2012 Connecticut Senate Debate: on Corporations

Linda McMahon: We need more business people like me in Washington

McMahon pivoted back to the main thrust of her campaign: that she's the candidate with the business acumen to fix the economy. "We need professionals from different walks of life," she said. "What we don't have in Washington are business people."

Switching to offense, McMahon said she is ready to help fix the country's economic and deficit problems created by longtime politicians such as Shays. "You have been part of the issue of killing jobs, not creating jobs," she said. "What we need to see in Washington are senators who have not been there and been part of the mess that you made."

Susan Bysiewicz: Close Wall Street's hedge fund loophole

Bysiewicz continued hammering Murphy on what has been one of her main lines of attack throughout the campaign: That he has failed to stand up to powerful Wall Street interests because he has accepted campaign contributions from big Wall Street firms. "You've taken thousands of dollars in PAC money from all the bad actors in the financial crisis," she said, "and then you vote to keep the hedge fund loophole open. It seems to me there's a connection there."

But Murphy accused her of "hypocrisy" and said she, too, has accepted Wall Street money. "Secretary Bysiewicz seems to have a problem with the contributions that I've taken but when she takes contributions she doesn't seem to have a problem with those," he said, saying her stance smacks of a "political double standard."

Susan Bysiewicz: Hold Wall Street accountable and end corporate welfare

She says she wants to see an end to the war in Afghanistan and an end to what she calls corporate welfare; she seeks to fight for immigration reform and she intends to hold Wall Street accountable for "this huge mess" the country is in, according to a recent interview with The New Haven Register.

Susan Bysiewicz: Too few politicians fail to take on Wall Street

Chris Murphy: OpEd: Campaign coffers overflow with Wall Street donations

Chris Murphy: Keep preferential tax for hedge funds; costs too much to cut

Murphy said he previously voted to change the rate, but did not on that particular occasion for cost reasons. "She has suggested over and over again that I oppose ending the preferential tax treatment for carried interest. It is not true. I have voted three separate times to end that loophole," Murphy said after the 90-minute debate. He explained that it was a small piece of a larger bill that added about $53 billion to the deficit. "Much of what was in that bill would not have stimulated the economy. The overall cost of the bill was too big," Murphy said. He said what is needed is a wholesale revamping of the tax code.

Susan Bysiewicz: End preferential tax treatment for hedge fund gains

Murphy said he previously voted to change the rate, but did not on that particular occasion for cost reasons. "She has suggested over and over again that I oppose ending the preferential tax treatment for carried interest. It is not true. I have voted three separate times to end that loophole," Murphy said.

Susan Bysiewicz: Use fees on selling securities to help under-water mortgages