CONNECTICUT: Richard Blumenthal Leads Linda McMahon By Slim Margin

When professional wrestling mogul Linda McMahon first announced her candidacy for the U.S. Senate, many scoffed. (Including me.) But she won the GOP primary and now narrowly trails Connecticut Attorney General Richard Blumenthal in the race for the seat of retiring Sen. Chris Dodd.

What Do We Think Of Linda McMahon?

I'm trying to figure out where we should stand on former WWE president Linda McMahon and her run for Chris Dodd's Senate seat. The issues section of McMahon's campaign site makes no mention of LGBT rights or same-sex marriage and a Google search on her name and those issues yields little. Dodd is retiring at the end of his current term and McMahon faces a stiff GOP primary opponent in former U.S. Rep. Rob Simmons. Let us know what you think. McMahon has a show business background, that might mean something.

Sen. Chris Dodd (D-CT) To Retire

Mere hours after the retirement announcement of Sen. Byron Dorgan (D-ND) comes the news that Sen. Chris Dodd (D-CT) will announce that he too is retiring at the end of this term. Unlike Dorgan, Dodd's retirement is actually seen as a good thing for the Democrats.

Embattled Connecticut Sen. Chris Dodd (D) has scheduled a press conference at his home in Connecticut Wednesday at which he is expected to announce he will not seek re-election, according to sources familiar with his plans. Dodd's retirement comes after months of speculation about his political future, and amid faltering polling numbers and a growing sense among the Democratic establishment that he could not win a sixth term. State Attorney General Richard Blumenthal is widely expected to step into the void filled by Dodd and, at least at first blush, should drastically increase Democrats' chances of holding the seat.

Blumenthal, who has served as state Attorney General since 1990, is the most popular politician in the state and has long coveted a Senate seat; he had already signaled that he would run for the Democratic nomination against Sen. Joe Lieberman (I) in 2012. (A sidenote: Assuming Blumenthal gets in to the race, Rep. Chris Murphy could be the long-term beneficiary as he is widely regarded as a rising star and would be at the top of the list of Democratic hopefuls to challenge Lieberman in 2012.) Without Dodd as a foil, Republicans chances of taking over a seat in this solidly blue state are considerably diminished. Former Rep. Rob Simmons and wealthy businesswoman Linda McMahon are battling it out for the Republican nod but either would start as an underdog in a general election matchup with Blumenthal.

"Businesswoman" Linda McMahon, of course, is the wife of pro wrestling mogul Vince McMahon.

Pro Wrestling's Linda McMahon To Run For Senate Against Chris Dodd (D-CT)

WWE CEO Linda McMahon, wife of pro-wrestling mogul Vince McMahon, has announced her candidacy to unseat Sen. Chris Dodd in Connecticut.

McMahon, who is 60 and lives in Greenwich, is joining an increasingly crowded Republican field hoping to oust the man many perceive as the Senate's weakest incumbent, Connecticut Democrat Christopher J. Dodd. "I have spent the past 30 years growing what began as a 13-employee small business into a publicly traded, global entertainment company that now provides over 500 jobs here in Connecticut,'' McMahon said in a statement Tuesday. "I understand what it takes to balance a budget, create jobs and grow the economy. Washington is out of control, and sadly, Sen. Chris Dodd has lost his way and our trust. I can't sit by on the sidelines anymore knowing that I have both the experience and the strength to stand up to special interests and bring badly needed change to Washington."

Blah, blah, blah. And laugh if you will, but remember Jesse Ventura. Linda, who last year gave an address at the Republican convention, has frequently appeared in the ring at WWE events, which is sure to provide ample fodder for her opponents. Here's a three-second sample.

Friendly Voices - Sen. Chris Dodd (D-CT)

"Public officials aren’t supposed to change their minds. But I firmly believe that it’s important to keep learning. Last week, while I was in Connecticut meeting with members of the gay and lesbian community from across the state, I had the opportunity to tell them what I’ve learned about marriage, and about equality. While I’ve long been for extending every benefit of marriage to same-sex couples, I have in the past drawn a distinction between a marriage-like status (“civil unions”) and full marriage rights.

"The reason was simple: I was raised to believe that marriage is between a man and a woman. And as many other Americans have realized as they’ve struggled to reconcile the principle of fairness with the lessons they learned early in life, that’s not an easy thing to overcome. But the fact that I was raised a certain way just isn’t a good enough reason to stand in the way of fairness anymore. The Connecticut Supreme Court, of course, has ruled that such a distinction holds no merit under the law. And the Court is right." - Sen. Chris Dodd (D-CT), posting on his official site that he has reversed his position and now supports full marriage equality for LGBT Americans.

(Via - Pam's House Blend)