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Mr. McMahon Strikes Again: WWE To Hand Out Merchandise Near Polling Places

Eric Kleefeld | October 28, 2010, 5:51PM

CT Sen. candidate Linda McMahon (R) and WWE CEO Vince McMahon.

Republican Linda McMahon might be seriously down in the polls for the Connecticut Senate race, but it looks like she'll have some unconventional help on Election Day, The Day reports. Folks from World Wrestling Entertainment, the company she ran along with her husband and business partner Vince McMahon, will be handing out WWE merchandise near select polling places.

This comes after Secretary of State Susan Bysiewicz's (D) office backed off from an attempt to bar voters from wearing WWE paraphernalia to polling places, on the grounds that they would be construed as electioneering materials. Vince McMahon then filed a lawsuit over the matter, a judge sided with McMahon, and the matter was dropped.

As The Day reports, Vince McMahon is now mounting this new maneuver, and boasting in a statement: "I can't think of a better way for WWE fans to celebrate their constitutional rights and freedom of expression while voting than to proudly wear the WWE merchandise that Connecticut Secretary of State Susan Bysiewicz attempted to prohibit from the polls."

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Vince McMahon Web Ad: 'Let's Stand Up For WWE' Against Dem Attacks (VIDEO)

Eric Kleefeld | October 18, 2010, 5:48PM

Web video from WWE, "Vince McMahon addresses the WWE Universe"

Look out, Richard Blumenthal -- it's Mr. McMahon!

In the Connecticut Senate race, Democrats have relentlessly attacked Republican nominee Linda McMahon for the corporate track record and programming record of World Wrestling Entertainment, the company where she was CEO. Now her husband and business partner, WWE head honcho Vince McMahon, has posted a new video on the WWE's YouTube account, seeking to mobilize fan support -- for the company.

"The United States Senatorial campaign in Connecticut involving my wife, former WWE CEO Linda McMahon, and Attorney General Richard Blumenthal, has quite frankly put the spotlight on WWE," says Vince. "It has resulted in some negative and inaccurate attacks on our company. So, we're reaching out directly to you, the WWE Universe, our fans, to provide the real facts about WWE."

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WWE

Smackdown! How The WWE Might Bodyslam Voter Turnout In Connecticut

Brian Beutler | October 14, 2010, 12:17PM

WWE Wrestling: Beth Phoenix, Mickie James, Jillian Hall

As long as Linda McMahon has been the Republican Senate candidate in Connecticut, everybody -- even conservatives -- assumed her long, infamous ties to World Wrestling Entertainment would be a huge liability for her. But it might pay off for an unforeseen reason, particularly if her opponent's narrow lead keeps shrinking.

On November 2, voters and their families will face a choice: head to the polls to vote, or rush over after work to the Arena at Harbor Yard in Bridgeport for a rollicking night of "Smackdown" -- election night fun for the whole family.

The event has Connecticut Dems working the refs.

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FLASHBACK: McMahons Sued Geraldo For Airing Rape Claims By Former WWE Referee

Christina Bellantoni | October 12, 2010, 8:35PM

Seventeen years ago, after a former World Wrestling Entertainment referee claimed on Geraldo Rivera's syndicated TV show that Vincent McMahon had sexually assaulted her, the WWE founder and his wife Linda McMahon filed a lawsuit against the woman and media outlets who had made her claims public, asking for $1 million in damages due to "severe emotional distress."

Linda McMahon, who served as WWE's CEO and is now the Republican Senate nominee in Connecticut, has been deflecting past stories about the wrestling company for months as she battles Connecticut Attorney General Richard Blumenthal for the state's open Senate seat now held by a Democrat. Before McMahon even captured the GOP nomination, Democrats were pushing videos of old WWE sketches that depicted mock necrophilia and simulated rape scenes. The prevalence of steroids in the "sport" and the deaths of wrestlers associated with WWE have been major political problems for the McMahon campaign.

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McMahon Camp Suggests Obama's WWE Spot Invalidates Dems' Argument Against Her

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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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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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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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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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.

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