U.S. Senate candidate Linda McMahon got some support from one of the GOP's biggest voices, New Jersey Governor Chris Christie. With just 14 days left until McMahon faces off against Congressman Chris Murphy in his own bid to change houses, Christie showed up at the Stamford Marriott to tell supporters they would be the reason for change.
Christie said McMahon carried titles like "mother," "business-woman" and "leader" because she'd worked hard throughout her life to earn them. He called Murphy a "Career Politician," who was a lot of promises but little substance and said he might as well be "Nancy Pelosi's butler."
"All the titles Congressman Murphy has can be taken away and better be taken away on November 6th," Christie said. "I don't know why, if you think that Washington, D.C., is broken...why the heck would you give one of the people who broke it, a promotion?"
The entire event got started about an hour-and-a-half behind schedule after Christie reportedly got stuck in some traffic on his way to the event—"New Jersey's close to Connecticut... sometimes in traffic, it's a long trip," he joked at the mic—but McMahon and Stamford Mayor Michael Pavia both addressed those gathered as well.
Pavia, who twice had the difficult task of coming up on stage while the audience was informed of the expanding delays, opened the event by thanking Christie for setting the example for all running an election campaign in difficult times and giving his own support to McMahon.
"I think we share the same philosophies and concepts in life," Pavia said. "Working hard, doing the right thing, signing both sides of the paycheck are important themes for what we have to do and that is serving the public."
McMahon talked about business experience and said ending subsidies, rolling back over-burdensome regulations and cutting business taxes are how the state can recover. She said her jobs plan, touted with LindasPlan.com, made clear her ultimate goal was to put Connecticut back to work.
"One hundred and seventy thousand people woke up in our state without a job," McMahon said. "I've got a plan to put them back to work. My opponent doesn't have a plan. He's voted to raise taxes on the middle class. I'm going to cut taxes on the middle class."
Christie turned on the fire and charmed the audience, as he is known to do, with his no-holds-barred approach to politically commentary. He told supporters to wear their stickers and pins and buttons for McMahon everywhere over the next 14 days to generate conversation and take an hour per day to make phone calls to friends and family on the fence.
"We've got 14 days left to send a good and decent woman to the United States Senate as your representative here in Connecticut," Christie said. "I do not want to come back to Connecticut welcomed by Chris Murphy. If you make me come back here and Chris Murphy is your United States Senator, I will not be in the fine and pleasant mood I am today. You do not want me to go 'Jersey' on you people. You do not want it to happen. And believe me, Linda has all your names."
During McMahon's last visit to the area, John McCain stood by her side at the Norwalk Inn and the day had a heavy focus on the national stage and the battle between Gov. Mitt Romeny and Presidnt Barack Obama. On Monday, the presidential race was barely mentioned, with McMahon focusing on her own campaign.
