McMahon On Track To Spend $50M
by Christine Stuart | Oct 20, 2010 5:00am
(5) Comments | Commenting has expired
Posted to: Election 2010
(Updated) Former wrestling executive Linda McMahon, may not be holding any more press conferences, but she’s not opposed to giving the media a sneak peak of her third quarter financial report—proving that Connecticut’s U.S. Senate contest may be one of the most expensive in the country.
According to the four-page summary McMahon released Tuesday she’s loaned her campaign $41.5 million through the end of September and seems to be on pace to spend the $50 million she pledged. To date McMahon has spent $39.5 million and lent her campaign $20 million between July 22 and Sept. 30, the end of the reporting period.
McMahon’s Democratic opponent, Richard Blumenthal, released the summary of his financial report Tuesday too showing that he has raised about $4.4 million since entering the race in January. Blumenthal also personally loaned his campaign $500,000 and has spent a little more than $3 million over the past three months.
“Linda McMahon is well on her way to spending $50 million dollars on a politics as usual negative attack campaign to try and tear Dick Blumenthal down,” Mindy Myers, Blumenthal‘s campaign manager, said Tuesday. “But no amount of money can whitewash her record of consistently putting profits before people.”
McMahon’s campaign, which is operating under an earned media blackout, put out a press release Tuesday calling Blumenthal a “rubber stamp” for the Democratic Party.
“At a time when voters are looking for a different kind of Senator, Dick Blumenthal is promising Connecticut more of the same economic policies that have failed to put people back to work,” said McMahon’s spokesman Shawn McCoy. “Washington and the special interests are rushing to support Dick Blumenthal because they know he will be a rubber stamp for policies like the national energy tax.”
But McMahon’s spending on the race has hardly gone unnoticed. From mailers to television commercials, voters have been inundated by McMahon’s paid advertisements.
However, there is one ad McMahon’s campaign didn’t buy. It’s a billboard on I-95. The billboard says it was paid for by Brothers for Intelligent Government. The brothers in this case are John and his brother Bruce Barrett who own a billboard company.
In a phone interview Wednesday morning John Barrett said he wanted voters to know McMahon was trying to “buy their vote” every time they saw one of her signs. But not everybody got that message so Barrett said within the next few days a big yellow “Not” will appear in the right hand corner of the billboard.
A self-described, non-militant Democrat, Barrett said they initially thought about putting up a Blumenthal billboard, but thought stealing the McMahon brand was more effective. Since Barrett and his brother own the billboard the total cost of putting it up was about $670.
The accompanying web site www.itsallaboutlinda.com says “Anyone aspiring to the U.S. Senate should have a long track record of service above self. In her life thus far, Linda has done nothing that demonstrates a continued and sustained interest in serving others. As far we can see, her campaign is All About Linda.”
The photo of the billboard was submitted to us Oct. 14 by a CTNewsjunkie reader.
Tags: McMahon, Blumenthal, Senate, fundraising
(5) Comments
posted by: Paul G. Littlefield | October 20, 2010 12:28pm
Christine, your readers may need a reminder or two. Linda is spending her own money, not the taxpayers, not special interests, not lobbyists. 2) Money is free speech, protected under the Constitution. 3) the true value of the Barrett billboard add is an in-kind contribution to the Blumenthal campaign and needs to be reported. 4)Linda isn’t “buying” anyone, she’s buying time and space on TV, on Radio, in newsprint, on cyberspace, mailers, and other campaign costs. Do not continue to insult the voters, by suggesting that they can be bought. The billboard does suggest it.5)Blumenthal had a twentysix year head start using free publicity to get his name out there. 6) Blumenthal is using taxpayer dollars, not having resigned from public office prior to campaigning. 7) Blumnethal has been bought by special interests, through donations. 8) Blumenthal is rich and is spending his family’s money, so how is that different.9) Blumenthal is getting federal tax dollar support by 2 POTUS and FLOTUS visits.10) Blumenthal is driven in a state owned vehicle and driven by a state employee.
posted by: AndersonScooper | October 20, 2010 7:27pm
Hey Littlefield,
When all else fails, SHOUT LOUDER!
If you can’t see the irony involving a candidate, (who clearly has money to burn), preaching about the deficits and arguing for lower taxes, all while dropping a record $100/vote,—well I’m not sure what I can do to help you.
The way in which Ms. McMahon has thrown her money around isn’t pretty. And it sure isn’t representative of a financial conservative in action.
posted by: Matt W. | October 21, 2010 2:10pm
Wow, talk about irony. Anderson’s completely missing the point of the message on debt and deficits while trying to make a statement of support for Blummy says it all.
The entire conversation surrounding debt and deficits is centered upon how government mishandles OUR money not how individuals choose to spend their own money.
Irony is supporting Blummy by failing to recongnize responsible spending when you see it. She’s not borrowing it or going into debt to fund her campaign. She’s spending her own money! She’s not mishandling what she’s earned. If she feels the need to spend $50mil on her campaign then she can do that in America. That’s what personal freedom and risk taking is all about.
Moreover, Dems have raised on average 53% more than GOP this cycle. I suppose they’ll spend all that on kittens and ice cream?
posted by: CitizenCT | October 21, 2010 7:39pm
Mrs. McMahon is demonstrating she can manage to a budgeted number. We need people with this skill in the senate
posted by: hawkeye | October 22, 2010 9:54am
AndersonScooper:
Be happy that Linda McMahon, is using her own money, as Richard Blumenthal is using “other people’s money,” AND IS owned by PAC and special interests.
“Blumenthal already sold his soul, to the highest bidder!”
No one owns Linda McMahon, and she will not have to cowtail to PAC, and special interests, as Blumenthal will.
Unlike Blumenthal, there are no strings attached to Linda McMahon! Vote for her!