Shays Bucks Delay

[swag]

http://www.greenwichtime.com/news/local/scn-gt-shays3apr10,0,7959855.story?coll=green-news-local-headlines

Shays bucks DeLay

By Michael Dinan
Staff Writer

April 10, 2005

Though Republicans in some circles are rallying around beleaguered House Majority Leader Tom DeLay, R-Texas, one prominent Republican yesterday dissociated himself from the powerful and controversial lawmaker.

"He is an absolute embarrassment to me and to the Republican Party," U.S. Rep. Christopher Shays, R-Bridgeport, told more than 50 Greenwich residents yesterday morning at Town Hall. He was in Greenwich to host a public forum, open to all political parties, on whatever pressing issues attendees were interested in discussing.

DeLay is facing legal problems in his home state and in the nation's capital. A grand jury in Texas has indicted two of DeLay's political associates on charges involving illegal campaign contributions. In Washington, a Senate committee and the Justice Department are investigating whether Republican lobbyists close to DeLay paid for lawmakers' trips abroad and other gifts in order to influence legislation.

DeLay also made headlines last week by calling for congressional oversight of judicial decisions, saying federal courts had "run amok," in part by disregarding the "will of the people." The comments reflect DeLay's outspoken criticism of federal judges for failing to order the reinsertion of Terri Schiavo's feeding tube. DeLay's criticisms also come as a preview to an expected showdown over Senate rules governing the confirmation of President Bush's judicial nominees -- an issue that both Democrats and Republicans say is critical to upcoming fights to fill Supreme Court vacancies.

Yesterday, Shays flatly denied supporting DeLay, telling the small but lively gathering that the Texan probably will not last out this term as house majority leader, lacks credibility and will never attain the prominent position of speaker of the house.

. . .more

[ClassWarrior]

1. Is little Chrissy Shays the first domino?

NGU.

[Godai Kyoko]

19. Nah

He marches to the beat of a different drummer often Some R's wish he would do like Jeffords, becasue whenever they are trying to put up a united front on something, he always has to be the small still voice that they want to ignore .:patriot:

[ProgressiveConn]

24. Don't be fooled

Shays is a corporate owned scum just like the rest of them. He is another vote for war and against social security. He is doing this because Dianne Farrell is going to beat him in 2006 and he is covering his ass.

[Tandalayo_Scheisskopf]

2. There is something more, coming to the surface here.

It is no secret that the gulf tier states, and certain others, are raiding the treasury for vast amounts of tax dollars that are sent to them through pork. Northern states are getting terrible rates of return on their tax dollars that are paid into the system. A lot of this has to do with DeLay and his control of so many of the congressional processes.

It is becoming clear that Mr. Delay's little experiment in Tammany Hall politics at the national level is coming to something of an end. The real pressure on him may well be coming from within his own party.

[Aviation Pro]

4. Yeah....

...what's coming to the surface is the covert battle between the Bush White House and the Hammer. If things get too hot for Delay you can bet your ass that he'll call for, through his surrogates, an investigation of the whole Iraq fiasco.

[TheFarseer]

17. That would be fun

although in a fight between Delay and Bush, bush and Rove will completely destroy him. With all the crap Delay has done, it wouldn't really be that hard.

[cybildisobedience]

36. what makes you think this isn't already the plan?

Why else would the media be suddenly interested in Delay's ethics?
A few months ago, they were cheering him on, commending on his take-no-prisoners approach, and marveling at the power he's amassed.
Now, all of a sudden, we care about his family being on the payroll?

[RareLubbockDem]

3. again, i think they'll play this

to slowly start distancing themself from Delay. Then when he does go down, it will be in obscurity. We've got to keep reminding the Repugs of how they've rallied around him up tot his point.

[Rose Siding]

5. "no Republican in Congress has criticized DeLay" on or off record

-ROBERT NOVAK. Huh. Must be one of those days that end with "Y"

WHO'S AGAINST DELAY?
by Robert Novak
Apr 9, 2005

MoveOn.org, the left-wing activist group leading the fight against Rep. Tom DeLay, has claimed there is a Republican clamor to replace him as House majority leader that does not actually exist.

"Now," said an e-mail dispatched by MoveOn, "some Republicans in Congress are speaking out against DeLay." In fact, however, no Republican in Congress has criticized DeLay publicly, not even on an off-the-record basis.

The e-mail also declares unequivocally that "DeLay illegally used corporate funds in support of his plan to redistrict Texas." Actually, DeLay has not been convicted, tried or even formally accused of breaking the law.

http://www.nationalledger.com/commentary/article_1301.shtml

There have been others- Roberts, Cheney, and Frist -but indirectly. The anon remarks have scattered but I believe Novak is wrong on this.

[acmejack]

7. Novak is full of it

[Aviation Pro]

9. Of course....

...he's full of shit. He's a paid hack.

[maddezmom]

22. kick

nofacts at it again...

[0007]

6. I think Chris Shays is a good man, I don't agree with everything

he does, but I do find him to be honest. A quality that Tom DeLay and Tom Craddick are lacking.

[ClassWarrior]

10. He's still ten times more regressive than the most moderate Dem.

NGU.

[sellitman]

11. I use to agree.

But Shays has backed bush the lesser time and time again these past 5 years. His credility is the same as his brother Lie-berman.

Not!

[0007]

12. No doubt about that! Shays is scared shitless like everyone else.

[swag]

13. I kind of like Josh Marshall's quiet campaign to keep

Delay kicking as a highly visible Republican for as long as possible.

[sellitman]

14. Makes me pine for more Barbara Boxers!

Gosh I hope she runs for President! Her and Conyers would make a GREAT team.

