By James Caldwell, Torch assistant editor

The Washington Post published a full-length story on former WWE CEO Linda McMahon today that can be best described as a day off for McMahon's public relations department.

The story attempted to take a sweeping look at WWE's history, McMahon's business practices with her husband, WWE CEO Vince McMahon, and building a wrestling empire that has allowed her to take a $50 million budget into a Senate campaign in Connecticut.

Unfortunately, the story failed in its attempt to review company history, as important quotes were left unchecked. The Post seemed satisfied with blanket, corporate-friendly answers to potential hard questions. McMahon played her weekly game of dodgeball with the reporter, Jason Horowitz, lobbing obligatory softballs just to say he asked the questions.

If you read the story knowing nothing about WWE or McMahon's background, you would come to the conclusions that (a) the McMahon family built a wrestling empire from the ground up using good old fashioned business practices rather than raiding other territories after inheriting Vince, Sr.'s New York territory, (b) WWE was "wronged" by Ted Turner when he pulled the same trick on WWE during the 1990s, (c) the company is squeaky clean from top to bottom in a PG-TV environment, and (d) anyone who speaks out against WWE is an idiot.

The story included a quote from Bret Hart, who is currently working with WWE after self-admittedly harboring ill-feelings toward WWE for 12 years after Survivor Series 1997. Hart addressed muscles equaling cash at one time during WWE's history when he was pushing for a top slot as an undersized wrestler. The quote was buried deep in the report well after McMahon denied steroid use providing a competitive advantage in pro wrestling.

"Steroids were muscle-builders and we wanted to look good," said Bret Hart. "I know that the guys who had a lot of muscles made a lot of money." The reporter was quick to point out that Hart "insisted the McMahons never encouraged wrestlers to use steroids."

As I talked about earlier today in my blog, McMahon was asked about past steroid abuse in pro wrestling. The report even notes McMahon's classic "well-prepared, corporate" response, but there was no follow-up question on her misleading statement that steroid use provides no "competitive advantage" in wrestling.

"The thing of it is, there is no competitive advantage for using steroids -- it's not going to make you jump higher, run faster, hit the ball farther or anything like that," she said, adding that "drug policies have evolved, health and wellness policies have evolved."

The Post's obligatory "quote from a wrestler with a potential agenda" was Ed Leslie, known as Brutus Beefcake, who is beyond off the radar. Leslie talked about McMahon's business practices.

"I'm not sure what kind of politician she is going to make," said Leslie. "If politicians are cutthroats and backstabbers and are not true to their word, then she'll probably make a great politician."

The Post made sure to note Leslie has "had his legal and personal troubles outside the ring." Cue up WWE spokesman Robert Zimmerman with a random quote in response to what Leslie said: "WWE owns the copyright to Brutus the Barber."

The story concludes with the best P.R. spin possible in a mainstream news report with a quote from a "McMahon supporter" talking about McMahon's business experience.

"She's gone through her own business hardships," said Diana Lepore, 48, a supporter from New Hartford. "We need someone in Washington who knows how to run a business."

Unfortunately, the Post failed to seek honest, truthful answers from McMahon on running WWE's business, especially when the company removed their drug testing policy in the mid-1990s when WCW was snapping up talent and threatening McMahon's bottom line.

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