Posted on 08/26/2006 8:16:19 PM PDT by MinorityRepublican
WASHINGTON — Since U.S. forces attacked in 2003, Rep. Christopher Shays, a moderate Republican from Connecticut's liberal 4th District, has been a stalwart defender of the Iraq war.
"I've been carrying the bucket when it comes to the war," Shays said in September.
But facing an antiwar Democratic opponent in a tough midterm election race, Shays is starting to express reservations.
In a telephone interview Friday after he returned from his 14th trip to Iraq, Shays said that he believed the U.S. should consider setting a timetable for the withdrawal of its troops, and that he planned to hold congressional hearings on the question next month.
Iraq's political leaders need a deadline to "do things in a timely basis." Otherwise, he said, "they will take years. And there aren't years available."
Shays becomes the third Republican lawmaker from a Democratic or swing state to distance himself from the Bush administration's war policy. With public support for the war sagging and many Democratic candidates vocally opposing it, Republicans in tight races in blue states are under particular pressure.
Democrats have felt the heat as well. Earlier this month Sen. Joe Lieberman, a supporter of the war, was defeated in Connecticut's Democratic primary by political novice and antiwar candidate Ned Lamont.
Lieberman is now running as an independent, but Republicans throughout the country — eyeing opinion polls showing that more than 60% of the public disapproves of President Bush's handling of the war — took note.
"Republicans are trying to insulate themselves from Washington and the president's low approval ratings," said Amy Walter, congressional analyst for the nonpartisan Cook Political Report. "They are distancing themselves from the war and from the president."
(Excerpt) Read more at latimes.com ...
Correction: make that....
"There are more Democrats in tough re-elections in the House rejecting a timetable then Republicans in tough re-elections demanding one."
Shays is a weenie, and always has been, as far as I know. He's only representative of other Rinos like those in the state of Connecticut who want to be liked, and considered sophisticated, by their Democrat neighbors and Country Club member friends.
I remember Shays. He opposed the Clinton impeachment to start with, then was going to vote for two of the articles, then voted no across the board--even after he stated that Clinton raped Juanita Broaddrick. Lo and behold, Mrs. Shays gets a political appointment from Clinton.
Apart from the Clinton days, he voted against drilling in ANWR.
So basically, Ct is the front line that the antiwar left is choosing. And in the other 49 they're facing resounding defeat....
God forbid the people are given a choice.
Why not run as a pro-troop supporter of the war vs. anti-war and let the folks CHOOSE?
This way all they get is an anti-war moonbat vs. anti-war lite!
Where do they get off calling that commie shays a Republican?
Shays is a Liberal Republican. He is merely the reliable whore of the Junk Media propaganda machine
He Sell out Shay, how come you did not vote that way when the issue came up in the US House? So Surrender Now Shay, when are you going to learn that this sort of pandering ONLY alienates your allies and emboldens your foes?
Perhaps the twist in the wind poll watchers might explain why the Gallup Generic Congressional Poll suddenly has the Republicans with in 2 points of the Democrats?
All analysis based on garbage in/garbage out polling data is worthless. Until they do a serious poll of Likely Voters all this hysteria about "Madam Speaker" is so much usless noise.
Intellectually indefensible to judge all by the one. On Judges alone the President has done far more for the Conservative movement then all the 100%ers ever will do. Life requires compromise. Given the number of judges that will need to be replaced in the next 2 to 4 years, it would be the height of foolishness for Conservative to throw a political hissy fit now because every little thing is not perfect.
The architects of this war like Wolfowitz once promised that once Saddam was deposed we would open the Iraqi spigots so that oil would flow freely once again, benefitting the world economy and bolstering US influence in the region. Things haven't exactly turned out that way, on the contrary, we seem to be caught in a morass of sectarian violence over there, it is little wonder why the American public would wonder where we are going with this since our original game plan appears to have been faulty.
As rush likes to say, chris shays is nancy pelosi's favorite republican.
I hope you're right. All I know is the people I communicate with, even Pubbies, are tired of the GOP doing a lot of talking and little action.
It's not looking good for them from where I'm sitting.
Using "Shays" and "stalwart" in the same sentence exceeds literary license.
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