In Connecticut Race, McMahon Spends, Blumenthal Soars
Dems to McMahon: Get your wrestlers out of here!
.The Connecticut Senate race between Republican Linda McMahon and Democrat Richard Blumenthal has been called one of the potentially decisive contests in determining which party will control the Senate after November 2. Twelve days before the election, the atmosphere in Connecticut, as in other states, is more combative than ever. What are the latest developments from this closely-watched campaign?
WWE Unfairly Aiding McMahon's Cause? Jake Sherman of Politico reports that Connecticut Democrats have filed a complaint with the Federal Election Commission, saying McMahon is "coordinating with and using the corporate resources" of the wrestling company she was once CEO of. "Democrats are saying the filming of the 'Smackdown' at the downtown Bridgeport Harbor Yard arena is an attempt to 'suppress voter turnout among constituencies that would not be expected to favor McMahon’s candidacy,'" writes Sherman. "The letter also contends that since McMahon and her husband Vince have a significant financial interest in the WWE, the event is an 'illegal coordinate campaign expenditure.'"
McMahon Breaks Record for Out-of-Pocket Spending... ABC News reports that McMahon "has broken a Connecticut state record for donating personal funds to one's own campaign coffers," having spent "$41.5 million of her own money to fund a Senate race, with an additional $10 million to come."
...Runs Ad Linking Blumenthal to Chris Dodd... Guy Benson at Townhall applauds McMahon for running an ad explicitly linking Blumenthal with the outgoing Senator Chris Dodd and the failed mortgage company Countrywide. The ad, says Benson, reminds voters "of exactly why they were prepared to toss Dodd out of the Senate before he beat them to the punch with a surprise retirement announcement. By raising the specter of the Countrywide mortgage scandal, McMahon's campaign is tying her current opponent to his corrupt ally and predecessor and implicitly making the case for a clean break."
...And Still Comes Up Short in the Numbers Bruce Drake at Politics Daily reports that Blumenthal has a double-digit lead against McMahon in the latest polls, which show voters split 57 to 39 percent between the candidates. Drake notes that McMahon's ad "saying that Blumenthal had lied about serving in Vietnam," a flap considered one of Blumenthal's most serious liabilities in the campaign, only produced a negative reaction in 25 percent of those polled.