Just days after Connecticut Republicans found their first opening against Democratic Senate candidate Richard Blumenthal, an admission that he had misrepresented his military record, they passed over their own Bronze Star-decorated veteran to nominate World Wrestling Executive Linda McMahon.
McMahon beat her Republican opponent, former U.S. Rep. Rob Simmons, for the party endorsement at its convention this weekend. Simmons, however, got enough votes to force a primary and vowed to do so.
Blumenthal last week admitted to sometimes misrepresenting his military service, going so far as to say he served in Vietnam. Although he served in the Marine Corps Reserves during the war, he was never deployed overseas.
McMahon has taken credit for tipping the New York Times to the story. But, as Simmons argues, she has her own skeletons. She’s been linked to a steroids scandal, allegedly tipping off a doctor to a drug investigation, and she lied on her questionnaire for the state education board, which she resigned this year.
Simmons, on the other hand, actually served in Vietnam, earning two Bronze Stars.
But Republicans chose McMahon. And, according to the polls, so have voters. McMahon is the closest to the popular Blumenthal. According to the TPM Polltracker Average, McMahon is within 10 points of Blumenthal; Simmons trails by 15.
And a Rasmussen poll released after the revelations about Blumenthal showed McMahon within just three points of the attorney general. Simmons was still trailing by 13 points.
