In the beginning there was Atwater. Atwater begot Rove. Rove begot Howell.
Republican senate candidate and former World Wrestling Entertainment CEO, Linda McMahon, is reputed to have shelled out a cool million to retain the most formidable, right-wing, hired gun her ersatz blood money could buy ... one H. W. Scott Howell.
I believe she got her money's worth.
Herbert Weston Scott Howell III, whose name sounds like the first four pilgrims up the gangplank of the Mayflower, is the named partner of Scott Howell and Associates, a conservative strategic media consulting firm with offices in Dallas, Texas and Alexandria, Virginia.
Scott Howell, a Karl Rove protégé, was the media architect of a number of successful, high profile, bare knuckle senate campaigns : John Thune's defeat of Minority leader Tom Daschle, Saxby Chambliss' victory over incumbent Max Cleland (which included a notable character assassination of the war hero Cleland, and the infamous "I'll Call You" attack ads which tarred Harold Ford Jr. and sent Bob Corker of Tennessee to Washington.
This week "Stone Cold" McMahon, with Howell in her corner, advanced to the title match with a brutal, no holds barred "Gutwrench Powerbomb" to the campaign of Democratic opponent Attorney General Richard Blumenthal. The New York Times cover story 'Candidates Words Differ From History' by Ray Hernandez was artfully leaked to do maximum damage right before this weekend's Republican and Democratic Conventions.
As intended, the scandal consumed all the oxygen in the news cycle. McMahon not only cheerfully claimed responsibility ... she gloated publicly. For this cheeky behavior Ms. McMahon, was honored at the Republican convention.
Friday night at the Horace Bushnell Hall, which is within striking distance of the State Capital, before a capacity crowd "Stone Cold" Linda McMahon defeated Rob "The Righteous" Simmons (an actual decorated veteran of the Vietnam War ) for the Republican senate slot on the ballot this November.
It appears that in politics, as well as in World Wide Wrestling ... no bad deed goes unrewarded.
* In big time wrestling a 'heel superstar' is a famous villain