Lamont win could signal trouble for Shays



Shays, R-Bridgeport, a staunch supporter of the war who is seeking his 10th term in the House, could easily face similar repercussions as three-term incumbent U.S. Sen. Joseph Lieberman, said Gary Rose, professor and chairman of the department of government and policy at Sacred Heart University in Fairfield. Shays will face anti-war Democrat Diane Farrell for the seat in November. Congressman Chris Shays of Connecticut served as a Peace Corps Volunteer in Fiji in the 1960's.

Lamont win could signal trouble for Shays

Lamont win could signal trouble for Shays, analysts say

By Mark Ginocchio
Staff Writer

Published August 10 2006

Ned Lamont's Democratic primary victory Tuesday delivered a message to supporters of the Iraq war -- and none should heed more caution in the 4th Congressional District than U.S. Rep. Christopher Shays, political observers said yesterday.

Shays, R-Bridgeport, a staunch supporter of the war who is seeking his 10th term in the House, could easily face similar repercussions as three-term incumbent U.S. Sen. Joseph Lieberman, said Gary Rose, professor and chairman of the department of government and policy at Sacred Heart University in Fairfield. Shays will face anti-war Democrat Diane Farrell for the seat in November.

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"Connecticut is a blue state that's getting bluer. . . . Shays has to be cognizant of public opinion," Rose said. "(The Iraq war) is the issue that transcends every other issue."

Political analysts already were predicting a tough fight for Connecticut Republicans because of a clear lack of support for the Bush administration throughout the state. Shays beat Farrell by just 4 percentage points two years ago, making the race one to watch across the nation.

Lamont's victory should "embolden Farrell" as she works to keep Shays' support of the war the central issue of the campaign, said Donald Greenberg, chairman of the political science department at Fairfield University.

"This is a problem for Shays," Greenberg said. "The Republicans are in trouble."

Of the more than 48,000 votes cast for Senate candidates by 4th District constituents Tuesday, Lamont received about 52.8 percent of the vote compared with Lieberman's 47 percent, according to unofficial numbers.

Farrell, who initially endorsed Lieberman but aligned herself with other state Democrats yesterday to back Lamont, said the strong voter turnout during the primary should send a message to all incumbents, especially Shays.

"The primary was the first opportunity for Democrats to express their displeasure with the Bush administration," Farrell said. "People are clamoring for change."

Shays, who has endorsed Lieberman, did not address how he thought the primary results would affect his own re-election, but said in a statement, "Joe Lieberman is my friend. I have tremendous respect for him. I'm sorry he lost the primary, but unlike my opponent, I look forward to voting for him in the general election."

Not everyone was predicting doom for Shays in November. Critics of Lamont's campaign against Lieberman said Lamont's anti-war position has polarized the Democratic Party, and that Shays, who has always called himself a moderate Republican, could benefit from Lamont's victory.

Lamont supporters "have alienated moderates in their party, and they can very clearly find a home in our moderate Republican candidates like Congressman Shays and Gov. (M. Jodi) Rell," said George Gallo, state Republican Party chairman. "I'm sitting here with a smile on my face today."

Others said Lamont's victory was centered around the public's diminishing support of the war and was not emblematic of a liberal takeover in the state. "The Republicans can talk all they want about how the Democratic Party has been captured by radicals, but the Democrats in this state are not radicals," Greenberg said.

Scott McLean, chairman of Quinnipiac University's political science department, said the primary results show there may no longer be a place for moderate politicians in the state.

"Shays has to pay attention to where he's standing because the center is disappearing, and he's always been a part of that center," McLean said.

When this story was posted in August 2006, this was on the front page of PCOL:




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Gates charity races to spend billions Warren E. Buffett’s gift of $31 billion to the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation means that for tax reasons, starting in 2009, the foundation must distribute $3 billion annually, or a little more than twice what it distributed last year. PCOL Comment: The Foundation says that "preventing the spread of HIV is the most durable long-term solution to the AIDS epidemic, and a top priority for the foundation." Peace Corps Volunteers and Returned Volunteers have been doing just that in AIDS Education for the past 15 years. Why not consider a $100M annual contribution to the Peace Corps to put 2,500 additional volunteers in the field to expand AIDS education worldwide?

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History of the Peace Corps PCOL is proud to announce that Phase One of the "History of the Peace Corps" is now available online. This installment includes over 5,000 pages of primary source documents from the archives of the Peace Corps including every issue of "Peace Corps News," "Peace Corps Times," "Peace Corps Volunteer," "Action Update," and every annual report of the Peace Corps to Congress since 1961. "Ask Not" is an ongoing project. Read how you can help.

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