In front of constituents earlier this spring, Chris Shays couldn't have stated his position on Iraq any more clearly:
Before the start of the discussion, Mr. Shays explained that he recently returned from his 20th trip to Iraq since the war began five years ago. He said progress is being made and he believes Iraq can find unity, despite years of violence. “I support the President on Iraq,” Mr. Shays said.
He acknowledged that polls claim two-thirds of Iraqis want Americans to leave. But Mr. Shays said he has never gotten that sense from any of his visits.
Q: If it’s working, senator, do you now have a better estimate of when American forces can come home from Iraq?
McCAIN: No, but that’s not too important.
One day before Chris Shays is scheduled to co-host a John McCain fundraiser in CT, Jim Himes released this statement about the importance of bringing our troops home:
"John McCain's comments this morning are not only sorely out-of-touch, they are also hurtful to the families of troops serving in Iraq for whom nothing is more important than knowing when their loved ones will come home.
"If Chris Shays was serious about bringing our troops home, he wouldn't be co-chairing John McCain's campaign in Connecticut. Just like his party's standard-bearer, Chris Shays is deeply confused and out-of-touch when it comes to Iraq. In 2006 he promised voters he would support timelines, only to vote against them three times in 2007. Now, in 2008, he says he supports President Bush on Iraq and is working hard to elect an administration that clearly intends to keep American troops in harms way in Iraq for years if not decades.
"Connecticut families know we cannot afford a third term of the Bush-McCain-Shays policy on Iraq. It is long past time to give the Iraqi government a clear timeline for the full redeployment of American troops so we can start focusing on the challenges that face us here at home."
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