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Shays Shocker: My Congressional Colleagues Are 'Corrupt'
NewsMax.com ^ | 2/19/02 | Carl Limbacher and NewsMax.com Staff

Posted on 02/19/2002 4:02:02 PM PST by kattracks

An author of the Shays-Meehan campaign finance reform bill passed by the House last week had telephones ringing off the hook in New York and Washington, D.C. Tuesday afternoon when he said during a radio interview that he and many of his fellow congressional representatives are "corrupt."

During a heated debate on the influence of big money in politics, Rep. Christopher Shays (R-Ct.) told nationally syndicated radio host Sean Hannity that he could name "more than three" congressmen who he said had been corrupted by campaign donations - but declined to do so on the air.

Shays' bizarre confession prompted calls of concern to his Washington office by several colleagues, with Hannity revealing after the interview that at least three congressman had called his own New York City broadcast studio for clarification on what Shays said.

The full exchange went like this:

HANNITY: Can you name me three members of Congress, just three, that are corrupt because they receive donations?

SHAYS: Oh, I can name you more than three, but I wouldn't...

HANNITY: You can?

SHAYS: No, no, Sean, this is one thing we have to be very honest about in our society. You don't - you, I hope, were outraged at Enron, what happened at Enron. I was.

HANNITY: I'm more outraged about Global Crossing, but that's....

SHAYS: Well, O.K. But either way what happened was there were two things that Enron - Enron told us a whole host of things. But one of the things they taught us was that nobody spoke out about a corrupt system. And even Miss Watkins, who spoke out, only spoke out internally.

Now, I would be like Miss Watkins if all I did was to speak internally and tell my Speaker the system is corrupting us - cause I've done that. And what corrupts us....

HANNITY: You're saying that members of Congress, you have no doubt - how many would you say of the 435 members are corrupt? Cause you're saying....

SHAYS: Now, Sean, I want to say this to you. This is a system that corrupts everyone it touches - even me....

HANNITY: You have been corrupted by accepting donations?

SHAYS: Let me just explain to you how, and, you know, we may not be able to cover it all. But, I want to be honest with you like you would want an Enron employee to be honest with you.

And the bottom line is, certain bills don't come to the floor because the people are major contributors. Certain amendments don't get on the rules committee because people are major contributors. Some bills get to the floor because there are major contributors. Some issues that have been important to some people in the general public for years don't see the light of day because major contributors don't like it. And that's a fact. (End of Excerpt)

Shays' comments about congressional corruption set off a firestorm of controversy, so much so that minutes after the interview ended he was back on the telephone asking Hannity for more airtime.

SHAYS: I wanted to dialogue because I don't feel that everyone in Congress is corrupt. I think it's a corrupting system.... I was having people call me in response to one or two things you were saying and I really want to be clear on this because this is very important to me.

I believe that I work with some of the finest people who actually are members of Congress. But the issue is, do I think all members of Congress are corrupt? Absolutely not.

HANNITY: No, you didn't say that. But you said some.

SHAYS: But what I do believe is that we are involved in a very corrupting system.

Read more on this subject in related Hot Topics:

Campaign Finance Reform


TOPICS: Front Page News; News/Current Events
KEYWORDS: silenceamerica
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To: toupsie
Rep. Shays needs to either recant his statement in a press release or turn over the names of these legislators...

Oh, I wonder what he is going to do [not]!

41 posted on 02/19/2002 5:43:55 PM PST by GregoryFul
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To: kattracks
This is a system that corrupts everyone it touches - even me....

If I'm not mistaken, didn't McCain say the same thing almost verbatim a couple years back? I've never heard a democrat make a similar admission, so there must be some difference (between RINOs and rats).

42 posted on 02/19/2002 6:44:08 PM PST by Youre freakin me out
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To: kattracks
SHAYS: But what I do believe is that we are involved in a very corrupting system.
Tell me, Shays, how do you cleanse a corrupting system enough to prevent admittedly corrupt people, such as yourself, from doing corrupt things? Maybe it would be much simpler to replace the corrupt people with honest people--starting with you?
43 posted on 02/19/2002 7:16:13 PM PST by Quicksilver
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To: Howlin
The only one I can recall is his infamous townhall CT meeting over whether he should vote to impeach X42....
44 posted on 02/19/2002 7:21:28 PM PST by Citizen Soldier
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To: Youre freakin me out
Honest John was one of the Keating 5...thats where he learned how to work the system
45 posted on 02/19/2002 7:21:53 PM PST by bybybill
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To: kattracks
Aren't there rules in Congress that if a member knows about corruption he should report it? Rules aside, don't we all have a moral obligation to do something about corruption if whe know about it?
46 posted on 02/19/2002 7:29:11 PM PST by DManA
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Comment #47 Removed by Moderator

To: Tench_Coxe
There was another bombshell that Shays came up with during his interview with Sean Hannity.

The two of them were talking about money and its influence when Shays came out with something along the lines it shouldn't take you raising millions of dollars to become a committee chairman. He returned to that theme three or four times during the rest of the interview.

