Posted on 10/30/2008 3:55:10 AM PDT by raybbr
Hartford - Locked in a tough re-election campaign in a district that overwhelmingly supports Barack Obama, Connecticut Rep. Christopher Shays has joined some fellow Republicans in publicly voicing frustration with John McCain's presidential campaign.
Shays told The Associated Press on Wednesday that the Republican nominee's campaign has gone too negative against Obama, and has muted his message of being an independent thinker with the best ideas and experience needed to solve the nation's problems.
Several other notable Republicans, including former Secretary of State Colin Powell, have made statements similar to Shays' comments in recent weeks.
Some prominent Republicans, including former Massachusetts Gov. William F. Weld, have gone so far as to endorse Obama. Others are still standing behind McCain, but are expressing doubts that he can win.
McCain's campaign did not return a message seeking comment Wednesday.
Shays first expressed discontentment with McCain's campaign in an interview with the Yale Daily News on Sunday, when he blamed the far right for having “hijacked” the Republican Party.
He also told the newspaper that McCain “did not live up to his pledge to fight a clean campaign.”
Asked about Sunday's interview, Shays said he was giving honest answers to the questions.
”He is well behind and we know that,” Shays said of McCain. “He's behind because he's not running the kind of race we've seen him run.
”John McCain is different,” he said. “He goes to Iowa and says, 'I don't believe in (corn ethanol) price support.' He goes to Michigan and says, 'We can't keep making big cars.' That's the straight talk of John McCain.” With the tone of the campaign and Obama's lead in the polls, McCain will have a difficult time winning the presidency, Shays said, although he believes it's still possible.
”He's taken the thing that is most valuable, his (maverick) brand, and he's not staying true to it,” Shays said. “I admire John McCain more than you can imagine. He would make a great president.”
But, Shays added, “I don't see how he wins if he isn't true to who he is ... a straight shooter talking about the issues.”
Shays is co-chairman of McCain's Connecticut campaign along with Sen. Joe Lieberman, I-Conn. He's also battling Democrat Jim Himes for the congressional seat representing wealthy southwestern Connecticut.
It's the third consecutive tough election for Shays, a moderate with a reputation of being independent-minded and bucking his party on some issues. Shays narrowly defeated Democrat Diane Farrell in 2004 and 2006 as Farrell criticized him for supporting the Iraq war and President Bush.
An Oct. 20 UConn-Hearst Newspapers poll shows Himes and Shays each supported by 44 percent of likely voters. The same poll showed voters in the district prefering Obama over McCain, 54 percent to 34 percent.
Shays is the only Republican representing New England in the House following Democratic wins in 2006.
If McCain doesn’t make this election a referendum on Obama, he loses. If that is considered going negative, so be it.
Don’t listen to him McCain!!! Keep on doing what you are doing. Telling the truct is not negative.
There are some who have a problem calling Chris Shays Republican
He's obviously talking about Palin, for McCain says Barak is a good man and would make a fine President.
I am one of them.
Hey Shays, why don’t you fight and criticize the democrats like you fight your own party????
You are not alone!
My old friend Chris. How you disappoint me.
Bye Bye Chris, you really sucked.
We’ll miss the seat, but not the ass parked in it.
This is funny readingthis after the election. Everything that Shays said McLame should do is the exact opposite of what he should have done. Shays sucks as much as McCain.
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