Another Rich Greenwich, Connecticut Democrat

[Adlai Stevenson]

A seasoned politicial can cope with most advantages in an opponent. Happy marriage, photogenic children, or a record of achievement? All can be managed, ignored or denigrated. Here are the four words that strike real fear in an opponent: Goldman Sachs and Company. Extravagantly funded campaign with benchmarks and investment return projections to follow.

So pity Connecticut's Christopher Shays. He may be facing Goldman Sachs veteran James Himes, head of the Greenwich Democratic Town Committee in 2008. The Greenwich Democrat has been writing op-eds on Iraq and other issues that don't usually occupy a local town committee chairman for 700 words.

Rhodes Scholar Himes now works in affordable housing in New York, an issue with little appeal in many of the elite towns along the Connecticut Gold Coast. Affordable housing is a phrase that breeds suspicion in many of the districts tonier precincts.

Himes was scheduled to meet with DCCC this week. You can't have too many millionaires in the line-up. Locals think a Himes candidacy may clear the Democratic field. Parson Shays, who wrote a memorably cloying fundraising letter from Baghdad in 2004 cooing over the lovely sound of the early morning call to prayer, will have to strain himself again to raise the dough to compete in the expensive Fourth Congressional District.

Two time loser Diane Farrell, who ran two competitive races against Shays, is expected to give the race a pass in '08.

http://politicalinsider.com/

[TheresNoMoney]

Shays is the only Republican congressman left in New England! Gotta get him out in 2008!

[GOP = Terrorists]

Guest Post by Jim Himes (Connecticut Local Politics)
Published on Wednesday, March 28th, 2007 at 5:56 am by Jim Himes

The following is a post written by likely Congressional Candidate Jim Himes. Please join me in welcoming him to CTLP. -CGG

Thinking about running for Congress is a serious matter. I have spent a lot of time reflecting on the ideas and values that energize me, ideas that would breathe life into my campaign.

This thinking has convinced me that our nation is ready for a return to the optimism and shared endeavor that made it great. We are tired of the fear and division that have been used to narrow our vision and shrink our hopes. We are weary of stunted leadership by men of small competence and smaller imagination.

We have been led to squander untold billions and the precious lives of our young in a war of choice that has inflamed the world against us and sold cheap our heritage as a city upon a hill.

Can we set aside posturing and make the investments in our ports, in our intelligence networks and in our relationships abroad that will make national security something more than a political slogan? Like the framers of the Declaration of Independence, can we remember that any great venture should proceed “with a decent respect to the opinions of mankind”? Yes, we can.

At home, can we move beyond tired arguments to equip all of our people with the education that will will enrich their lives in every way? Can we remember that whatever dollars we spend to educate our people are the best investment we can make? Yes, we can.

Could we come together to do the hard work so that all of us have access to competent healthcare at every moment of need? Can we recall the patient courage of the civil rights workers of yesterday to claim health as a civil right tomorrow? Yes, we could.

Are we ready to assume real responsibility for the stewardship of our planet? Can we remember that the shoulders on which we now stand once bent to defeat fascism, to integrate our schools and to put a man on the moon? Might that spirit inform how we aspire to shape our cities, suburbs and countryside? I think so.

These are ideas and values. While they don’t substitute for the tough compromises and nitty gritty of good policy, I believe they energize its pursuit. I look forward to getting into that nitty gritty. But isn’t it possible that our nation is ready, at great long last, to craft these ideas and values into the kind of world I would be proud to leave to my two young daughters? Yes, I think so.

In the end, what I think is not nearly as important as what you think. We are, after all, talking about a representative body. I look forward to your thoughts and ideas.

[Chancellor Tanterterg]

"progress" please for the love of God change your signeture

[Virginian87]

Shays is the only Republican congressman left in New England! Gotta get him out in 2008!

