Skirmish Breaks Out At Linda McMahon UConn Visit
HARTFORD, CT (AP / WCBS 880) - Campus police were questioning at least two University of Connecticut students involved in a skirmish during a rally for Connecticut Senate candidate Linda McMahon.
The Republican candidate was visiting the Storrs campus on Monday.
Several students from a campus domestic volence awareness group turned up a small rally for McMahon. A 24-year-old student, David Haseltine, says a McMahon supporter tore down the sign he was holding that accused McMahon of profiting from violence against women -- a reference to McMahon's World Wrestling Entertainment.
Students and staff for McMahon said Haseltine shoved the female McMahon supporter _ a claim he denied.
McMahon cut short her visit and was escorted to her SUV by campaign staff amid a chorus of yelling by supporters and protesters.
Lt. Hans Rhynhart of the UConn police says there will not likely be arrests.
Meanwhile, a new poll shows Democrat Richard Blumenthal still leading McMahon in the race, but the gap appears to be closing.
LISTEN: WCBS 880 Connecticut Bureau Chief Fran Schneidau on the poll numbers
Podcast
The Quinnipiac University survey released Monday shows Blumenthal leading 53 percent to 44 percent among likely voters.
That's compared to last week's survey, which showed Blumenthal leading 54 to 42 percent.
LISTEN: WCBS 880's Paul Murnane with a confident McMahon in Vernon
Podcast
Poll Director Doug Schwartz says independent voters have been very volatile and are shifting back to supporting the Republican candidates for both Senate and governor.
Both major party candidates are vying to fill the job now held by U.S. Sen. Chris Dodd, who is retiring.
The survey of 930 likely voters has a margin of sampling error of 3.2 percentage points.
(Copyright 2010 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)