Normally, when some one returns to a theme during an interview it reflects a key thought or position.

If that is even half way true then what is the real driving factor behind the CFR Bill? Is it to reduce the impact of money or to enable Shays to achieve a Congressional Committee Chairmanship?

Looking at the size of Conn. I suspect it is more the later than the former.

48 posted on 02/19/2002 7:39:01 PM PST by Nip
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To: Endeavor
She would be interesting but I would rather see someone who is not a lawyer.
49 posted on 02/20/2002 2:56:27 AM PST by B4Ranch
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To: kattracks;all
Silence, America!:

Silence, America!: for Silence, America!. 

Other Bump Lists at: Free Republic Bump List Register



A further Mini-Editorial!

Folks, these clowns, corrupters, and frauds in Congress are trying to silence YOU!

Wake up, dammit!

Rush and Hannity and all the hosts in the world can inveigh against this garbage day and night, but unless you actually do something about it, it will not matter one tiny iota!

Now is the time! If not now, when? When they arrest your wife or kids for "improper speech?"

Get off your butts and send some emails and faxes. Write letters, especially letters to editors.

Call talk shows- the local ones are easy to get on and reach a lot more people than you may realize.

This- right here, this "issue"- is where the rubber meets the road...

There are over 70,000 members here, and I know each of you knows at least two or three more people you can tell about this-- so do it! Now!

And tell them to tell 2 more people, and tell them to "pass this on to 2 more..."

The right to speak freely is as fundamental to a free society as the right to defend yourself against unprovoked attack. This is a frontal assault on your liberty and the freedom of your children and spouse.

It's time to move out, folks- march, or die....


Here's a Note to Activists:

Want to do something? Go here:

Ignorance Making You Ill? Cure It!

for links, tools, & instructions about how to contact a pile of different people, and how to send a link to this story right here ( or anywhere else ) to a "mass email" using Outlook Express.


I say again, people- it's time to speak up- or be forever silenced!

50 posted on 02/20/2002 3:11:30 AM PST by backhoe
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To: kattracks
Let's pass new CFR laws? Since when did laws stop criminals? They aren't corrupt. They are criminals. There is not a law enforcement agency that can stand up to these particular criminals.
51 posted on 02/20/2002 3:13:09 AM PST by PGalt
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To: Nip
The two of them were talking about money and its influence when Shays came out with something along the lines it shouldn't take you raising millions of dollars to become a committee chairman. He returned to that theme three or four times during the rest of the interview.

I'd really like to know more about this! Didn't it sound like Chris Shays wants a chairmanship and doesn't have one!! Based on yesterday's performance, I hope he never gets one. RINO is too conservative for him! I have trouble remembering that there is an "R" behind his name.

52 posted on 02/20/2002 3:29:02 AM PST by maica
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To: kattracks
He is right about the corruption - he let the cat out of the bag, however, and his "colleagues" won't soon let him forget it.

But nothing in the CFR measure will stop the corruption which he has acknowledged!!!!! The Enron Execs can still give tens of thousands of dollars - they can just give it in hard money - to the Democratic party or to state candidates.

This bill does NOT stop the corruption - it enhances the CORRUPT LIBERAL MEDIA!

53 posted on 02/20/2002 3:36:06 AM PST by Freedom'sWorthIt
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To: kattracks
What is the big surprise. Of course they are all corrupt. If you acted the way that they do in your private business or employment you would be thrown in jail - and if you were big enough, brought before a Congressional hearing.

Again, what is the surprise? You take money from people that are trying to influence your actions, you are corrupt.

54 posted on 02/20/2002 3:47:28 AM PST by BJungNan
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To: kattracks
Bump for later read.
55 posted on 02/20/2002 6:12:57 AM PST by jokar
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To: kattracks
more proof that Shays is an idiot
56 posted on 02/20/2002 7:29:32 AM PST by linn37
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To: kattracks
I, too, heard the conversations with Shays/Hannity ... and I was spitting nails. To add to the mix, Shays definitely stated that he does NOT equate money with speech. I posted my thoughts in an email to the Congressman ... email was rejected.

Sorta gives me the picture of Congress building walls around itself to keep out the citizenry ... a bit of corruption on the inside, with the defenders of the Consititution on the outside. I surely do want to see those walls come tumbling down!!

Pegita

57 posted on 02/20/2002 7:57:56 AM PST by Pegita
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To: Nip
He kept coming back to the Chairmanship business and I kept thinking, AND YOUR POINT IS? If that is the case then change the rules of the House, but don't stomp on my free speech rights! What a moron this guy is. He even said something to the effect about in the old days committee chairmanship used to be based on seniority....waah, waaah, waaah. Looks like he wants the old boy system. What a scum.
58 posted on 02/20/2002 8:10:57 AM PST by Wphile
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To: APBaer
Wrestling figure skating is fixed.
59 posted on 02/20/2002 2:10:37 PM PST by IRtorqued
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