Dick Blumenthal Fires At Linda McMahon Over WWE 'Violence, Sex And Abusive Treatment Of Women'

Connecticut Democrat Richard Blumenthal is taking aim at his Republican Senate rival, Linda McMahon, over her former role as CEO of World Wrestling Entertainment.

Mindy Myers, a spokesman for the state Attorney General, tells the Wall Street Journal of McMahon's work at WWE, "That experience involves marketing violence, sex and abusive treatment of women--aimed especially at children--while turning her back on steroid abuse."

The attack from Blumenthal's camp is only the latest in a series of recent shots fired from both sides of the aisle at McMahon's ties to the graphic and explicit world of pro-wrestling.

Shortly after McMahon stepped down from her leadership role at WWE last fall to launch her Senate bid, the Democratic Party of Connecticut didn't waste any time in pouncing on the Republican hopeful's job before entering the political arena. Talking Points Memo reports:

The Connecticut Democratic Party sent reporters links to WWE videos they say objectify women. Among the videos are wrestlers engaged in a simulated rape, a public sex scene and one depicting a wrestler having sex with a corpse. Warning, the video clips are very much not safe for work.

Nevertheless, McMahon continues to put on an undaunted face amid criticism zeroing-in on her post at WWE.

"It's more important to look at where you are today and how you reacted to those issues as they became apparent to you, and the changes that you made and how you adapted and made things better," she told the Wall Street Journal in an interview Friday. "Because, isn't that what you really want to do in business, in government, and in your daily life?"

The latest poll numbers to come out on the Connecticut Senate race show Blumenthal leading McMahon by a wide double-digit margin.

Comments

[randy orton]

03:38 PM on 07/12/2010

TO ALL THE HATERS.wwe rules and if you are not down with that.the wwe universe got two words for you SUCK IT!!!

[randy orton]

05:02 PM on 07/06/2010

its nice to see harry reid at UFC 116 this past saturday

[JimR]

11:22 AM on 07/06/2010

Blumenthal hasn't seen that kind of violence since he was in Vietnam!

[colinmincy]

10:32 AM on 07/06/2010

Wondering whether Linda McMahon is karma for the State of CT returning Joe Lieberman to the Senate to derail the Democratic agenda in Congress and fantasize about conservatism.

[gurukalehuru]

08:11 AM on 07/06/2010

I'll bet McMahon could whoop Blumenthal's butt. I'm not talking about politics.

But, talking about politics, this is definitely a mistake on Blumenthal's part. By going negative, he basically gives her the green light to go negative, and he's got plenty of negative.

[majoman]

07:58 AM on 07/06/2010

This is a likable woman and I think Blumenthal is making a big mistake demonizing her.

[ctblue]

09:04 AM on 07/06/2010

She is far from likable. She is scary.

[KathyinCT]

10:45 AM on 07/06/2010

Likeable to whom?

The skits on WWE, which she not only authorized and approved, but appeared in, present women as whores, objects of derision (in one skit she played the wife whose husband was cheating on her), and punching bags.

Likeable?

Maybe to wife beaters!

[randy orton]

05:01 PM on 07/06/2010

IT IS JUST A TV SHOW.ENTERTAINMENT I AM A FAN WWE RULES.

[sailor422]

09:18 PM on 07/05/2010

I really feel like I am living in some alternate universe where a former CEO of a wrestling empire has any credibility at all in a campaign for Senate. This lady has made a career out of creating illusion based on violent characters and sexploitation. It may be entertainment on a low level to some, but you would think the rampant use of steroids alone would be enough to scuttle her campain.

[majoman]

08:00 AM on 07/06/2010

I hear what you're saying, man, and your points may have substance, but on the positive side, this woman has kept her family together and kept one richest guys in the country out of scandals.

Blumenthal is a typical politician; she's not.

I say, let's give her shot and see what she can do.

It will be fun, if nothing else.

[ctblue]

09:07 AM on 07/06/2010

OMG. Do you LIVE in CT? I do and don't want her in the Senate along side Lieberman. We'd be $crewed here.

