Chris Shays has joined ranks with former Congresscritter Cynthia McKinney in an incident with Capitol police. Unlike McKinney’s incident there was no punching, although Shays is alleged to have “touched” the officer’s name tag. From the Courant:
After a profanity-laced altercation with a Capitol police officer - during which he reached to touch the officer’s nametag - U.S. Rep. Christopher Shays Friday apologized Friday for acting “in a way I know was not appropriate.”
The 4th District Republican said in a statement, ” I take full responsibility for this incident and want to ensure it does not reflect negatively on the officer in any way.” Capitol police did not respond to requests for comment.
The incident unfolded like this: Shays was waiting to meet constituents on the east front steps of the Capitol for a photo Thursday afternoon. But the intern guiding the constituents was on the opposite side of the Capitol.
The intern was unsure how to find Shays, so the congressman called on a cellphone and advised the intern to go to the nearest officer and hand him the phone so the officer could help.
But officers apparently can’t talk on cellphones while on duty.
Shays, though, thought there could be an exception made in such circumstances because it was raining hard and the constituents were getting soaked. He walked through the Capitol and joined the intern and the constituents, where he confronted the officer.
Shays got angry. Two people familiar with the situation said he shouted at the officer. A source with knowledge of the incident said the congressman reached up to touch the officer’s nametag so he could read it more clearly in the rain.
Shays issued a statement saying that “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.”
This is just the latest in a series of bizarre actions by Shays. Last year, his incidents were chalked up to the pressure of the tight campaign, but this latest just shows that Shays has lost it.
source The Courant, Shays Takes Blame For Clash
, By DAVID LIGHTMAN july 21, 2007
