The following notes were taken in a conference call introducing Rob Simmons and his campaign to defeat Senator Chris Dodd in 2010 to the online community:
Former U.S. Representative Rob Simmons has had a full career of public service. He served with the Army in Vietnam, 10 years with CIA, 10 years in the CT general assembly, and 6 years in Congress from 2001-2007. His Senate experience goes back to being staffer for Senators John Chaffee (1979) and Barry Goldwater (1981). Rob promotes free enterprise as a fundamental value of all Americans, which he finds at great jeopardy with Newsweek’s recent publication of an article saying “We’re All Socialists Now.”
He’s running a very competitive race with Chris Dodd, reflecting Chris’ failure to treat his public office as a public trust - something Rob has believed in all his life. Chris obtained a $75K sweetheart mortgage deal from Angelo, moved to Iowa in frivolous attempt to run for President, flip-flopped famously on AIG bonuses, then purchased a cottage in Ireland which he reported to cost $100K but is actually worth $1M, obtained from a pardoned felon.
Dodd has lost tremendous support (he has a 50-34% lead in the April 2, 2009 Quinnipiac Poll). Rob is a fiscal conservative, staff service in Senate and Congress, can hit the ground running and get the job done.
Questions:
Brian Faughnan (Weekly Standard, RedState): “What are your issues and themes for the race notwithstanding Senator Dodd?”
Rob Simmons: The state of the economy is the main issue. Unemployment has gone up 5% in the last year, businesses’ tax burdens will increase at both the state and fed levels. I’m a fiscal conservative and a believer in free enterprise, which has brought more quality and progress than any other system devised. I don’t use the word capitalism, I use the word free enterprise to define the economic system that gives the average citizen the opportunity to realize economic dreams and support the economy.
Sean Hackbarth (The American Mind, The Next Right): How do you reach out to groups not normally voting for Republicans?
Rob Simmons: This is a huge issue for GOP. I prefer the term “include” to “reach out”. Reaching out suggests not including or embracing. I get a tremendous amount of information and inspiration from young people from diverse ethic and ideological backgrounds. I’m scheduled to go on Spanish language radio very soon and will talk about how free enterprise lifts immigrants out of poverty and into ownership. I also have close links to the African-American community in New London. J.C. Watts was a friend in Congress and campaigned for me.
Gigi aka lagomorph (Lagomorphic Tendencies, The Next Right): How do you feel about the centralization of power in a central banking system, and are you in favor of auditing the Federal Reserve?
Rob Simmons: I’m a cross between a Jeffersonian and a Hamiltonian, so I’m not against a central bank per se. People don’t trust the system to correct itself, there’s negative rhetoric regarding financial services sector, class warfare and allegations of greed, but an audit and transparency are tremendously important. I would structure the transparency in a way that’s useful, not harmful. Because of my intelligence background, I advocate using transparency and investigation not as a criminal prosecution, but as a useful tool.
Nansen (Washington State GOP, Top Conservative on Twitter): What’s the biggest obstacle do you have to raising money?
Rob Simmons: Chris Dodd name recognition is the biggest obstacle. It is well recognized in CT, and surely he’ll shake down the people he oversees (Fannie Mae, Freddie Mac, etc), which is a violation of the public trust. Rob will reach out across the country to raise money. If your IRA or 401K is half what it was a year ago, or you’re confronted with job loss or foreclosure, he has to bear some of that responsibility along with Barney Frank, who was a professor of mine at the Kennedy School at Harvard. I can raise enough money to shed light on Dodd’s failures.
Sean Hackbarth: How do you avoid the RINO tag?
In previous campaigns I was accused of poisoning children, positioning a nuclear waste dump near a playground, and being a war criminal. In each case my campaign pushed back. I was Barry Goldwater’s chief of staff on the Senate Intelligence Committee for 4 years. I’m strong on national security, defense, and fiscally conservative. I carry a copy of Senator Goldwater’s “Conscience of a Conservative” with me at all times. Government has proved to be the chief instrument of thwarting men’s liberty. If you believe in freedom and liberty, they go hand in hand with personal responsibility and we have to shift the burden of personal responsibility upon individuals. This is as controversial now as it was in Barry Goldwater’s time. There’s always been an historic struggle between liberty and authority. I don’t want the government telling me, my wife, or my family what to do. This is consistent with conservative values.
In conclusion:
Rob Simmons: I’d like to thank everyone for participating. Trying to connect with a diverse group of people around the country is important. I’m not the most versed in online technology, but I did develop an Army protocol for open source intel to produce intelligence products. I’ve run a virtual office and virtual military organization, and my campaigns have been able to attract people virtually (without face time) with whom I can develop successful strategies.
