Former President George H.W. Bush endorsed Sen. John McCain today at a press conference in Houston, Texas. 

Representative Christopher Shays, of the 4th Congressional District, will face yet another strong challenger for his seat in the U.S. House of Representatives this fall.  Greenwich Democratic Town Committee Chairman Jim Himes will make a bid for the seat that Shays has held since 1987. 

Representative Shays has long been noted for his fiscal conservatism - maintaining a seat on the Financial Services Committee, which deals with numerous issues critical to many Fairfield County residents.  Shays is also widely respected for his willingness to work across party lines on a host of issues - most recently highlighted by his work with Congressman Jim Langevin of Rhode Island on a universal health care plan.   Congressman Shays has been outspoken in the fight on terrorism.  Taking his oversight role as a legislator seriously, Shays has visited Iraq 19 times since 2003 - visiting Iraq almost once a quarter to ascertain on-the-ground reports about the situation.  The residents of the Fourth District have consistently endorsed Shays’ work, returning him to Congress despite several aggressive challenges in recent years.

The proof is apparent in Shays’ fundraising efforts - with much of his financial backing coming from past donors.  According to the Hartford Courant:

That job is made easier by Shays’ long history in the 4th District, where he’s held elective office for 32 years. More than 70 percent of the people who have contributed more than $250 to his current campaign so far also gave to the 2006 race.”Our contributor base has grown from year to year wonderfully, and we appreciate it very much,” Sohn said. “When I started with Chris [in 2002] we had a donor base of just under 4,000 people. Our donor base is now well over 7,000.”

In contrast, according to the same Courant article Mr. Himes has raised more than half of his money from outside the state of Connecticut.

While most of Shays’ individual donations to date have been provided by Connecticut residents, more than half of Himes’ money has come from out of state. Half of the out-of-state contributions are from New York; the next largest source is California.

There is little doubt that the race for the 4th District will again be full of vigor - as is well suited to our democracy. But it seems apparent at this moment that the same high quality level of service provided to his constituents over the past years will propel Congressman Shays to another celebratory Election Night on November 4th, 2008.

Yesterday’s much covered Republican walkout from the U.S. House of Representatives has drawn the ire of U.S. Congressman John Larson.  House Democrats moved an action to hold two White House aides, Harriet Miers and Joshua Bolten, in contempt of Congress for refusing to cooperate with a Congressional investigation into the firing of eight U.S. Attorneys.  Bear in mind that U.S. Attorneys serve at the pleasure of the President and can be fired at any time.  In fact, President Bill Clinton summarily fired 93 U.S. Attorneys in 1993. 

The rub here, of course, is that the Democrats chose the partisan witchhunt instead of taking up action on the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act renewal.   FISA expires at midnight on Saturday and Congressional leadership remains at loggerheads on the issue.  Instead of resolving differences and passing a renewal, it was more fun to pontificate.  According to an e-mail, Rep. Larson commented that:

“The political theater enacted by my colleagues on the other side of the aisle today was akin to Otter and Boone leading the Deltas out of the student body at Faber College.”

Chairman of the Connecticut Republican Party, Chris Healy, released a response to the Congressman’s comment earlier this morning concerning Rep. Larson’s own actions at time of great national crisis.  The highlights:

“Fat, drunk, and stupid is no way to go through life, son,” said Healy.”Congressman Larson’s lame defense of the Democrats contempt of Congress motion is contemptible coming from someone who has shown little respect for public accountability.” Larson’s comparison of GOP members showing their protest by leaving the chamber - something the Democrats did during Republican rule - is both hypocritical and pathetic given the Democrat’s two-year record of failed leadership.

“Congressman Larson and the Democrats said they would deliver in 2006 and America is still waiting,” said Healy. “All these Democrats know is bigger government and silly political parlor games while Americans lose their homes, health care and sense of personal security.”

Larson’s own personal comportment at a time of national crisis makes him unsuited to characterize anyone else as drunken and slovenly frat boys.

According to a 2001 Vanity Fair article which has never been reputed by Congressman Larson, the then second-term representative was observed and photographed partying it up in a swanky downtown DC restaurant a few days after 9-11.

“While the rubble was still smoldering and America was still on high alert - John Larson was regaling staffers and lobbyists with his impersonation of Marlon Brando while the wine and music flowed,” said Healy. “While everyone remembers 9-11, Larson hopes the people will forget the Battle of the Capitol Grille.”

Congressman Larson’s involvement in the story referenced by Chairman Healy is well documented.  Perhaps most damning of the Congressman’s activity was a commentary piece that appeared in the Hartford Courant on November 25, 2001, entitled “John Larson: Redefining Party Politics”, written by then-commentary writer Michelle Jacklin.

It was the evening of Sept. 13, only two days after the horrific terrorist attacks on New York City and the Pentagon. While most Americans sat huddled in their living rooms — frightened, upset and emotionally spent — these boys gathered in a private room at the Capital Grille in Washington, drinking, singing, carousing and having a gay old time.These boys were congressmen. Eleven in all. One of them was John Larson of East Hartford, who was described in an article in the December issue of Vanity Fair magazine as “rotund and jolly-faced.”

The accompanying color photo is, as they say, worth a thousand words, most of them unflattering. There’s Larson, red as a beet and holding a wine glass, doing an imitation of Marlon Brando doing an imitation of Osama bin Laden.

John, John, John. What were you thinking?

One focus here at TER is to bring the best of conservative blogging - both from Connecticut and across the nation - to this site as a one-stop shop for the best blogging content from across the Internet.  We regularly feature this content in our “Down the Blogroll” segment.  Here are some of the best from today:

 Blogs for Victory: Matt Margolis does an analysis of just who is giving to the Democrats this year.

Several blogs are rumbling about earmark reform, and the efforts by many activists to get anti-earmark crusader Jeff Flake onto the House Appropriations Committee.  Rep. Jo Bonner was chosen instead.  Check out RedState and Porkbusters.

Oh, and both Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama are shopping for superdelegates.  Literally.