better understanding, and in the end it will be the opinions of the people — not the pundits — that matter.

Both authors advance the untrue theory that I somehow “bought” the Republican Party’s endorsement for U.S. Senate. The claim is an insult to the 737 delegates who backed my outsider candidacy at the May convention and the thousands of voters who have pledged their support to me thus far.

I have never tried to hide the fact that I am investing my own resources in this race, or why I am doing it: The race is that important to the people of Connecticut, who after decades of inaction by our leaders in Washington, have grown tired of feeling that no one is standing up for them. My investment in this campaign is an investment in the future of this state and its residents, including my children and grandchildren, and funding it without a cent of special interest money enables me to owe nothing to anyone except Connecticut voters.

While the two authors offer a smug disdain for my non-government background and career, I remain remarkably proud of it. The truth is that career politicians make bad decisions because they’re out of touch with anything but government. My life and business experiences both connect me with the people of Connecticut and uniquely prepare me to get our economy moving again. I have struggled through hard times, just as so many Connecticut residents are right now. I have been both a stay-at-home and working mom. I have been bankrupt. I’ve licked S&H Green Stamps to pay for baby formula. I built a small business, starting with my husband and I sharing one desk, and turned that small business into a billion dollar global entertainment brand that now employs nearly 600 people in our home state. I have taken a private business onto the New York Stock Exchange and know how to navigate in complex environments. I have personally experienced how government can help or hurt a business that wants to grow.

Through it all, I have succeeded by staying connected with the people who depend on me, the same way I will always stay connected to people as their U.S. Senator.

The truth is Washington is badly out of touch, continuing in its damaging plan to advance policies that grow government at the expense of private-sector job creators and threatening the American Dream in the process. Since I announced my candidacy last September, I have attended more than 500 events. My travels throughout the state have put me in touch with an overwhelming number of people who feel abandoned by Washington politicians and are now saying “ENOUGH.” I have met with small business owners and retirees and working families, and they all want someone new standing up for them without being beholden to special interests. I am running for those who feel they no longer have a voice in Congress.

I have a comprehensive plan to put people back to work, to revive our economy, and to restore people’s faith in their government. Both Mr. Powell and Mr. Burris may have chosen to ignore my plan, but the voters have not.

Finally, and in the interest of accuracy, Mr. Burris’ claim that the voters of Connecticut are rejecting my campaign is simply not true. Polls show that I have continually gained ground on Richard Blumenthal. I am on track to come from behind to win in November, just as I did at the Republican Convention.

The people of Connecticut have had enough of business-as-usual politicians. They are ready for an outsider who questions the status quo and doesn’t accept the answer, “This is just how it’s done.” They are ready for a different kind of U.S. Senator.

Linda McMahon is the former CEO of WWE and the Connecticut Republican Party-endorsed candidate for U.S. Senate.