Simmons seeks Dodd's seat

SALISBURY — Senate candidate Rob Simmons, running on the Republican ticket, spoke at the Salisbury School Tuesday, Jan. 26, at an event sponsored by the Salisbury Republican Town Committee.

Simmons, who represented the Connecticut Second District in the House of Representatives from 2001-2007, delivered a low-key stump speech and took questions from the audience of about 60 people, mostly from Salisbury and Sharon.

Justin Bernier introduced Simmons. Bernier is running against two-term Democratic incumbent Congressman Chris Murphy for the 5th District House seat.

Simmons began his remarks by invoking the Scott Brown upset: “The Massachusetts politicians weren’t listening. The people rose up and seized back their seat.�

Simmons criticized the current administration and Congress on a number of fronts.

“We’ve got to end this spending, which is out of control.�

Simmons said that two-thirds of the money Connecticut received from the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (the “stimulus package�) “was a government to government transfer — Medicare reimbursements, education — used by Hartford to balance the budget.

“That’s not how we get the economy going.�

Simmons, who was appointed by Gov. M. Jodi Rell to head the new Office of the Business Advocate in 2007, spoke of his experience traveling around the state and talking to business owners.

“What did I hear?� he asked rhetorically. “Concerns about taxes and regulations.�

On health care, Simmons said he is open to reform  “But a government takeover is  not going to correct the problem of cost.â€�

He advocated addressing three primary issues: defensive medicine and tort reform, allowing consumers to buy health insurance across state lines, and creating what he called “associated health plans� in which small businesses form a larger pool of customers.

Simmons delivered his remarks  in a concise 15 minutes, then shifted into a question-and-answer format.

When asked about campaign finance reform, Simmons said, “I understand the theory behind public funding [of elections] but I’m troubled that taxpayers pay for people they don’t support.�

He said he had supported efforts to get “soft moneyâ€� (funds contributed to a political party, not individual candidates) out of the  system. He said he supported Shays-Meehan and McCain-Feingold — legislation that sought to address the soft money question —  “but they didn’t work.â€� (And the Supreme Court struck down key provisions of the law last month.)

“You have people like George Soros writing checks for millions of dollars with no accountability or transparency. I would argue the whole system is ripe for review.�

Asked his position on abortion, Simmons said flatly, “I am pro-choice.� And that ended that part of the discussion.

On the reappointment of Ben Bernanke to head the Federal Reserve, Simmons said “I have mixed feelings, but I guess he’ll be approved.� (He was last week, by a vote of 70-30.)

“I’m not convinced his performance has been up to the standard we need.â€� He noted Bernanke’s reputation as an expert on the Great Depression but added wryly that  “It didn’t seem to help much.â€�

Simmons said he was also concerned about transparency at the Fed. “Along with (Texas Congressman) Ron Paul, I share the sense that fiscal and monetary policy has to be transparent to Congress,� and concluded that if he were in the Senate now, he would vote against Bernanke.

Simmons, a former staff director for the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence under Barry Goldwater, gave his longest response when asked about trying the 9/11 terrorists in civilian court in Manhattan, and giving the Christmas Day “underwear bomber� suspect civilian protections, such as a Miranda warning and an attorney.

“Within half an hour of the announcement about the New York trial I objected. I objected out of respect for the families in my district who lost people. My daughter lived near the World Trade Center and for 14 hours we didn’t know where she was.�

Simmons said he spoke with security expert Bo Dietl.

“I asked him, ‘How can you defend the city during the trial?’ His answer was ‘You can’t.�

And he objected to the cost, saying the estimate went from  from $75 million to $200 million a year — for a projected two years.

“All this at a time when unemployment is 10 percent. Why are we doing this? I think it’s absurd.�

As to the Christmas Day bombing attempt, Simmons said, “The ‘student’ from Nigeria is an Al Qaeda operative — armed, trained and sent by Al Qaeda.

“The Constitution provides for the common defense. Terrorists don’t wear uniforms, they don’t represent soveriegn nations. They are a different kind of threat.

“I object to the administration’s handling of the situation. I think it will lead to more attacks and place more Americans at risk.�

And a man describing himself as a former (and disaffected) Republican asked, “What are you going to do to make sure a new Republican majority is not like the last one? How do you get people like me back in the party?�

“You have to have a bigger vision than the party platform, and listen to and try to reflect the values and needs of the people you serve.�

Simmons also fielded questions on nuclear energy (he’s for it), the Cap and Trade legislation ( he called it “economic suicide�) and gay rights.

Saying that in  his 37 years in the military he met gay people who were good at their jobs, and thought their sexuality was beside the point, he added, “I’m a Goldwater conservative.â€�

“Barry Goldwater was a fiscal conservative who felt the biggest problem was an invasive federal government. On social issues he was more of a libertarian. I believe many so-called social issues are best handled by the states.�

State Attorney General Richard Blumenthal announced last month he is running for the Senate seat on the Democratic Party side.