Free Republic

By Michael Dinan Staff Writer April 10, 2005 Though Republicans in some circles are rallying around beleaguered House Majority Leader Tom DeLay, R-Texas, one prominent Republican yesterday dissociated himself from the powerful and controversial lawmaker. "He is an absolute embarrassment to me and to the Republican Party," U.S. Rep. Christopher Shays, R-Bridgeport, told more than 50 Greenwich residents yesterday morning at Town Hall. He was in Greenwich to host a public forum, open to all political parties, on whatever pressing issues attendees were interested in discussing.

In an effort to parry likely Democratic attacks, U.S. Rep. Christopher Shays, R-4, has started to distance himself from embattled House Majority Leader Tom DeLay. Shays, who narrowly won re-election last November, bluntly criticized DeLay as pushing ethics and campaign finance laws "to the very edge" and antagonizing Democrats with his partisan rhetoric. "He is on the thinnest of ice as far as I'm concerned," said Shays, who noted that the conservative Texan has been reprimanded three times by the House ethics committee. "That is disquieting. It raises huge questions that Democrats have a right to raise." And raise they...

WASHINGTON - Signaling that persistent ethics questions about House Majority Leader Tom DeLay may be starting to weigh down Republicans, a GOP moderate on Sunday called for DeLay to resign his leadership post, and a top GOP senator urged DeLay to answer questions about his ethics. "Tom's conduct is hurting the Republican Party, is hurting this Republican majority and it is hurting any Republican who is up for re-election," Rep. Christopher Shays, R-Conn., told the Associated Press after making similar comments at community meetings in his home district this weekend. He said DeLay should step down. Shays has had a...