Rep Shays to blogger:Enjoy the food, but don't ask questions

As if I wasn't already embarrassed to have Chris Shays R CT-04 as my congressman. Now I've got some more grievances.

In a recent news conference at a local hotel Shays had the press introduce themselves. The usual suspects were there; The Stamford Advocate, Norwalk Hour, etc. etc.

Then it was the turn of a blogger Melissa Ryan from

Connecticut Local Politics

This was the exchange:

– I'm Connecticut Local Politics
Shays: What is Connecticut local politics?
Ryan: It’s a non partisan blog covering politics in Connecticut
Shays:Is it truly non-partisan?
Ryan: It is.

CORRECTION: The blogger in the exchange below was not Melissa Ryan from Connecticut local politics, it was Matt from MyLeftNutmeg.

I am guilty posting in error and then going to sleep. However the editing of the clip sure did make it clear who was speaking. I would love to get a real transcript together.

Shays: You are welcome as a democrat... to enjoy the food we have here... but not to ask questions...because you’re really not... not the press.

You know all bloggers are liberal lunatics don't you...
I'm sure we never heard Chris complain when Drudge was pushing Whitewater nonsense.
Here is another snippet.

You are not a press, and I’m not even going to go there with you.

You are not the press, you are totally a democrat...Totally with a camera that’s used for one opportunity for me to slip. That’s what you do  and congratulations but you have no legitimacy as the press. I will take questions from the press.

Do I have a 2 year old for a congressman or what??

Here are some video clips.... you know the kind where you actually get to hear what your congresscritter says.

Also good discussion from My Left Nutmeg

Shays is a republican in an increasingly progressive district. Every two years around election time he pulls out his "maverick" routine about how he is independent bla bla bla. Its all BS as he has been and still is a big supporter of GWBs Iraq policies.

This time its come a little earlier
http://www.washingtonpost.com/...

but where was he when it came time to vote?

http://www.tpmcafe.com/...

It seems Mr. Shays has some problems with those other than the traditional media, and some more problems with people actually having the chance to listen to what he says.

•  Tip Jar

  by CTMET on Sat Aug 25, 2007 at 07:24:51 PM PDT

  •  Quick corrections

    Both comments by Shays that you blockquote above were made to MattW at My Left Nutmeg.

    And on a related note, one of the "legitimate" (as far as Shays is concerned) news outlets at the press briefing was The Fairfield County Weekly, which ran a full-page front page picture this week asking whether Shays was losing his mind.  The article was called Battle Fatigue: Is the Iraq War Driving Chris Shays Nuts? and was accompanied by this amazing full-page illustration on the front page of the paper:

    

    Still on newsstands all through the 4th district this weekend.  :-)

    Note: I'm proud to be volunteering and doing part-time field work for Jim Himes, our great Democratic candidate against Shays.

    by Maura in VA on Sat Aug 25, 2007 at 09:55:52 PM PDT

    •  aw :)

      More partisan polarization can be found here (because it's cruel to show a Republican's forums on the internet) and here (I must be biased, because I give the Democrat uninterrupted airtime...)

      by matt le w on Sat Aug 25, 2007 at 10:08:16 PM PDT

    •  Made the correction in the text. Gotta stay up

      late to keep up with you.

      by CTMET on Sun Aug 26, 2007 at 06:53:42 AM PDT

•  I wonder?

  Rep Shays to blogger:Enjoy the food, but don't ask questions

  But what if you asked where the food is?

  I imagine a couple of Shays "people" would angrily hustle you out the door.

  I don’t mean to make light of this. Shays is an ass and deserves ridicule.

  by indy2dem on Sat Aug 25, 2007 at 07:48:46 PM PDT

  •  Shorter Shays:

    Let her eat cake.

    by Night Owl on Sat Aug 25, 2007 at 08:35:49 PM PDT

    •  There's a fun joke in there somewhere

      Maybe in the future we can bring a cake to serve to constituents silenced by our boy prince cranky congressman?

      by matt le w on Sat Aug 25, 2007 at 10:09:56 PM PDT

•  He'll politically suffer with that attitude

  Any political leader who is so arrogant that he or she would publicly brush aside an internet writer simply because they weren't MSM will eventually suffer at the polls unless he (or she) begins to undertsand what's happening out here in the frontier of what will only become a stronger force for change.

  Shays is acting like a future election-loser.

  by Iddybud on Sat Aug 25, 2007 at 07:49:35 PM PDT

•  Yeah, and he is helped by the media in the state

  on this too:

  Shays is a republican in an increasingly progressive district. Every two years around election time he pulls out his "maverick" routine about how he is independent bla bla bla.

  CT press also never gave voters the real story on Lieberman either.  Wasn't it something like 30% of Democrats voted for Joe?

  by CTLiberal on Sat Aug 25, 2007 at 07:57:30 PM PDT

  •  almost every newspaper + Tv station helped Joe

    They covered up for him big time.

    If the press was fair, Lamont would have won hands down.

    by davefromqueens on Sat Aug 25, 2007 at 11:05:18 PM PDT

•  His voice drives me crazy-

  and not in a good way. In committee hearings or on the floor of the House, you can depend on Chris Shays to be pissy, and arrogant, and just an all round PITA (pain in the ass).

  While I don't remember all the members on the House, and where each of them fit, in the scheme of things, I DO remember him.

