A Chris Shays Republican!

Congressman Chris Shays, ostensibly a Republican, recently called on Tom DeLay to step down.

Righty Blogger Steve has some follow up Sturm und Drang echoing Shay's call.

For those who have not followed his career, Chris Shays has been actively leading a House Subcommittee investigating UNSCAM.

However, folks with a longer memory will recall that "McCain-Feingold" is also sometimes referred to in the House as "Shays-Meehan".

And going even further back, five House Reps declined to impeach Bill Clinton.

MORE:  Hmm, did I sidestep the DeLay question?  No kidding.  And no guts, no glory.

My current official editorial position is that taken by Jack Benny when a stick-up man threatened him with "Your money or your life".

Comments

[creepy dude]

Tom Delay is already dead. He's a loathsome vampire. The only question is how much decompositional stench the Repubs will allow before they finally drive the stake through whatever shrivelled vile membrane used to be his heart and burn his bribe-taking body.

Indeed, they're already digging the grave. Some Repub Senators have already leaked details of yesterday's meeting. That's not because they like him. And did you catch Newt Gingrich's comments?

It's a pity, though. I like Delay for the valuable services he has performed subverting Bush's agenda on SS reform. His early declared opposition to any action was a big help. I will mourn the loss of that scurvy toad.

[VD]

I never could understand why the Democrats seem hell-bent on taking down leaders in this way. I mean it has done wonders for them since they took down Gingrich and Lott... err, oh yeah.

These efforts translate into monumental wastes of time as only lifeless politcal junkies like us even know who Tom DeLay is and what he does for a living. I would guess something like 90% of voters have even heard his name.

[creepy dude]

VD-when Delay is taken down it won't be Democrats holding the knife. Why do you think Delay was pleading his case before Republican Senators (Senators?!) yesterday?

As you correctly note, the Democrats have no power. So stop blaming them for every Republican failure to govern properly.

[creepy dude]

Since I know the wingnuts will reject me, I'll just quote Newt Gingrich. Argue with him instead. Here he is yesterday explaining the stupidity of Delay trying to blame Democrats:

"I'm saying when you're being attacked, the first thing you naturally do is you describe your attackers. In this case, that won't work. DeLay's problem isn't with the Democrats. DeLay's problem is with the country. And so DeLay has a challenge, I think, to lay out a case that the country comes to believe, that the country decides is legitimate. If he does that, he's fine."

[max]

Why do the dems hate Delay? Because he's Christian and he supports Israel - the 2 deadliest sins in the dems' canon of creepy hatred and intolerance.

[max]

A little red meat for the troops:

"I understand why the Democrats are going after Tom DeLay. Snakes gotta slither, mosquitoes gotta bite, hyenas gotta laugh, and Democrats without a blooming idea in their heads gotta go negative."

http://www.townhall.com/columnists/tonyblankley/tb20050413.shtml

[TexasToast]

So, Shays is no true republican?

Might I ask why you villify Democrats who don't think Joe Lieberman should be our standard bearer?

Must be a Connecticut thing.

PS He's your boy - lets see how you deal with him. Sounds like you agree with him that the best defense is a good offense.

[gt]

As a Christian I really wonder why people equate the right wing with all of Christianity.

[TM]

I never could understand why the Democrats seem hell-bent on taking down leaders in this way.

Well, the Reps bagged Jim Wright and Tony Coelho prior to the 1994 election, so it can work sometimes.

Might I ask why you villify Democrats who don't think Joe Lieberman should be our standard bearer?

Do I (inadvertently) make those subtle distinctions, or do I vilify *all* Dems?

As to Shays being a true Rep, it is generally acknowledged that he is not exactly "Mr. Inside", in touch with the base.

Joe L was a pick for VP of course, way back when.

[A different NJ Tom]

Hey Tom any thoughts on how this is going to affect Delay's bagman in the North East, NJ 7th's own Mikey Ferguson? The Republicans I know from places like Summit and Warren don't seem like the type of folks that will be happy to be represented by someone entangled with the Texas Mafia.

I guess Ferguson will stab him in the back when the time is right.

[TM]

Here is a link to the Gingrich story.

[creepy dude]

TM-is Tom Delay a "true" Republican?

[max]

"is Tom Delay a "true" Republican?"

Yes - http://www.spectator.org/dsp_article.asp?art_id=8018

Sincerely,

Totally Max

[TexasToast]

Thanks Max. Great link! TM, do you agree?

Is your boy Tom " ... morally probably the highest level public servant [you] have ever met"? Were "Tom DeLay's comments about a judiciary that sanctioned the torture murder of Terri Schiavo and how it has to be brought to account ... a brave and entirely sensible approach"?

Is this the man you think someone from the outside should associate with the word "Republican" and Chris Shays is not?

[Chris A.]

In 1998, Shay's wife Betsi was given a high paying polictical appointment to the peace corps to buy his vote against impeachment.

She's still collecting a paycheck (doubtless, an obscene pension will be coming her way.)All told, she has already collected more than $720,000 in salary her pension could be worth more than $1 million.

I guess Tom Delay couldn't match Clinton's generosity.

[Jeff]

I also wonder why Dems want to get rid of DeLay. My god, when you've got a crooked Majority Leader in the House, you want him right where you've got him. Imagine the following scenarios:

1. DeLay, ousted by his own party for corruption, is finally indicted on one or more of his many dubious activities. He is kicked by the party, who decry him as an outlier.

2. Having defended DeLay for months, horrified Republicans wake up to the news that DeLay has been indicted. They now face the prospect of weeks of ridicule for their own complicity, grandstanding from Dems who rightly chide them as proxy-corrupters for altering ethics laws to shield a thief, and news cycle after news cycle that associates the word "fraud" "DeLay" and "Republican congressmen."

Personally, I'm begging for scenario two. But I'm a member of the loyal opposition. Why the GOP faithful want to hitch their wagon to el creepo is beyond me.

But please, carry on...

[Paul Zrimsek]

Indictment's pretty much the same thing as conviction, isn't it?

[JM Hanes]

Tom DeLay doesn’t even make my To Do list. I contributed to his challenger in the last election, and I'll be upping my donations as long as he remains in power. If the party doesn't bounce him soon, Democrats may finally start getting my vote too. It may be true that Republicans can’t win without their conservative base, but the time has come for Conservatives to recognize that without their Republican base, they can’t win either. Instead rushing to excommunicate Christopher Shays for heresy, maybe we should be trying to help him win some Democrats -- assuming we have any interest in keeping that Republican seat he occupies.

[Jeff]

Indictment's pretty much the same thing as conviction, isn't it?

Politically? You bet. Ask Trent Lott.

[max]

Tex,

Glad you like the article. Here's another one.

http://www.spectator.org/dsp_article.asp?art_id=8028

Max

[max]

Another article for our Toasted Texan and our very own creep(y). :)

http://www.spectator.org/dsp_article.asp?art_id=8032

Enjoy.

Max

[TM]

Politically? You bet. Ask Trent Lott.

Good point. DeLay defenders will note differences, of course. And Clinton survived his "sexism" scandal.