| (Cross-posted at Daily Kos.)
Dana Milbank:
Fourteen months ago, the Connecticut Republican, in a pitched battle to keep his seat in the House, announced that most U.S. troops should be removed from Iraq in 2007, saying that "the only way we are able to encourage some political will on the part of the Iraqis is to have a timeline for troop withdrawal." That position helped Shays squeeze out a 51 percent victory in his antiwar home state.
But yesterday, Shays sat opposite Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice in a hearing in the Rayburn House Office Building -- while ferociously defending the war and condemning Democrats for supporting a troop withdrawal. "It seems to me the basic contention of the Democratic majority is 'Because Iraq is corrupt, we need to withdraw,' " he said, "which has come down from 'Well, we weren't winning, we needed to withdraw,' 'It was immoral, we needed to withdraw.' So that's basically what's on the table, which is patently absurd."
What's even more "patently absurd" is the reason Shays gives for not supporting an end to the war - no, it's not that "the surge is a huge success!" (although he's said that before)... it's the fact that Democrats aren't kissing his ass enough:
Shays blames Democrats for his increased patience with the war. Though willing to support a pullout by December 2008 (he opposed a pullout by early 2008) he said after the hearing: "They have not reached out to me."
If we are to believe this, then one man's ego has translated into an intransigence which continues to cost our troops and their families, and our nation's treasury and soul.
And this continues to be his sickening idea of "oversight":
Shays condemned a House Democratic leader for saying that "if the Iraqi war went well it would be bad for Democrats." He said Democrats' impertinence "blows me away." As for Rice's refusal to answer questions, Shays said, "I'm happy that you have resisted."
...And when the hearing finally ended, he hurried to intercept Rice and gave her a hug. The secretary clasped his hand tenderly as she departed.
Shays could have used his position in Congress to be the chief Republican critic of the Bush administration on Iraq. But it's clear that, for whatever reason, he's decided to become their chief apologist instead.
His constituents should be embarrassed, ashamed, and furious. |
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