Jonathan Kantrowitz

MYTH: Citing Internal Focus Groups, McMahon Claims Her WWE Background Is Not An Issue Voters Are Concerned With

McMahon: “We Have Found In Folks That We Talk To In Focus Groups That That Is Not As Big An Issue As Rob Would Like It To Be.” “In any event, McMahon added, she didn’t believe Simmons could make political capital by continuing to pound her on the issue. ‘We have found in folks that we talk to in focus groups that that is not as big an issue as Rob would like it to be,’ she said.” (Don Michak, “McMahon Vows To Spend More, Force Primary If She Doesn’t Win Party’s Nomination,” Manchester Journal Inquirer, 3/11/10)

FACT: Democratic Polls And Focus Groups “Found They Could Make A Compelling Case Against Her To Repel Voters”

Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee (DSCC) Focus Groups And Polling Determined That If Linda McMahon Is The Nominee, “They Found They Could Make A Compelling Case Against Her To Repel Voters.” “But in December, the DSCC polled the race again and conducted several focus groups to get a sense of the direction of the race. If the Republican nominee turned out to be former Rep. Rob Simmons, the general election would have remained all about Dodd, their data showed. If former World Wrestling Entertainment CEO Linda McMahon became the nominee, they found they could make a compelling case against her to repel voters.” (Erin McPike, “Menendez Took Reins For Dem Leadership In Dodd Decision,”National Journal’s “Congress Daily,” www.nationaljournal.com, 1/7/10)

ON WWE’S STEROID TESTING

MYTH: Linda McMahon Claims WWE’s Current Steroid Testing Program Is Effective

McMahon “Insisted The Company’s Anti-Drug Policy Is Effective.” “McMahon also acknowledged that some WWE wrestlers had used steroids, but insisted the company’s anti-drug policy is effective.” (Don Michak, “McMahon Vows To Spend More, Force Primary If She Doesn’t Win Party’s Nomination,” Manchester Journal Inquirer, 3/11/10)

FACT: Loophole-Ridden Policy Mocked By Experts And Investigated By Congress Which Released Findings That “Showed Ample Reason To Suspect Wrongdoing”

Republican Rep. Cliff Stearns (R- FL): “The WWE Does Not Have A Drug Policy That’s Worth A Flip.” (T.J. Quinn, “Pol Tightens Grip On WWE Over ‘Roids,” New York Daily News, 9/1/07)

Last Year, Congressional Investigators Released The Troubling Findings Of Its Investigation Into The WWE, Pointing To “Systemic Deficiencies In The Testing Policies And Practices.” “I also request that your office examine the deficiencies in the testing policies and practices of professional wrestling that the investigation has found.” (Chairman Henry Waxman, Committee On Oversight And Government Reform, Letter To The Office Of National Drug Control Policy, 1/2/09)

Travis Tygart, U.S. Anti-Doping Agency On Loopholes In WWE Steroid Testing Policies: “My Three-Year Old Can Drive A Freight Train Through It.”  “It’s the loophole in my mind that guts the entire program. My three-year old can drive a freight train through it to be quite honest because it’s so easy.” (CNN, “Death Grip: Inside Pro Wrestling,” 11/7/07) 

World Renowned Expert On Steroids In Sports Dr. Gary Wadler Says The WWE Drug Testing Policies Are Miles From The Gold Standard. “Certainly it’s far, far, far short of where it needs to be. There is a gold standard, and I measure all these sporting activities, entertainment activities, against that gold standard, and it miles apart.” (CNN, “Death Grip: Inside Pro Wrestling,” 11/7/07)

Click Here To Watch CNN Special.

The Greenwich Time: “The Investigation’s Initial Findings Showed Ample Reason To Suspect Wrongdoing.” (Editorial, “More Questions On Steroid Abuse,” The Greenwich Time, 3/1/10)

ON WWE’S RACY PROGRAMMING

MYTH: Linda McMahon Claims She Should Not Be Held Responsible For WWE Programming Because WWE Is Like A Movie Production Company

McMahon Claims She Is As Responsible For Her Company’s Programming As A Movie Executive. “[S]he said that as the company expanded its content, it had ‘evolved’ to become PG rated. She also questioned whether it was fair to hold her personally accountable. ‘Would the head of any studio in Hollywood that produces different kind of movies, some R rated and some PG … is that person’s character ever called into question for producing some movies that made money and some that did not?’ she asked.” (Don Michak, “McMahon Vows To Spend More, Force Primary If She Doesn’t Win Party’s Nomination,” Manchester Journal Inquirer, 3/11/10)

