Christina Bellantoni | December 16, 2009, 10:54AM

Former Worldwide Wrestling Entertainment CEO Linda McMahon (R-CT)

We've kept readers up-to-date on the fight up in Connecticut over GOP candidate Linda McMahon's involvement with World Wrestling Entertainment.

McMahon (R-CT) is one of several candidates hoping to challenge Sen. Chris Dodd (D-CT) next year. She is the former CEO of the wrestling corporation and wife of WWE principal Vince McMahon.

The McMahon camp is using President Obama's planned 30-second segment for a troops special this weekend (and past appearance on WWE during the presidential primary campaign) to suggest the Democratic argument against her candidacy is invalid.

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Topics: Barack Obama, CT-SEN, Linda McMahon, WWE

WWE

'The Barack Is Cookin' A Troops Tribute For The WWE

Christina Bellantoni | December 16, 2009, 9:59AM

President Obama will appear on a World Wrestling Entertainment special this weekend to pay tribute to troops serving abroad, the wrestling network announced.

Obama, no stranger to WWE, has recorded a holiday message for the Saturday 9 p.m. "Tribute to the Troops," which will detail wrestling stars who have performed for troops at bases in the Middle East.

Gen. David Petraeus also will be on the program, which airs on NBC.

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Topics: 2008 campaign, Barack Obama, David Petraeus, Troops, WWE, White House

CT-SEN

CT Dems Charge WWE Violated Campaign Finance Law By Removing Necrophilia Video

Christina Bellantoni | November 2, 2009, 11:19AM

Connecticut Democrats filed a Federal Elections Commission complaint today against Linda McMahon, her campaign and World Wrestling Entertainment, charging they violated the law by removing racy WWE videos last month.

McMahon (R-CT) is one of several candidates hoping to challenge Sen. Chris Dodd (D-CT) next year. She is the former CEO of World Wrestling Entertainment and wife of WWE principal Vince McMahon.

After TPMDC and others posted videos of WWE scenes depicting simulated rape and a wrestler pretending to have sex with a corpse, they were taken down from YouTube.

We spoke at the time to WWE's VP of PR and corporate communications, who said accusations the removal had anything to do with politics are false, but Democrats charge the move is equivalent to a campaign contribution from a corporation.

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Topics: CT-SEN, Chris Dodd, Linda McMahon, WWE

CT-SEN

WWE Removes Necrophilia Videos From YouTube After Dems Use Them Against McMahon

Christina Bellantoni | October 16, 2009, 6:05PM

A few hours after TPMDC detailed Connecticut Democrats using racy World Wrestling Entertainment scenes against GOP candidate Linda McMahon, WWE had YouTube remove the videos.

Connecticut political blog My Left Nutmeg caught their removal, but the Democrats mashed up the most eye-popping (and not-safe-for-work-or-children) scenes with voiceover of McMahon talking about how "PG" and "fun" WWE is. She's the former CEO of World Wrestling Entertainment and wife of WWE principal Vince McMahon.

It's worth noting that WWE only removed a handful of videos, not the more than 500,000 that exist on YouTube. I've asked folks in their corporate headquarters for more information, and will update when they respond.

Also, a source points out that Sen. Chris Dodd (D-CT), who McMahon hopes to defeat in 2010, has taken more than $922,000 from the TV and movie industry, according to OpenSecrets. The source wonders if Dodd condones violence and sex depicted on film.

Late update: WWE's VP of PR and corporate communications got back to me just now, saying accusations the removal had anything to do with politics are false.

"It's an ongoing battle with online piracy," Robert Zimmerman told TPMDC. "It's copyrighted material, it's our intellectual property."

He said they "scour" the Internet for their videos and said they go after all of them, not just ones used for political purposes.

"We would love to be able to take everything down," he said. "It's WWE content and if we own it we are asking them to take it down."

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Topics: CT-SEN, Chris Dodd, Linda McMahon, WWE

CT-SEN

CT Dems: WWE Clips Suggest McMahon Condones Necrophilia

Christina Bellantoni | October 16, 2009, 1:44PM

Connecticut Democrats have unearthed some generally gross videos of WWE scenes as evidence they say proves GOP candidate Linda McMahon has "no place" in the Senate.

Billionaire McMahon (R-CT) is one of several candidates hoping to defeat Sen. Chris Dodd (D) in the 2010 race. She's the former CEO of World Wrestling Entertainment and wife of WWE principal Vince McMahon.

In a release today, 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.