If you thought the Republican primary for Senate - a race already shaping up as a multimillion dollar intramural competition for the fringe right-wing among assorted Bush lackeys, Ron Paul acolytes, out-of-step cultural conservatives, and stumbling unimpressive has-been pols - couldn't get more ridiculous... well, it just did:
Linda E. McMahon is a mother, philanthropist, member of the State Board of Education, and CEO - as well as occasional performer - of the multimillion-dollar World Wrestling Entertainment empire.
Now she's also a candidate for U.S. Senate.
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.
For some indication of how nasty this primary will get, Ed Patru, McMahon's spokesperson, recently worked at Freedom's Watch, the pro-Iraq war right-wing billionaire-funded attempted "answer" to MoveOn that ran ads in 2007 equating 9/11 with Iraq.
As Roll Call reported this week, the fact that the likes of McMahon still think there is a real opening in the Republican field has to do more than anything with Rob Simmons' perceived weak performance as frontrunner among GOP insiders:
"Sure, it would make it easier for me if other folks were not out there soliciting funds, but they are," Simmons said. "And that's the reality. And this campaign deals with reality. We simply have to do our thing and do it better than the others."
But one Republican strategist, who has done extensive work in the state, called out Simmons for not being aggressive enough with his strategy.
"Simmons had a chance to put this away, but he's been slow out of the gate - surprisingly slow out of the gate," said the consultant.
Simmons stumbled and left an opening, and now McMahon, Foley, and Schiff (who is set to officially announce tomorrow morning) can all easily raise and spend many millions battling him and each other for the rabid, right-wing teabagger vote over the next year.
This primary is looking like a real fight, if a highly entertaining and comedic one - lets hope for all involved that it's a fair one as well.
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