FACT:  WWE Only Became PG In 2008, And “For Years Offered To Children Content That Rivals What Goes On In Most Strip Clubs”

WWE Programming Was Not Rated PG Until July 2008. (WWE, “WWE Rated PG,” Press Release, 7/28/08)

Before Becoming PG, WWE Bragged About Its Success Marketing Programming To The 6-14 Year Old Demographic. “Every week, more than 2.6 million young fans, ages 6-14, tune-in to WWE’s top-rated television programs on USA Network, The CW and SCI FI Channel.  In the fourth quarter of 2007, WWE reached more kids under age 18 during the average week than the total day average deliveries of Disney Channel, Cartoon Network and Nickelodeon combined.” (WWE, “WWE To Launch Cutting Edge ‘WWE Kids’ Magazine,” Press Release,3/25/08)

The Stamford Advocate: “[M]ost violent movies were (at least legally) restricted from young viewers, while the WWE for years offered to children content that rivals what goes on in most strip clubs.” (Editorial, “WWE Rep Will Hound McMahon,” The Stamford Advocate, 1/4/10)

Manchester Journal Inquirer’s Chris Powell: WWE Content A “Grotesque And Even Pornographic Freak Show.” “Will this ever be enough to make people forget … the grotesque and even pornographic freak show that supplies the money with which she’d buy that office?” (Chris Powell, “Folks Watch ‘Jeopardy’ As Candidates Practice,” Manchester Journal Inquirer, 3/4/10)

ON HER “CONSERVATIVE VALUES”

MYTH: McMahon Argues She Has “Conservative Values”

McMahon Argues She Has “Conservative Values.” “[M]cMahon stressed her ‘conservative values’ and her business experience in taking WWE from a ‘mom-and-pop operation’ to a publicly traded corporation listed on the New York Stock Exchange.” (Don Michak, “McMahon Vows To Spend More, Force Primary If She Doesn’t Win Party’s Nomination,” Manchester Journal Inquirer, 3/11/10)

FACT: McMahon Donated Tens Of Thousands Of Dollars To Liberal Democrats To Help Defeat Connecticut Republicans And Make Nancy Pelosi Speaker Of The House

According To Her Own Records, McMahon Contributed $40,100 To Liberal Democrats.(Linda McMahon 2010, www.linda2010.com, Accessed 1/14/10)

Watch Linda McMahon Talk About Personally Handing Checks To President Obama’s Chief Of Staff Rahm Emanuel.

McMahon Donated $15,000 To The Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee, Including $10,000 Just Week Before The 2006 Election. (Linda McMahon 2010,www.linda2010.com, Accessed 1/14/10)

The DCCC Used The Fund To Finance Negative Attack Campaigns And Defeat Connecticut Republicans Rob Simmons And Nancy Johnson And Take Over Congress.(Mark Wegner, “DCCC Spends Nearly $14M To Challenge GOP-Held Seats,” Congress Daily, 11/2/06)

FACT: McMahon Supports The Largest Government Bailout In American History But “Didn’t Have A Clear Answer” On The Largest Tax Cuts In American History

“McMahon Agrees She Would Have Voted For The Bailout…” (Don Michak, “Simmons, McMahon Battle For Fiscal Conservatives,” Manchester Journal Inquirer, 12/4/09)

The $700 Billion Troubled Asset Relief Program (TARP) Was “The Largest Bailout In American History.” “Ben Bernanke may not have sold Main Street on the largest bailout in American history, but it isn’t for lack of trying. The Federal Reserve chairman appeared flustered speaking before Congress Wednesday as politicians skewered the $700.0 billion financial bailout he is backing questioning motivations for the plan and even whether it will work.” (Maurna Desmond, “Bernanke’s Outside Bailout Pitch,” Forbes, 9/24/08)

McMahon “Didn’t Have A Clear Answer On Whether She Would Have Voted For The Bush Tax Cuts Passed Earlier This Decade.” “But, although McMahon touted her fiscal conservatives bona fides, she said she would have supported the Troubled Asset Relief Program (TARP), which Simmons has said he would have opposed, and didn’t have a clear answer on whether she would have voted for the Bush tax cuts passed earlier this decade.” (Chris Cillizza, “Morning Fix: Voters Are Voting In Massachusetts!” The Washington Post’s“The Fix” Blog, voices.washingtonpost.com, 12/8/09)

The Bush Tax Cuts Were The Largest Tax Cuts In American History. (William Ahern, “Comparing The Kennedy, Reagan And Bush Tax Cuts,” The Tax Foundation,taxfoundation.org, 8/24/04)