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Rep. Christopher Shays, R-Conn., carved himself a niche during
his 19 years in Congress, carefully charting a course between
his increasingly conservative party and his ever more liberal
district.
 Shays
consistently avoided serious challenge for his seat until 2004
when he eked out a narrow, four-point victory over Westport First
Selectwoman Diane Farrell.
Now, in a bitter rematch against Farrell, Shays has found that,
"the center is disappearing, and he's always been a part
of that center," as Quinnipiac University Professor Scott
Mclean told the Stamford Advocate.
Throughout much of his career, Shays' conservative economic outlook
along with a more liberal take on social and environmental issues
worked well in his district. Though fueled by concerns over the
Iraq war and Republican leadership, this year's election could
prove more difficult, according to Roll Call.
Raised in Darien, Conn., Shays joined the Peace Corps' Fiji mission
with his wife, Betsi, after graduating from Principia College
in 1968. Upon their return to Connecticut, Shays worked as a political
aide and earned master's degrees in business in 1974 and in public
administration in 1978, both from New York University.
In 1974, he was elected to the Connecticut House and served for
12 years as a state representative before successfully running
for Connecticut's 4th District in a 1987 special election. He
currently serves on the Financial Services and Homeland Security
committees and is vice chairman of the Government Reform Committee.
In a May op-ed for The Washington Post, E.J. Dionne argued that
while emphasizing fiery social issues would energize Bush's conservative
base, doing so would endanger House Republicans like Shays who
face strong challenges in the fall. In an interview with Dionne,
Shays said that President Bush's appeals to shore up support from
his conservative base won't help vulnerable Republicans such as
himself.
"Obviously he [President Bush] should be true to himself
and his principles, but if he is looking for issues, he should
be looking for issues that are helpful to those of us who are
targets," Shays told Dionne.
Farrell has taken advantage of GOP pushes for constitutional
amendments barring gay marriage and flag desecration by arguing
that even if Shays does not himself vote for such measures, his
support for the Republican leadership accomplishes much the same.
Not all of Shays' critics come from the left. The Club for Growth,
a conservative interest group promoting limited government, ranked
Shays sixth on its list of Top 10 Anti-Growth House Republicans.
According to the conservative Human Events Online, "Shays
is a classic case of a politician who has caught Potomac Fever.
Believe it or not, he used to be a strong fiscal conservative.
'Tis no more."
And Shays was endorsed in this election by traditionally Democratic
organizations like Human Rights Campaign -- a lesbian, gay, bisexual
and transgender advocacy group -- and the environmental group
the League of Conservation Voters.
According to the Human Rights Campaign, Shays is "a friend
and ally" who has earned the group's endorsement "for
his leadership securing HIV and AIDS funding [and] his continued
push for employment non-discrimination."
The League of Conservation Voters called him "an environmental
leader who time after time is looking out for the interests of
his constituents, not those of corporate polluters and other special
interests."
Looming large in this election, however, is the Iraq war. As
chairman of the House Government Reform Subcommittee on National
Security, Emerging Threats and International Relations, Shays
has visited Iraq 14 times.
Upon returning from a trip in late August, Shays became the highest-ranking
congressional Republican to call for a timetable to withdraw American
troops from Iraq. Shays explained to The New York Times: "The
administration wants an open-ended commitment and that sends a
wrong message to the Iraqis. I want the Iraqis to know that they
do not have an open checkbook. I also want the Iraqis to know
that our troops will not be there in the numbers they are now."
Nevertheless, Shays maintains that any immediate withdrawal would
be premature. "It would be obscene for us to leave before
the Iraqis are able to defend themselves," he told the Times.
"We completely dismantled their security forces."
John Orman, a Fairfield University professor of politics, told
the Connecticut Post that, "the clear majority in Connecticut
believe the war is wrong, so it is a good position for Shays to
take to disagree with some of the mismanagement of the war."
But Scott McLean, a Quinnipiac University professor, believes
that Shays' switch "is going to be perceived as an election-year
conversion. The timing is very convenient."
Shays maintains that political calculations have nothing to do
with his newfound support for a timetable. He told the Post, "I
let the truth take me where it takes me. If I saw action -- a
real strong political will to take on the private militias --
I wouldn't have to set deadlines. But they are not moving, they
are treading water and we can't do that while our men and women
are dying in Iraq."
-- Compiled by Paul Heintz
for the Online NewsHour
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