  I don't live in Connecticut, but my childhood best friend does, and I forward her stuff form Daily Kos, at least twice a week. More would be a little overwhemling to her, but she is getting a taste for it.

  She has lots of on-the-ground friends, and that is one way the tubes work.  

  by Heyroot on Sat Aug 25, 2007 at 08:03:13 PM PDT

•  Mr. Shays may be a congressman.

  But that doesn't make him a representative of his constituents, I guess.

  by by foot on Sat Aug 25, 2007 at 08:07:50 PM PDT

•  Wow, feeling the heat much Chris?

  Those nasty bloggers keeping you up at night?

  Whozat?!  

  You!

  You a blogger?!

  No?

  How 'bout you?!

  You real press?!

  Hey you!

  Where you from?!

  nahgonnaget me....

  (mumble, mumble)...

  nahgonnatripme up...

  (mumble, mumble)...

  and it's not even 2008 yet.

  by Night Owl on Sat Aug 25, 2007 at 08:30:01 PM PDT

•  Having looked at the blog, it does seem to have

  a Democratic outlook on things, however, if Shays cannot take a question from a blogger who may have an opinion other than regurgitated Republican talking points it sort of shows the moral bankruptcy of the current Republican regime.  The British PM has Question Time from the opposition, it's too bad that Shays is not up to the challenge.  After all, it's not like Bill Clinton had Fox News banned from the White House Press Room, but you know, whoever the next Democratic President is, they may want to consider that as an option: Don't call on Jeff Gannon, or Fox News, or better yet, let them eat the food, but then have them removed from the room.

  by MrJersey on Sat Aug 25, 2007 at 08:35:24 PM PDT

  •  it shouldn't matter

    Even if she represented the most partisan blog in the world, Shays' comment was way out of line.

    Plus it shows insecurity which is typical of Republican events. They don't want people asking questions with truth in them.

    That's why they vet their events and try to keep the general public out.  

    by davefromqueens on Sat Aug 25, 2007 at 11:07:19 PM PDT

•  Just to clarify

  Shays did not make the comment to Melissa Ryan of Connecticut Local Politics.

  He made the comment to MattW of My Left Nutmeg after Matt introduced himself as being from MLN.  

  He was fine with Melissa being "nonpartisan". But he went on to scold Matt three times, even though Matt was entirely respectful and complied with Shays' staff members' request not to tape the press briefing.  (Notably, this clip does not come from a blogger, but rather from Connecticut's version of C-SPAN, CT-N.)  Matt was nothing but polite but still Shays refused to allow him to ask a single question.

  This was not a campaign event; it was organized by Shays' taxpayer-funded Congressional office.  Yet Shays, who decries partisanship as the greatest evil in Washington, refused to allow a Democratic constituent to ask a question.  It's outrageous.

  by Maura in VA on Sat Aug 25, 2007 at 09:45:37 PM PDT

•  Correction

  Shays didn't bar me from asking questions.  He barred MattW from My Left Nutmeg who was sitting next to me.  Matt is the same person he went off about later on in the presser.

  The part about him questioning whether CTLP was truly nonpartisan is correct though.  I'm not sure if this is because Shays was unfamiliar with the blog or because he knew I was one of the lefty posters.

  Melissa

  by CGG on Sat Aug 25, 2007 at 09:46:44 PM PDT

  •  Curious

    What did you ask him post-event?

    by matt le w on Sat Aug 25, 2007 at 10:44:18 PM PDT

    •  Access to Birth Control Act

      I wanted to know if the bill would see the light of day or if it was just a press release.  He didn't know and had his staff get back to me, which they did within two hours.

      The bill has 44 co-sponsors and is awaiting a hearing in the Energy and Commerce Committee.

      by CGG on Sun Aug 26, 2007 at 08:35:29 AM PDT

      •  I called his office and asked what his position

        was on scooter libby's sentence being commuted. They promised me an answer and I never got one.

        by CTMET on Sun Aug 26, 2007 at 02:51:20 PM PDT

•  Email?

  CTMET, would love to chat w/ you off dKos.  Your email addy is not in your profile...could you please email me?  Thanks!

  by Maura in VA on Sat Aug 25, 2007 at 10:09:02 PM PDT

•  Wake Up Connecticut Your Rep Is A Lunatic

  by kerplunk on Sat Aug 25, 2007 at 10:15:51 PM PDT

•  Also Remember That Chris Shays Claimed Abu Gharib

  was simply a "sex ring".  

  http://www.youtube.com/...

  by kerplunk on Sat Aug 25, 2007 at 10:32:09 PM PDT

•  Odd that Shays asked

  Is it truly non-partisan?

  of the bloggers but didn't ask the same question of
  the "real press".
  Shays needs his ass beat in '08.

  by lvillelass on Sat Aug 25, 2007 at 11:02:15 PM PDT

•  here's the main point

  Shays should be man enough to be able to answer questions from any person.

  by davefromqueens on Sat Aug 25, 2007 at 11:09:09 PM PDT

  •  Yes, ITA

    or else they should just replace him with Tim Gunn from Project Runway for the rest of his term, and they'd have a similar but better looking Senator who knew how to judge right from wrong.

    by skiddlybop on Sun Aug 26, 2007 at 06:03:04 AM PDT

  •  Hey Big Dave!

    Come on up anytime, I'm sure Congressman Shays would love to meet you.

    by matt le w on Sun Aug 26, 2007 at 07:42:20 AM PDT