[KathyinCT]

10:48 AM on 07/06/2010

Her only government experience was getting herself nominated by her republican pal governor Jody Rell to the state board of education, by lying about her credentials.

Oh sure, let's give her a shot so we have yet another senator blithering around knowing nothing.

As far as "keeping her family together" and keeping her husband from (publicly) having affairs -- ARE YOU SERIOUSLY suggesting these are qualifications to be a US Senator???

If so, then millions of American wives and moms are qualified -- and they do it without being multi-millionaires, having a staff of servants and employees, etc.

I hardly think with all of the major issues facing the country and the world we need an utterly unprepared woman whose sole skill is reading her campaign commericals from cue cards, as a senator.

[Tails]

08:35 PM on 07/05/2010

Oh, this will be such fun.

[Ohioliberal]

07:59 PM on 07/05/2010

This is where reality meets staged life - What does she have to offer the good folks of her state or is she just an bored billionare's spouse?

[AnythingBut]

10:26 PM on 07/05/2010

She's hardly a bored billionaire's spouse. In reality she ran the company as President and earned her living.

[KathyinCT]

12:12 AM on 07/06/2010

Earned her living putting filth on TV.

Fabulous!

[jkb5371]

07:20 PM on 07/05/2010

Is this really what he wants to talk about? The WWE and politics are not that far apart in moral integrity...best to leave it alone and talk about his Viet Nam heroics...

[UtahLady]

06:12 PM on 07/05/2010

Blumenthan is right on this one.

I don't think that much of him but he's FAR better than Linda McMahon.

[gs-425]

10:57 AM on 07/05/2010

Pssst, Richy. Its not real.

[planetmondo]

06:39 AM on 07/05/2010

what makes anyone think the WWE glamorises violence shurely there would be evidense of this if were true and someone would post it on youtube.Also WWE promoting sex and abuse of women?What could they be talking about?

[EbonBear]

07:51 AM on 07/05/2010

Wrestling is a fairly violent form of entertainment anyway so I'm not sure what that one is about. With regard to the sex and abuse of women, they went through a period a few years back when women were constantly getting beaten by male performers. It still happens on rare occasions to this day. That said, I think taking issue with the creative decisions (which are made by Linda's husband, Vince) is the wrong direction to go here. There are numerous wrongs on the business side (which Linda was responsible for).

[jkb5371]

07:23 PM on 07/05/2010

Is Vince her husband? I thought he was her Dad?

[GlennTX]

08:38 PM on 07/04/2010

Blumenthal VS McMahon what a crappy election, both are terrible, I feel for those voters.

[ctblue]

09:03 PM on 07/04/2010

No need to feel sorry for us here in CT. Blumenthal is a fine candidate.

[Badger84]

09:35 PM on 07/04/2010

His opponent is a cartoon character.

[sailor422]

09:33 PM on 07/05/2010

you can feel sorry for me. I'm in Kentucky and we will probably end up with Rand Paul for crying out loud. I don't know who's the bigger wacko, him or Sharron Angle.

[LiberalLee]

09:32 PM on 07/04/2010

Save your sympathy.
You've got far more lunatic candidates down in Lone Star-ville.

[Vikki Rogers Steinrauf]

11:05 PM on 07/05/2010

I'm a native Texan and can vouch for the fact that the lunatic fringe has definately taken over. Went home, was scared and gladly left. Fanned and Faved!

[Dragoon]

07:01 PM on 07/04/2010

Hopefully Mr. Blumenthal will be as adamant about ridding Washington of its own violence, sex and abusive treatment of women. How many dead female interns-Ms. Levy and the one in Scarboroughs office, Ms. Stained dress fatty, Mr. Wide stance in the airport men's room, Sen Packwood, the Kennedy-Dodd waitress sandwich, John "I only cheated on my wife when she was in remission" Edwards, Representative Tickle fight from NY, Sen. Packwood (how appropriate), Justice Pubes on a Coke can. I could go on. Feel free to add any I missed.