WINO Chris Shays Says He Wants Withdrawal, But Keeps Voting Against It
It should be noted that the GOP WINO caucus (definition of term below) isn't a club reserved exclusively for Republican Senators -- House GOPers are welcome, too!
Case in point: Chris Shays. The GOP Rep. from Connecticut has now told CNN in an interview that we should begin pulling out of Iraq...
WASHINGTON (CNN) – Rep. Christopher Shays, R-Connecticut Thursday said the U.S. should begin to plan a withdrawal of troops and should be totally upfront with the struggling Iraqi government about its plans to drawdown the number of troops deployed in the county.“We do not have the force structure to maintain the level of troops we have in Iraq now, and certainly to increase them,” Shays said during an appearance in CNN’s Situation Room. “So, whatever General Petraeus tells us in September, we are still going to have to reduce the number of troops in Iraq. And that’s why I think it would be wise to let the Iraqis know that now, that there will be a gradual reduction in troops.”
Yes, yes, yes, that's lovely and wonderful, but Shays keeps voting against measures that would force the President to do anything like this.
Shays, of course, started allegedly "wavering" in his support for Bush's war policies back in 2006, when he almost lost reelection. Now he's just wavered again on CNN. But if this wavering has yet to translate into a single vote that would actually change the Bush policies he's wavering about, we haven't seen it.
The other day, Shays voted against the House measure mandating withdrawal from Iraq by April of 2008.
In March, Shays voted against the big Iraq funding bill passed by the House that contained withdrawal timelines.
Back in February, Shays even voted against a non-binding resolution condeming the surge -- even though during the 2006 campaign he'd allegedly started to "waver" in his support for Bush.
Shays says he supports establishing timelines, but keeps objecting every time the Dems...establish actual timelines.
Welcome to the WINO caucus, Rep. Shays!
A postscript: The WINO caucus, as you all know, refers to Waverers In Name Only -- GOP members of Congress who are allegedly "wavering" in their support of Bush's war policies but won't vote for anything that would actually change those policies.
Good thing he's in the house and not the Senate.
July 20, 2007 12:10 PM | Reply | Permalink
indeed...
July 20, 2007 12:15 PM | Reply | Permalink
Why does the media continue to let these people get away with this? Don't they have any pride in their jobs? They are being treated as suckers and they seem too eager to let it continue. Maybe it's just me, but I take pride in the work I do and would never let myself be turned into such a joke.
It really is getting extremely unbelievable. And I'm not one who is necessarily averse to the MSM. But, Jeebus!
July 20, 2007 12:46 PM | Reply | Permalink
He has the dreaded Lieberman disease, a disease that is common among Connecticut politicians although has been known to infect others often in the Beltway.
The only known cure for the disease is to throw the bums out.
July 20, 2007 3:38 PM | Reply | Permalink
We're trying. Jim Himes for Congress. CT-04
http://himesforcongress.com/
July 20, 2007 3:57 PM | Reply | Permalink
Shays has learned a lot from his buddy, Joe Lieberman. Lieberman, e.g., voted against filibustering the Alito nomination to the Supreme Court and then voted against Alito in the up or down vote to cover his tracks.
July 20, 2007 8:45 PM | Reply | Permalink
I seem to recall that Senator Arlen Specter has a notable record for this kind of behavior.
And, sadly, the Democratic "leadership" seems to let themselves get sucked into it every time.
Will Charlie Brown never learn that no matter what she says, Lucy will always jerk the ball away just as he is about to kick it?
July 20, 2007 9:27 PM | Reply | Permalink
I like Withdrawal In Name Only better. Who cares if they waver? You're either for getting out or your not and the way you measure is by voting for withdrawal. Nobody gives a crap what Congress says, not even the Founding Fathers. It's the binding laws they that count. Like Yoda said, 'Do or do not, there is no try'. DO get out of Iraq.
July 21, 2007 5:02 AM | Reply | Permalink
Add the Senate Bobbsey Twins, Snowe and Collins of Maine to this caucus. They have a long history of speaking moderately, then when it comes time to register a vote, they pull an el foldo, and vote the strict conservative party line.
July 21, 2007 11:15 PM | Reply | Permalink