Darien Times
By Joshua Fisher, Times Editor
There is a different political landscape facing U.S. Rep Chris Shays from just two years ago when he accepted the Republican nomination for House of Representatives.
At the Fourth Congressional District convention, held Saturday at Darien Town Hall, Shays again accepted the Republican nomination for a 12th term “ with gratitude. ” In what will be a closely watched race nationally (Shays won last time by less than 2 percent), the incumbent is being challenged by Democrat Jim Himes of Greenwich. (See story here)
“We have been through a lot together these past four years,” Shays told a packed auditorium. “Your effort, your hard work on my behalf means so much to Betsi and me. We are truly blessed. But guess what? This election is going to take the same amount of effort and skill.”
Two years ago, the Republican Party still held majorities in both houses of Congress. And Shays was one of three GOP representatives from Connecticut. But after the 2006 elections, which led to Democrats taking control of the House and Senate, Shays is the only Republican congressman from New England.
“Democrats didn’t really win the election of 2006,” Shays said in his acceptance speech. “Republicans lost that election because we lost our way. We lost our way when we set aside our legislative agenda to focus on the impeachment of a President. We lost our way when our leaders cut corners to pursue and maintain power. We lost our way when some of my colleagues decided bad behavior didn’t matter — because Congressional ethics didn’t poll as a key issue. The voters made us pay, and it wasn’t pretty. After Election Day had come and gone, we lost 30 seats and some of the best members of Congress.”
The congressional majority has already squandered it opportunity, Shays, who grew up in Darien and now lives in Bridgeport, told the convention. Do you think things have changed for the better over the last two years?” he asked. “Or were those just words?”
Though Democrats speak of the challenges America faces, “their leaders obstruct and delay,” Shays said. “The liberal activists who speak loudest in their party demand we turn our backs on the young democracy in Iraq. They demand the impeachment of President Bush and Vice President Cheney. They argue our concern about Islamist terrorism is overstated, and seek to punish those companies that helped our government conduct surveillance against our enemies after Sept. 11.
“They are shutting the door on free trade with Colombia, an important ally who stands with us as a counterbalance in South America against an outspoken anti-American demagogue in Venezuela. Their careless and irresponsible actions make it clear they have no agenda, no plan. Despite the promises they made, they have failed in any meaningful way to address the real challenges confronting our families and our nation.”
Shays said that when the Republicans ran Congress, they didn’t work with Democrats; and the Democrats in power are not working with Republicans right now. “The issues we’re facing make it so critical we find ways to work together. The solutions can be found where most Americans reside: in the center of the political spectrum. Yet there are many forces working to divide us.”
Shays said he calls many of the issues facing America today “inconvenient truths:”
“Former Vice President Al Gore talks about global warming as an inconvenient truth,” Shays said. “He’s right. We need to confront climate change as a national imperative. I believe we will not have a world to live in if we continue our neglectful ways. But this is not the only inconvenient truth.”
High energy costs: Shays noted his work with the League of Conservation Voters and U.S. Rep. Maurice Hinchey (D-NY) to propose “bipartisan legislation requiring manufacturers to build more energy-efficient appliances and more fuel-efficient automobiles, significantly increasing the mileage standards for minivans, SUVs, trucks and cars.”
“Freedom from fossil fuels,” he later said, “will help stimulate the economy, it will begin to combat climate change, and it will make our nation more secure.”
Illegal immigration: “Our national defense begins with the protection of our borders. We must face the challenges of illegal immigration... we must open our doors wide to legal immigrants — but shut them tight to those who would come here illegally.
Decaying infrastructure: “One-hundred years ago, Theodore Roosevelt convened a national conference to plan America’s infrastructure needs for the 20th century.
Building on his legacy, I am working with Congressman Earl Blumenauer, a Democrat from Oregon, on bipartisan legislation that will bring together experts from around the world to set forth a comprehensive vision to help renew and rebuild our nation’s transportation, energy and water infrastructure to meet the challenges of the 21st Century.”
Iraq: “The debate over the future of Iraq and our role in it continues to pose an inconvenient truth that many would rather avoid. The truth is, things are going much better in Iraq. We have new and effective leadership. Our troop surge put us on offense, enabling American and Iraqi forces to secure large portions of the country. The Iraqi military has matured into a force that’s contributing to its own national defense. Tribal leaders are siding with the government, and not with al Qaeda.
“... Two years ago, I told you the war was going badly. Both John McCain and I said we needed a change. I talked about the need to replace the Secretary of Defense, and about a timeline for concluding our mission. My political opponents said, ‘This is all about politics. He’s only talking about a timeline and saying things are going badly because he’s in a tough race.’ The fact is, I said what I said because it was the truth.
“And after the last election, we made changes in Iraq. We brought in new leadership, and began a new strategy. And the situation improved dramatically. Now that I am saying things are going well, what do my opponents say? They say the same thing. ‘This is all about politics. He’s only saying things are going well because he’s in a tough race.’ The bottom line is this: I go where the truth takes me, regardless of the political consequences.”
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