Release: McMahon Attack Machine at Full Tilt, Distorting Chris Murphy’s Record on Financial Reform

August 17 2012

ROCKY HILL—Last week, Linda McMahon launched a vicious, untrue attack ad claiming that Chris Murphy didn’t ‘show up for the job’ in 2008 as the financial crisis erupted.  Let’s look at the facts:

•    During the 2007-2008 congressional term, Murphy had a floor voting percentage of 99%, casting 1,854 of 1,875 votes.
•    On the Financial Services Committee, Murphy made 129 of 132 votes, or 98%.
•    Before the financial collapse began, Murphy was an early advocate of cracking down on predatory lending. He introduced the Mortgage Kickback Prevention Act in October of 2007 and became a leading voice for reining in predatory mortgage brokers. His bill became part of the Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act that was signed by President Obama in July of 2010.

“McMahon is getting desperate to find ways to attack Chris if she’s grasping for attendance records at sub-committee hearings,” said Murphy spokeswoman Taylor Lavender. “Linda McMahon has enough Washington consultants around her to know that the work of committees is actually done in legislative markups, not hearings. During his first term, Chris was a very active member of the Financial Services Committee, casting 129 out of 132 votes in the committee and 1,854 out of 1,875 votes on the House floor. Any suggestion otherwise is a lie. McMahon’s attack ad begs the question: what was she doing as the financial sector melted down? Chris was fighting for consumers in Congress, and as it turns out, McMahon was fiddling while our economy burned, orchestrating pay-per-view events featuring inferno matches and necrophilia. Chris was fighting to save people’s savings, while Linda was padding her own profits.”

WHAT DID LINDA MCMAHON DO WHILE CHRIS MURPHY WAS FIGHTING TO SAVE FAMILIES’ SAVINGS ACCOUNTS?

Week of September 1, 2008:  
•    U.S. Treasury seized control of mortgage giants Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac and pledged a $200 billion cash injection to help the companies cope with mortgage default losses.
•    Linda and Vince McMahon present “Unforgiven,” a pay-per-view event that often featured a wrestling match called an “inferno match”. One description says, “an inferno match is a special type of match where the ring is completely surrounded by flames once both contenders have entered the ring. The only way to win is to set your opponent on fire. Inferno matches usually end on the outside of the ring; this way, paramedics can assist the unfortunate loser of the match. Due to the potentially graphic or dangerous nature of this type of match, it is very rarely seen in North America. In fact, there have only been four to this date.” (Wikipedia)

Week of October 6, 2008:
•    After intense negotiation with Congress, President George W. Bush signs the Emergency Economic Stabilization Act, creating a $700 billion Troubled Assets Relief Program to purchase failing bank assets.
•    Linda and Vince McMahon stage pay-per-view event “No Mercy”, featuring the wrestler Kane, who was infamously part of the WWE necrophelia storyline in which Kane supposedly has sex with a dead body.  

Week of October 20, 2008:
•    The US Federal Reserve announces that it will spend $540 billion to purchase short-term debt from money market mutual funds. The government’s injection is necessary to help unfreeze the credit markets making it easier for businesses and banks to obtain loans.
•    Linda and Vince McMahon present CyberSunday, another moneymaking pay-per-view show.  One account noted that “The match featured Undertaker thrusting Big Show's throat against a ringpost with a steel chair; Undertaker delivering a leg drop to Big Show on the ring apron, and then later countering Big Show's Chokeslam into a “DDT;” and, then Big Show hitting Undertaker with a TV monitor and even chokeslamming him from the Barricade through an announcer's table. In the end, Big Show hit Undertaker first with a chokeslam, followed by a knockout punch to the face and then with a steel chair, but Undertaker got to his feet each time before the ten count. Finally, Undertaker locked in Hell's Gate on Big Show causing Show to lose consciousness and allowing Undertaker to win the match. (Wikipedia)

Lavender added, “If Linda McMahon wants to compare how Chris spent the last ten years to how she spent them, we'll have that debate any day of the week.”