Blumenthal of Connecticut Is One of ‘The Senators From Concussions’

A useful report by Politico’s Mackenzie Weinger breaks down the lobbying and campaign contributions by the National Football League. See “NFL lobs cash at campaigns, lobbying,” http://www.politico.com/news/stories/0711/59695.html.

One of the beneficiaries is Senator Richard Blumenthal of Connecticut. Readers of this blog know that, ever since his election victory last November over World Wrestling Entertainment’s Linda (Mrs. Vince) McMahon, I have been after Blumenthal to take a leadership role on the concussion issue. See “WWE Critic: ‘Blumenthal should repay supporters with involvement in sports concussion controversy’” (reprint from Manchester Journal Inquirer), March 15, https://concussioninc.net/?p=3775.

Blumenthal is a co-sponsor of Senator Tom Udall’s legislation on football helmet reform, but I don’t think that’s nearly good enough. The almost $10-billion-a-year NFL is the lead bad guy and target of the national health problem generated by the sports concussion crisis – just like the tobacco industry, which Blumenthal, as state attorney general, helped confront in litigation in years past.

The news that Blumenthal accepts money from the NFL is not encouraging. They used to call Scoop Jackson of Washington “the senator from Boeing.” Blumenthal has set himself up as one of “the senators from concussions.”

Irv Muchnick