At a press conference today, Linda McMahon sparred with reporters over her views on the minimum wage:

“The minimum wage now in our country, I think we’ve set that and a lot of people have benefited from it in our country, but I think we ought to review how much it ought to be, and whether or not we ought to have increases in the minimum wage,” McMahon said. . . .
When reporters asked McMahon to clarify whether she would support reducing the wage, which is currently $7.25 per hour, the candidate replied, “We should always review the policy that is put in place.””I think we ought to look at all of those issues in terms of what mandates are being placed on businesses and can they afford them?” McMahon said. “I think we should get input from our business community. We should listen to our small business operators, and we should hear what it is they have to say and how it’s impacting their businesses and make some of those decisions.” […]
McMahon’s staff quickly ended the press conference as reporters asked McMahon to elaborate on what changes she would call for in government regulation of business. […]
[T]he candidate would not say whether she believes Connecticut’s minimum wage — $8.25 per hour — was too high, or onerous on state businesses.
“You know, guys,” she said, “I’m just not going to comment anymore on that.”

Headlines are screaming: “McMahon Open to Ending Minimum Wage Increases” and “McMahon Doesn’t Rule Out Reducing Minimum Wage.” Her campaign is now in damage control. Spokesman Ed Patru writes in an e-mail to Politico’s Ben Smith:

I think a good deal of creative interpretation is needed for anybody to take away from these quotes that she is in favor of reducing the minimum wage. She is clearly saying that we ought to review whether this is in fact the time to raise the rate. It’s impossible to accept the spin that a handful of reporters are putting on this without changing the definition of the word ‘review.’ That word is not one and the same with ‘cut’. Noah Webster, I’m certain, is turning over in his grave today.