Opinion: “Thumbs Down to Shays for Misleading Ad”
Connecticut Post, Sunday, August 31, 2008
Thumbs down to Rep. Christopher Shays for a misleading advertisement.
The Fourth District Republican faces another tough re-election battle this fall, but that's no excuse for a campaign commercial he's been running on local airwaves. Shays, who likes to fancy himself an independent-minded kind of leader, is said in the TV spot to have "the hopefulness of Obama; the straight talk of McCain," in reference to the major parties' presidential candidates. It's an interesting tack for someone who is the co-chair for McCain's Connecticut campaign; is Shays trying to say he's OK with Obama's candidacy? That might be news to McCain. But Shays, knowing Connecticut is likely to vote overwhelmingly for Obama this fall, is trying his best to have it both ways. In this estimation, political independence is a fine substitute for judgment. It's up to 4th District voters to tell him whether he's right.
