"I'm definitely interested,'' Simmons told Capitol Watch. "I'm angry about what's going on in Washington, D.C. ... I've worked all my life, and I've watched my IRA go down 50 percent, and I'm luckier than most.'' Simmons says he is lucky because he still has a pension from his many years in government service and is not completely reliant on investment income. One of the clearest signs of Simmons's intentions was his recent trip to Washington to see Sen. John Cornyn of Texas, the aggressive leader of the National Republican Senatorial Committee - which is charged with electing Republicans to the Senate. Simmons says that Cornyn approached him about the race, not the other way around. "He expressed interest in me as a candidate, and I told him I would give it very serious consideration, which I am doing,'' Simmons said. "He reached out to me.'' Senator Chris Dodd of Connecticut served as a Peace Corps Volunteer in the Dominican Republic in the 1960's.
Christopher Keating writes: Rob Simmons Vs. Sen. Chris Dodd in 2010?
Rob Simmons Vs. Sen. Chris Dodd in 2010?
By Christopher Keating
on February 17, 2009 12:22 PM | Permalink | Comments (5)
He hasn't made any announcements yet, but insiders say that Republican Rob Simmons is sounding more and more every day like a candidate for the U.S. Senate.
Simmons is currently unemployed after the Democratic-controlled legislature voted to transfer his job as the state's business advocate to another agency, and he is now looking to the future for a possible race against Democrat Christopher Dodd in 2010.
"I'm definitely interested,'' Simmons told Capitol Watch. "I'm angry about what's going on in Washington, D.C. ... I've worked all my life, and I've watched my IRA go down 50 percent, and I'm luckier than most.''
Simmons says he is lucky because he still has a pension from his many years in government service and is not completely reliant on investment income.
One of the clearest signs of Simmons's intentions was his recent trip to Washington to see Sen. John Cornyn of Texas, the aggressive leader of the National Republican Senatorial Committee - which is charged with electing Republicans to the Senate. Simmons says that Cornyn approached him about the race, not the other way around.
"He expressed interest in me as a candidate, and I told him I would give it very serious consideration, which I am doing,'' Simmons said. "He reached out to me.''
Simmons said he had no prior dealings with Cornyn and does not know him personally from previous jobs or friendships.
Simmons, who clearly enjoyed his six years as a Republican congressman from the Second District, is still following politics quite closely.
"I lost a very close race back a couple of years ago, and people told me, 'Nothing personal, Rob. It wasn't about you. It was about George Bush,' '' Simmons said.
On a moment's notice, Simmons is always ready to offer a partisan comment that backs the Republicans and trashes the Democrats. He was pleased that U.S. Sen. Judd Gregg of New Hampshire stepped back as President Barack Obama's choice for commerce secretary.
"Good for him to stand up for his beliefs,'' Simmons said of Gregg. "It's ironic that the Democratic choices don't get approved because they don't pay their taxes, and the Republicans don't get approved because they won't sell out their principles.''
Simmons left state government after his job as the state's business advocate - in an independent office - was consolidated into another business agency. Although the votes were made by the Democratic-controlled legislature, questions were raised over whether the governor's office and chief of staff M. Lisa Moody had worked hard enough on behalf of Simmons.
When asked how he was doing lately, Simmons responded, "I couldn't be better. I'm a free man - out from under the influence of moody people.''
But Christopher Cooper, a spokesman for Gov. M. Jodi Rell, said that Rell had always supported Simmons.
"We were never on board with Rob Simmons being out of a job,'' Cooper said. "We were led to believe on that special session day [in November 2008] that the position was being moved, not eliminated.''
As far as a final decision on a possible race against Dodd, Simmons says it should be made by the Ides of March.
Stay tuned.