Why?  It's not healthy to become drunk with power to the point where you want to entirely purge a region of the members of one party.  I'd like the Democratic Solid South to return as well, but I still voted to keep my Republican congressman last year.  Even if he is the last congressman in New England, you shouldn't be focusing on getting rid of him just for that reason.  Shays really is not that bad a guy (positions-wise, he's quite moderate), and considering how wealthy is area of Connecticut is, he probably best represents their economic interest.  

I don't mean to rain on your Republican purge, but this kind of attitude towards the other party is not natural.  

[Chancellor Tanterterg]

Shays is the only Republican congressman left in New England! Gotta get him out in 2008!

Why?  It's not healthy to become drunk with power to the point where you want to entirely purge a region of the members of one party.  I'd like the Democratic Solid South to return as well, but I still voted to keep my Republican congressman last year.  Even if he is the last congressman in New England, you shouldn't be focusing on getting rid of him just for that reason.  Shays really is not that bad a guy (positions-wise, he's quite moderate), and considering how wealthy is area of Connecticut is, he probably best represents their economic interest.  

I don't mean to rain on your Republican purge, but this kind of attitude towards the other party is not natural.  

Good for you, you should be proud of that because it proves whether R or D you vote on princepal not party

[I spent the winter writing songs about getting better]

Shays is the only Republican congressman left in New England! Gotta get him out in 2008!

Why?  It's not healthy to become drunk with power to the point where you want to entirely purge a region of the members of one party.  I'd like the Democratic Solid South to return as well, but I still voted to keep my Republican congressman last year.  Even if he is the last congressman in New England, you shouldn't be focusing on getting rid of him just for that reason.  Shays really is not that bad a guy (positions-wise, he's quite moderate), and considering how wealthy is area of Connecticut is, he probably best represents their economic interest. 

I don't mean to rain on your Republican purge, but this kind of attitude towards the other party is not natural. 

Good for you, you should be proud of that because it proves whether R or D you vote on princepal not party

No, you should vote on whether you want Nancy Pelosi or John Boehner to be Speaker, and Harry Reid or Mitch McConnell to be Senate Majority Leader.

[DownWithTheLeft]

Shays is the only Republican congressman left in New England! Gotta get him out in 2008!

And Jeb Bradley back in!

[Chancellor Tanterterg]

Shays is the only Republican congressman left in New England! Gotta get him out in 2008!

Why?  It's not healthy to become drunk with power to the point where you want to entirely purge a region of the members of one party.  I'd like the Democratic Solid South to return as well, but I still voted to keep my Republican congressman last year.  Even if he is the last congressman in New England, you shouldn't be focusing on getting rid of him just for that reason.  Shays really is not that bad a guy (positions-wise, he's quite moderate), and considering how wealthy is area of Connecticut is, he probably best represents their economic interest. 

I don't mean to rain on your Republican purge, but this kind of attitude towards the other party is not natural. 

Good for you, you should be proud of that because it proves whether R or D you vote on princepal not party

No, you should vote on whether you want Nancy Pelosi or John Boehner to be Speaker, and Harry Reid or Mitch McConnell to be Senate Majority Leader.

McConnell vs. Ried and Pelosi vs. Boehener means write in time

McConnell and Ried is like seeing double corrupt unprincepaled taints on their respective offices.  Same with Pelsoi and Boehener.  And did I mention they lie?  And why won't "progress" change his/her ****ing signeture, it is unimagenably offensive

[Filuwaúrdjan]

What a disgusting candidate. I don't have much time for Shays (more than most Republican Congresscritters actually, but that's not saying much) but if this prick is the best the Democrats can find to run against him then I hope he wins.

[○∙◄☻¥tπ[╪AV┼cVê└]

What a disgusting candidate. I don't have much time for Shays (more than most Republican Congresscritters actually, but that's not saying much) but if this prick is the best the Democrats can find to run against him then I hope he wins.

How dare he work in affordable housing?

