The AP takes a look at the hotly contested 4th Congressional District race and portrays Republican incumbent Christopher Shays as frustrated with his opponent, Westport Democratic First Selectwoman Diane G. Farrell
AP Spotlights Shays-Farrell Race
The AP takes a look at the hotly contested 4th Congressional District race and portrays Republican incumbent Christopher Shays as frustrated with his opponent, Westport Democratic First Selectwoman Diane G. Farrell.
In a Redding-datelined dispatch, the agency said when Shays was asked at a meeting of seniors to outline the political differences between himself and his opponent, he "listed a few issues before switching gears and announcing that he's been unfairly accused of changing his moderate ways.
"Without mentioning Democrat Diane Farrell by name, Shays disputed claims that he's abandoned the district in favor of the national limelight and terrorism, or that he's shed his maverick image to back the GOP leadership and President Bush," the AP said.
"I am a national leader on terrorism issues but I haven't forgotten local causes," Shays told the crowd of 200 elderly voters, listing federal grants he has obtained for local projects, such as a multi-modal transportation center in Stamford.
He later held up an analysis of his recent voting record, which shows he's still more politically moderate and less supportive of Bush than Arizona U.S. Sen. John McCain.
"Nothing galls me more than to have her come to you and say I've changed," Shays said. "That's bogus."
The AP reported that the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee has high hopes for Farrell.
"Diane Farrell has been the strongest candidate we've had in this district," DCCC spokesman Greg Speed told the news agency. "It's fair to say that we see this as one of the best opportunities to beat an incumbent in the country."
U.S. Rep. Thomas Reynolds, R-N.Y., chairman of the National Republican Congressional Committee, acknowledged that Shays faces a strong challenger, but said he believes Shays will successfully weather the storm, the report said.
"This is the first time that there has been someone who has raised some money and begun to articulate some issues using that money," Reynolds said. "Chris Shays has also risen to the occasion, and has moved forward in raising hard money dollars there. I think he's doing fine."
Farrell points to a Congressional Quarterly analysis that showed Shays voting the Republican party line 76 percent of the time in 2003. In 1987, he voted with the GOP 53 percent of the time, according to the report.
"He has changed, whether he sees it or not," she said. "There's nothing to distort. His record is his record."
Shays points out that the same analysis shows McCain voting with the GOP 86 percent of the time in 2003. Meanwhile, Connecticut U.S. Sens. Christopher Dodd and Joe Lieberman voted 95 percent and U.S. Rep. Rosa DeLauro voted 99 percent with the Democrats.
He also shows reporters a National Journal analysis of his 2003 votes that indicates he voted in a conservative way 46 percent of the time and 54 percent in a liberal way.
But Farrell argues that Shays can't be effective as a moderate in Washington because he's "swimming against the tide" of his party, which doesn't reflect the views of Fairfield County voters, the AP said.
And she faults Shays for not doing enough to battle his party on key social issues such as abortion and embryonic stem cell research, which both Shays and Farrell support.
"It's all well and good to disavow," Farrell said. "If he were really committed to fighting for these issues, he'd be challenging his party."
