Former WWE CEO Linda McMahon, a candidate for the Republican nomination to run against Sen. Chris Dodd (D-CT), denounced Democratic attacks on her for the racy moments in pro-wrestling.
Connecticut Democrats have gone after McMahon for some of the WWE’s content, including depictions of public sex, rape and necrophilia.
McMahon was asked about it in an online chat hosted by The Day:
WWE is a company that produces fiction. It’s a soap opera that runs 52 weeks a year. I think instead of focusing on fictitious content, we need to focus on the issues that are real: unemployment, job creation, healthcare, education and the direction our country is taking in terms of fiscal issues. Those are the serious issues of the day, not the fiction that WWE creates for its entertainment product.
I will also say that the people I have spoken to around this state smile when I give the analogy that I don’t believe the voters who elected Arnold Schwarzenegger expected him to show up in one of his outfits from the movie “Terminator” in Sacramento.
McMahon also revealed herself to be a socially liberal Republican, taking a generally pro-choice position on abortion:
In general, I believe that personal and medical decisions should be kept out of the hands of government. I am pro-choice, but I must say that with the caveat that I have never had to make that decision, and I don’t know if it’s a decision I could make myself. It’s one of the hardest decisions any woman could ever have to make. Having said that, I’m opposed to partial-birth abortion, and I favor parental notification.
Interestingly, McMahon declined to rule out running as an independent if she loses the Republican primary — a strategy that certainly has a recent precedent in Connecticut with Joe Lieberman:
“If you don’t win the Republican nomination, will you run as an independent candidate?” one chat participant asked.
McMahon simply replied: “I’m focused on winning the Republican nomination and expect to win.”
Late Update: When asked for a response, Connecticut Dem communications director Colleen Flanagan reiterated this previous comment from a month ago:
“Just because the show is “scripted” doesn’t mean it’s not vile, tasteless, violent, demeaning to women and fueled by steroids,” said Connecticut Democratic Party Communications Director Colleen Flanagan. “What’s stunning is that Linda McMahon and her staff are unable to explain or defend her involvement in a company which produces this kind of sexually explicit and violent programming, yet they still believe she’d be a fine U.S. Senator.”