[ClassWarrior]

15. Scared my eye. Shays is a whore like the rest of the Republicons.

Or a criminal. Take your pick.

NGU.

[Name removed]

16. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[MADem]

20. I think he is a bullshitter myself

I wish it had been another R to pipe up. Chris Shays was a conscientious objector during the Viet Nam war, but somehow, his conscience could not find a way to object when it came to sending our children off to Iraq to die in Operation Iraqi Liberation (OIL). I don't have a problem with his not wanting to go to war, I do have a problem with him shovelling others off to war with his vote, who surely didn't want to go either.

[HockeyMom]

8. "Party of Lincoln has been the Party of Theocracy"

Rep. Shays comment on the Schiavo mess. There seems to be a growing divide over religion taking over our government, even with Republicans. Might it also be more of a Blue State/Red State divide rather than just a Republican/Democrat divide?

There was a comment in a local newspaper here from an upstate NY Republican Congressman to the effect that there was no "stomach" among his fellow state representatives, both Republican and Democrat, to get involved in the Schiavo situation. Only 3 showed up to even vote; all Republicans (no Democrats) and they all voted No.

It boggles my mind the things that are all being brought up again (birth control, evolution, etc.). I feel as if we are in some kind of time warp going backwards. What century are we living in?

[Merlin]

18. Shay's Rebellion!

Good for him.

[AlCzervik]

21. At least he has the balls to come right out and say it

cause if Teflon Tom gets away with his crimes Shays will be directly in the crosshairs of Delay's revenge.

[Roland99]

23. It's obvious Shays lacks the moral fortitude to support the party of

the culture of life.

[manly]

25. Shays: DeLay should quit as House leader

Shays: DeLay Should Quit As House Leader

1 minute ago Politics - U. S. Congress


By LOU KESTEN, Associated Press Writer

WASHINGTON - Private GOP tensions over Tom DeLay's ethics controversy spilled into public Sunday, as a Senate leader called on DeLay to explain his actions and one House Republican demanded the majority leader's resignation.


AP Photo


AP Photo
Slideshow: Republican Party




"Tom's conduct is hurting the Republican Party, is hurting this Republican majority and it is hurting any Republican who is up for re-election," Rep. Chris Shays, R-Conn., told The Associated Press in an interview, calling for DeLay to step down as majority leader.
=====================================================================This is just the beginning of an article on Yahoo news. Check it out.

[journalist3072]

26. Notice how...

Chris Shay's focus is on ensuring that the Republican Party stays in power. He's saying how Tom Delay is hurting the Republican's chances.

He's not talking about ethical lapses themselves. He's not saying that Tom Delay isn't worthy to hold a position of leadership because of his ethical lapses. It's all about the Republican power grab.

[Prisoner_Number_Six]

27. No, Tom! Please keep fighting!

Every time you open your mouth you prove all over again what a complete and utter dickwad you are. Please keep shooting yourself (and your party) in the balls foot.

[VegasWolf]

30. Exactly! Watch all the dirty laundry fly. Let's get rid of all slimeballs.

[Fridays Child]

28. DeLay should quit. Period.

nt

[Occulus]

29. Nope! KEEP him in!

He's doing fully half our work for us.

[Theduckno2]

31. It is nice to see that the Republican Congress doesn't have

the same level of loyalty as the Chimp's administration. Gee you could fabricate and mismanage the war in Iraq and still get a medal for it. This just shows how out of touch the chimp is. As for DeLay, it is nice to see the Hammer get hit on for a change!

[Hardrada]

33. He's getting the Trent Lott treatment!

[Endangered Specie]

32. You gotta love how quickly they will turn their backs on one another...

like rats on a sinking ship.

[tuvor]

34. Similar story: Republican calls for DeLay to step down

WASHINGTON - Signaling that persistent ethics questions about House Majority Leader Tom DeLay may be starting to weigh down Republicans, a GOP moderate on Sunday called for DeLay to resign his leadership post, and a top GOP senator urged DeLay to answer questions about his ethics.

"Tom's conduct is hurting the Republican Party, is hurting this Republican majority and it is hurting any Republican who is up for re-election," Rep. Christopher Shays, R-Conn., told the Associated Press after making similar comments at community meetings in his home district this weekend. He said DeLay should step down.

Shays has had a rocky relationship with DeLay, R-Sugar Land, in recent years over questions about campaign finance and ethics rules. But his concerns were underscored by Sen. Rick Santorum, R-Pa., a conservative and the Senate's third-ranking Republican, who said DeLay needs to clear the air.

"I think he has to come forward and lay out what he did and why he did it and let the people then judge for themselves," Santorum said on ABC's This Week. He said that from what he knows of the ongoing DeLay controversies, "everything he's done was according to the law."

http://www.chron.com/cs/CDA/ssistory.mpl/nation/3127743

[manly]

35. oops.My error.

I just now saw that that this news had been posted on the 10th, and I missed it. Sorry for the duplication.Chagrined I am.

[maxrandb]

37. He Still Needs to Be Defeated and Replaced by a Democrat, but

I found this tidbit most interesting.

"He was in Greenwich to host a public forum, open to all political parties, on whatever pressing issues attendees were interested in discussing."

He obviously didn't get the message about how to run town hall meetings. Me-thinks that Repubs would "frown" on this type of forum.

That said, it should be a priority that there be no more repukes elected in any "blue-state". To me the only way to end "taxation without representation" in the blue states is to ensure no repuke wins or holds office.

[maxrandb]

38. Kick! Because this is "hugh" n/t