Blumenthal takes issue with tax cuts

Hartford (WTNH) - After receiving the endorsement of the State Police Union Friday, Democrat Dick Blumenthal once again went after his Republican opponent, Linda McMahon, saying she wants to hold extending middle class tax cuts hostage so the super wealthy can get their tax cuts extended, too, because she favors extending all tax cuts, not just  those under $250,000.

"I'm the only candidate in this race who favors cutting middle income taxes now," Blumenthal said."

McMahon, and her campaign don't see it that way.

"There really is no debate, in terms of Republicans and Democrats both wanting to make sure that tax cuts are extended, if you will, or this law is extended for the middle class," she said.

Asked to clarify, in a simple sentence, why it is that she is not really protecting wealthy people because that's the way Democrats are characterizing it, McMahon said: "What we're doing is making it possible for small busineses to continue to grow and expand. Most small businesses operate as 'Sub-chapter S,' or 'Sole Proprietor.' I've been there. That's how I started. I know how this tax stuff works on you."

Said Blumenthal: "The argument for this tax cut for the wealthiest two percent of the country so that it would help small business is a complete red herring, disproved by countless non-partisan studies."

Republicans, like Linda McMahon, use statistics from a conservative think tank that says that two percent of taxpayers creates 50 percent of the small business jobs. But other statistics, used by Democrats like Blumenthal, indicate that a lot of those 'sole proprietorships' have no employees at all and that less than three percent of all small business would be affected by the upper income tax hike.