Epilogue on Christopher Shays

"Class act", my ass!! (4.00 / 3)

Give it a rest, Andrea!  This is "Both Ways" Shays who supported the war for years.  When you think of class, think of the thousands of young Americans who have been killed and wounded since Shays promised to support a timeline for withdrawal of our troops, but reversed himself when he thought it was safe for him to do so politically.

And hire "Both Ways" Shays?  Never!  Hiring him to direct the Peace Corps would be an insult to every Peace Corps volunteer past and present, and that includes me.  He hid behind his Peace Corps service to explain his not entering the military.  Yet he had no qualms whatsoever about sending young Americans to be blown apart in a senseless war.

If Barack Obama or anyone in the administration tries to hire Shays, I'll personally mount a letter-writing campaign to stop it.

This is the guy who trashed Diane Farrell, who was so snide with Jim Himes, and who blatantly lied about being "anti-war".  If Barack Obama wants to hire Colin Powell, or someone else who supported him and broke from Bush, so be it.  But don't turn around and offer an olive branch to the guy who co-chaired John McCain's campaign in Connecticut, that ugly campaign with all its hate-mongering and its fear-mongering.

That would be a slap in the face to every Nutmegger and a particularly big insult to all of us who worked so hard for so long to defeat Shays.

Don't do it, Mr. President.  Just don't!!

---

by: thomashooker @ Sun Nov 09, 2008 at 18:15:01 PM UTC

A "Class Act?" On what planet does Mitchell live? (0.00 / 0)

I would suggest that selective inattention has accounted for many of the mindless endorsements Shays received. Andrea Mitchell is just the latest example of those who never bothered to pay enough attention to see the obvious: The "Both Ways Strategy" provided a suitable quotation for every occasion; just pick whichever side of a question you want to highlight, and at least one of Shays' numerous statements would be likely to match; pick the other side, and you'd find something-for-everyone there too.  Awesome? You Betcha . . . .

---

by: Ann Galloway @ Mon Nov 10, 2008 at 14:07:26 PM UTC

[ Parent ]

Choose Ned Lamont, not Chris Shays (4.00 / 1)

Ned Lamont deserves a major position in the Obama administration.  Shays deserves a Bronx cheer.

---

by: thomashooker @ Sun Nov 09, 2008 at 18:17:19 PM UTC

My husband is alittle upset that Shays lost, (4.00 / 1)

He'd send him some requests that he'd followed through on - some of the more difficult than others.

I realize that Shays has very little money in the bank - however, probably more than I do.

However, nothing, ever, can forgive his support of the Iraq war. Every man and woman that comes home without a limb, with Post Traumatic Stress Syndrome, with other emotional or physical injuries causing their life to be less that it might have been (which, under this administration get less than stellar care and support) has Shay's name on them.

Take responsibility for your political actions and beliefs, Chris Shays.

You blew it big time. Find something else to do with your life.  

---

by: Sue @ Sun Nov 09, 2008 at 19:54:14 PM UTC

Very Little Money in the Bank? (0.00 / 0)

Give me a break. His wife has a high-paying lobbying/public serve job. His income may not qualify for John McCain's definition of rich, but not that many of us would qualify either. Funny how the tabloid weeklies didn't report on Betsi's income or any trusts that he might have set up. Really, now. Shays is no poor boy.

---

by: Route66 @ Mon Nov 10, 2008 at 05:55:12 AM UTC

[ Parent ]

Oh, and of course his statement that (0.00 / 0)

the reason he didn't support the repair of the Congress Street bridge (this was heard by a friend of mine at the meeting - a city councilwoman with a good memory)

http://www.connpost.com/breaki...

was that fixing it would let 'the wrong kind of people into the nice part of the city'.  

---

by: Sue @ Sun Nov 09, 2008 at 21:01:34 PM UTC

Ouch! (0.00 / 0)

Hey, great job guys. We got it done.

Jim Himes is going to quickly show his district what a great leader he is, and how much better off the 4th will be when represented by a Democrat.

If Shays had been true to his schtick, I might almost feel bad for him. But this is the same guy who held hands with George Bush, had Gingrich's back this summer, and who called Sarah Palin, "Awesome!".

The sad thing is that Shays really needs a job. He's mortgaged to the hilt, without any savings, and won't be able to make ends meet on one income. (This is probably why running for office again is a no-go. He can't afford to!)

Best of luck Mr. Shays. I hope you do get to run the Peace Corps. (far better than lobbying.) And I'd still like to know why you're a Republican...

---

by: AndersonScooper @ Sun Nov 09, 2008 at 23:01:32 PM UTC

Pulleeze! (0.00 / 0)

Shays has been a very dutiful Republican. The only reason he looks somewhat different from some run-of-the-mill elephants is that he talks out of both sides of his mouth.  But whenever it really counted, he supported Bush-Cheney. A few nice words and an occasional smile when he wasn't railing at someone doesn't change his unwavering support for Bush's War, his efforts to privatize social security, or his failure on a critical vote to fund education.  

---

by: Ann Galloway @ Mon Nov 10, 2008 at 14:15:44 PM UTC

[ Parent ]

Mitchell - many favorable Joe reports in past (0.00 / 0)

Andrea Mitchell has spoken favorably about Joe Lieberman many times in the past.  Lately she is not quite as sympathetic towards him on camera.  I'm not sure she really "gets" much of anything.  Alan Greenspan's wife, so maybe she has the similar characteristics of not letting the facts get in the way of the ideology.

---

by: greenpeas @ Mon Nov 10, 2008 at 15:20:09 PM UTC

[ Parent ]

I would be outraged if he were to head the Peace Corps (0.00 / 0)

As a former volunteer myself (two and a half years as a tuberculosis control worker in rural South Korea), I would be disgusted, and I would help organize a protest, if President Obama were to name him to head that fine organization.

Shays is the guy who lobbied so hard to invade Iraq, and who defended the continuation of that war for years.  Yet he himself saved his own hide during Vietnam by claiming CO status.  So the guy who believes that it is immoral to take up arms in defense of the United States has no problem sending tens of thousands of young people to be killed and maimed- in defense of the United States.

And he's supposed to lead an organization whose purpose is the improvement of the lives of people in the developing world?  After backing the invasion of a country in the developing world that had not invaded us?

It would be the height of hypocrisy and bad judgement for Shays to represent America to the developing world as the face of the Peace Corps.

No way to Both Ways Shays heading the Peace Corps!  No way!!

---

by: thomashooker @ Mon Nov 10, 2008 at 16:28:24 PM UTC

[ Parent ]

I wonder if (0.00 / 0)

Our new Administration is going to be interested in cashing in BushCo Frequent Flyer Miles...

---

by: notcho @ Mon Nov 10, 2008 at 00:09:32 AM UTC

Very clever! (4.00 / 1)

Thanks for the chuckle this note produced :)

---

by: Ann Galloway @ Mon Nov 10, 2008 at 14:16:55 PM UTC

[ Parent ]