[Filuwaúrdjan]

What a disgusting candidate. I don't have much time for Shays (more than most Republican Congresscritters actually, but that's not saying much) but if this prick is the best the Democrats can find to run against him then I hope he wins.

How dare he work in affordable housing?

You know, it's pretty obvious that that isn't really my problem with him (though o/c I'm not exactly a fan of paternalism).

[I spent the winter writing songs about getting better]

What a disgusting candidate. I don't have much time for Shays (more than most Republican Congresscritters actually, but that's not saying much) but if this prick is the best the Democrats can find to run against him then I hope he wins.

How dare he work in affordable housing?

You know, it's pretty obvious that that isn't really my problem with him (though o/c I'm not exactly a fan of paternalism).

Oh, so he's rich. Big deal. (I say this as a big class warfare guy for the most part)

I'd much prefer Shays be replaced by someone more like Chris Murphy, but considering the nature of the district that is not too likely.

[Rob]

You know, it's pretty obvious that that isn't really my problem with him (though o/c I'm not exactly a fan of paternalism).

What? It looks like he has a typical liberal Democratic platform. Would you like him better if he wanted to cut his own taxes and smash the welfare state?

I'm all for hating the rich, but why not welcome those on the right side? There's an honorable tradition of left-wing activism among more enlightened segments of the elite- I don't think I need to remind you of Franklin Roosevelt, the ultimate aristocrat.

[Filuwaúrdjan]

Would you like him better if he wanted to cut his own taxes and smash the welfare state?

No, I'd dislike him even more

Actually, it's possible that I'm being a little unfair here. I think that the tone of the article at the top of the thread might have irritated me a little bit...

[AndrewTX]

I love Chris, the seat is his until he decides to retire.  If he couldn't be taken down in 2006, don't count on any miracles in 2008.  We like him here in the 4th.

[I spent the winter writing songs about getting better]

I love Chris, the seat is his until he decides to retire.  If he couldn't be taken down in 2006, don't count on any miracles in 2008.  We like him here in the 4th.

That's assuming 2008 will be much better for the Republicans than 2006, which doesn't look like the case if the Republicans keep up with this saying in Iraq forever thing. Something Shays is a strong supporter of. And it's going to be a presidential year.

[AndrewTX]

I love Chris, the seat is his until he decides to retire.  If he couldn't be taken down in 2006, don't count on any miracles in 2008.  We like him here in the 4th.

That's assuming 2008 will be much better for the Republicans than 2006, which doesn't look like the case if the Republicans keep up with this saying in Iraq forever thing. Something Shays is a strong supporter of. And it's going to be a presidential year.

Iraq was pretty unpopular around here in 2004 as well. He still managed to win re-election.  The 4th was only won by Kerry by about 4 points.  I honestly can't think of any candidate that would be able to defeat Shays.

[SomeLawStudent]

I love Chris, the seat is his until he decides to retire.  If he couldn't be taken down in 2006, don't count on any miracles in 2008.  We like him here in the 4th.

That's assuming 2008 will be much better for the Republicans than 2006, which doesn't look like the case if the Republicans keep up with this saying in Iraq forever thing. Something Shays is a strong supporter of. And it's going to be a presidential year.

Iraq was pretty unpopular around here in 2004 as well. He still managed to win re-election.  The 4th was only won by Kerry by about 4 points.  I honestly can't think of any candidate that would be able to defeat Shays.

I don't think this analysis is correct.  I am from the more Republican part of the 4th District and Shays isn't that popular.  He mostly benefits from a lot of people that are used to voting Republican in the small towns, but they are old and dying off.  A lot of the young people who became eligible to vote in the last few years have trended heavily democrat (3 to 1 in my estimation). 

Also, the only reason Shays won in 2006 was because it was an off-year and the minority/democratic vote was heavily suppressed in Bridgeport.  In 2008 if the Iraq war is still as unpopular Shays will have a really hard time holding onto his seat because the minority vote will be much much higher in Bridgeport and Stamford IMO.