As Rep. Chris Shays walked through a congressional dining hall this afternoon, one young head perked up and watched Shays find his table. As the Republican tore into his piece of pizza, the young man stood and approached.

He shook Shays' hand and said how much he admired him for his independent streak. The young man said he wished there were better ways the moderates of the parties could work together.

Shays nodded in agreement and asked who the youth worked for.

"I'm an intern with the DNC."

So, there you have it. Bi-partisanship over pizza. Somebody working with the Democratic Party's chief national organization, the Democratic National Committee, was there shaking the hand of a Republican. Not just any Republican, but one of the nation's most potentially vulnerable Republicans in this year's congressional matchups.

The congressman and the intern exchanged contact information, with Shays saying he wanted to sit down and talk with his young admirer. [One wonders how the youth's DNC supervisors might view such a sit-down.]

Original Article: http://blogs.courant.com/on_background/2008/06/shays.html