Rep. Shays In Altercation With Capitol Police Officer: Where Have I Heard This Before?

[DeSwiss]

Shays apologizes for scuffle with Capitol Police officer

By Jackie Kucinich
July 20, 2007



Rep. Christopher Shays (R-Conn.) apologized Friday for an altercation with a Capitol Police officer Thursday afternoon in which the lawmaker repeatedly swore at an officer and touched his nametag to read it before storming away. Shays said in a statement that his frustration with the officer initially stemmed from trying to find a family of constituents that was caught in the rain. He described the interaction with the officer as “inappropriate.”

“Although my focus was in trying to locate my constituents and get them to a dry location, I know I clearly could have handled the situation with the officer in a more professional and respectful way, and I regret I did not do so,” Shays said in a statement. According to sources familiar with the event, the outburst began after Officer Randy Cooper informed a staff member that he could not bring a tour through a lower west front door that has restricted access.

One source said that after Cooper informed the staffer that the family could not enter through the door, the staffer called Shays and tried to have the officer speak with him. When the officer refused, Shays himself came down to the post and proceeded to “scream obscenities” at Cooper before touching his nametag to read it in the rain and storming away.

Shays said he hopes to find the officer on Monday to apologize for his actions. “When I return to Washington on Monday, I hope to have the opportunity to meet with the officer and apologize to him in person,” he said in the statement. “I take full responsibility for this incident and want to ensure it does not reflect negatively on the officer in any way.” Shays also expressed his admiration and respect for the Capitol Police and the work they do to protect lawmakers and visitors. He regretted that his actions did not reflect these thoughts. The officer and the Capitol Police could not be reached for comment.

http://thehill.com/leading-the-news/shays-apologizes-for-scuffle-with-capitol-police-officer-2007-07-20.html

*** - Well, I'm sure that he really impressed his constituents with his tirade. I mean who doesn't want to scream obscenities at the police sometimes? AND to be able to do it without getting arrested??? PRICELESS.



on edit: spelling

[MidwestTransplant]

1. Battery on a police officer.

Let's see if his story stays the same when questioned by law enforcement.

[DeSwiss]

10. I can't wait for the video to come out.....

...I'm sure Homeland Security has it.

[Alexander]

2. Calling Ned Lamont, can you run against this clown?

Please?

[defendandprotect]

5. Could Shays name be on the Madam's list . . . ?

[DeSwiss]

12. He looks like he could be....

...maybe S&M? He's probably submissive with the Madam's girls though....

[sallyseven]

14. I don;t think so. Not with the Madam

or any of her girls. enough said. Draw your own conclusions.

[havocmom]

21. Perhaps the madam is an EEO Empolyer?

[NewJeffCT]

6. They've already gotten a pretty good candidate lined up, I've heard

Some guy named Jim Himes... Rhodes Scholar, Harvard grad,

http://himesforcongress.com/

http://himesforcongress.com/bio.html

[shance]

8. Hmm...how about someone other than another wealthy, white male?

Seems to me there's been enough power withholding (and enough wars) from that group.

We need to have an actual representation from all shapes and sizes.

[sharp_stick]

17. Not in his district n/t

[Alexander]

23. Who would you recommend?

The last opponent to Shays was a wealthy, white female.

And she lost.

[shance]

3. Why do I feel like with so many other tales we are being lied to yet again?

Somethings just not right with this picture.

[saltpoint]

4. DC cops seem to bring out the aggressive streaks in several

Congressfolks.

McKinney, Shays, etc.

Or is it the other way around?

At least Wilbur Mills opted for a more relaxed strategy. He and Miss Foxxe splashing around was not a great political move by Mills, but at least no harsh words were exchanged between him and the arresting officers.

[defendandprotect]

7. And nobody's discussing Shay's hair, or lack of it --

[shance]

9. Why? Did he lose it?

n/r

[EFerrari]

18. There was a statement from one of those cops floating around

that he believed Cynthia was being targeted. Not that that would be surprising.

[saltpoint]

19. Had it been a traceable piece of information I wish that cop had

gone on record with it -- if for no other reason than to help clear the situation up a bit.

Who knows what's going on with Chris Shays. Not me.

But the DC Cop/Congressperson combo seems to be a potentially explosive mix.

At least it's bipartisan!

[EFerrari]

20. So much happens so quickly but I found this link to rawstory:

http://rawstory.com/comments/17427.html

[babylonsister]

11. Cynthia. I wonder if Shays will get the overwhelming attention she did. nt

[DeSwiss]

13. I think we should have hearings....

...then he can apologize for the record. And it'll probably will be the most significant thing he's said since he got there....

:rofl:

[babylonsister]

15. True that! He's now an official member of the WINO caucus:

http://electioncentral.tpmcafe.com/blog/electioncentral/2007/jul/20/wino_chris_shays_calls_for_withdrawal_but_keeps_voting_against_it

WINO Chris Shays Says He Wants Withdrawal, But Keeps Voting Against It
By Greg Sargent | bio

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...

From CNN:

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.

[DeSwiss]

16. I'm certain that he'll come up with.....

...a good excuse come election time.

[Karenina]

22. ...