“Women For Murphy Bus Tour” Stops in Branford

A group of local and national politicos rallied in front of Branford Town Hall Saturday in support of Democratic U.S. Senate hopeful Chris Murphy, focusing on his stand on women’s issues.

They arrived on two buses covered with slogans as part of a women-driven sweep that included Norwich, Fairfield, and West Hartford, in addition to Branford. They were welcomed by about 100 supporters who came out on lovely sunny day to listen to their message. 

Although Murphy was not at this rally, he was represented by his wife, Cathy Holohan Murphy, and a host of supporters known for supporting women’s rights: Congresswoman Rosa DeLauro (D‑3rd Dist.); Lt. Gov. Nancy Wyman; Nancy DiNardo, state Democratic Party chair; former Secretary of the State Susan Bysiewicz; Eleanor Smeal of the Feminist Majority PAC; Terry O’Neill, president of the National Organization of Women; Deborah Heinrich, a former state legislator and former non-profit liaison to Gov. Dannel P. Malloy; and Anne Stanback, former executive director of Love Makes A Family.

Local Democratic incumbent state legislators Ed Meyer, Lonnie Reed and Pat Widlitz were also on hand as well as Brnaford Second Selectman Andy Campbell and Kathleen DaRos, wife of First Selectman Anthony ​“Unk” DaRos.

All speakers said they firmly believe that women’s rights are threatened should Murphy’s challenger Linda McMahon and Republicans in general win the November election. They praised Murphy’s efforts in advancing and protecting them.

DiNardo (pictured) said that the two candidates ​“couldn’t be more different,” citing McMahon’s opposition to the Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act and support of the Blunt amendment, which would require employers with moral objections to birth control to opt out of coverage. ​“McMahon made millions by degrading women,” she said.

Stanback commended Murphy’s consist record of voting for women’s rights and support of lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transsexual victims of domestic violence.

Smeal described Murphy as fighting for pay equity and women’s rights, adding that the GOP threatens to gut the Violence Against Women Act by taking away protection for immigrant women, whose partners would be notified of their complaint, exacerbating their fear of deportation. She said McMahon says she supports women’s issues, ​“but not defending our rights.”

The Republicans will ​“roll back the clock,” Smeal (pictured) said. ​“Murphy will move things forward.”

She added that while Connecticut Law mandates a woman’s right to decide, the nation as well as the Senate must ​“work like hell.”

O’Neill focused on the threat to programs that allow women to work and on potential cuts to Medicare that would affect women. ​“The majority of nursing home residents are women and the majority of those caring for them are women.”

Lt. Gov Wyman cited the $300,000 spent by McMahon on lobbying efforts to persuade state athletic commissions that wrestling and its drug- and steroid-saturated culture was entertainment, not sports, as part of a campaign to deregulate business.

Heinrich stated that the true difference between Murphy and McMahon is on issues that matter the most to women, and that Murphy supports women ​“without caveats.” She added that domestic violence law turned stalking and the abuse of women into crimes; in contrast McMahon created an atmosphere that encouraged future abusers. ​“Abuse is not entertainment,” she said, and the audience cheered.

The final speaker, U.S. Rep. Rosa DeLauro, lamented the lack of bipartisan commitment in Congress and the cutting of essential services, along with the changes to the Violence Against Women Act.

“Domestic violence cases dropped by 50 percent since it was enacted in 1994,” she said. “[The Republicans] are putting radical ideologies above women’s life and death.

“It’s about the soul of this nation.”

Messages delivered, the women piled into their ​“Buses Not Binders Full of Women,” their placard on the side of the bus and headed for their next stop.

McMahon’s Positions

Todd Abrajano, communications director for Linda McMahon, stressed Mahon’s connection with women. ​“There’s a coalition of 3,500 women, whose number one concern is the economy and jobs, not women’s rights.” It’s a comment McMahon made during her fourth debate with Murphy last week. Click here to read the story in the CT Mirror.

At that recent debate, McMahon indeed said she would support the Blunt Amendment. Abrajano saidshe believes it’s not an issue of birth control, but rather one of religious freedom and government overreach.

He said McMahon is pro-choice and comes out strong on health issues, citing the medical coverage she offered her WWE employees, which included mammograms. He said she supports the state’s law requiring hospitals to provide emergency contraception to women.

Abrajano also said McMahon supports equal pay for women, adding that as a CEO she is aware of that need.

The campaigns of Murphy and McMahon have been characterized by unrelenting attack ads on the part of both candidates.

The McMahon campaign has created ads now aimed at independents with supporters saying they endorse both President Barack Obama and Linda McMahon. They were running on McMahon’s YouTube site and are now on local television stations.

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