DCCC Chief in Town to Prop Up Himes

Today, Representative Chris Van Hollen from Maryland, the Chairman of the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee (DCCC), makes a campaign stop for Greenwich’s Jim Himes who plans on running to unseat Representative Chris Shays. The Democrats have their eye on the Fourth District for the upcoming congressional elections in 2008. This is the only Republican Congressional seat left in New England.

Last night, Van Hollen was in Manhattan for a $250 per person cocktail reception for Himes to bring in donations and this afternoon he is in Westport for a private luncheon costing $200 a plate. The DCCC has failed in the last two elections in taking over the Fourth district after Westport’s First Selectwoman, Diane Farrell, lost to Shays in 2004 and 2006.

Van Hollen hopes to capture this district and add Himes to the other new congressional rubber stamps, Representatives Courtney and Murphy. Like Courtney and Murphy, a “Representative Himes” will prove to be just another rubber stamp and “yes-man” that is a part of the “Do Nothing Congress.” Himes may want to rethink his run, however, because it seems that Congress is none too popular with the American people. A recent NRCC poll in 50 of the vulnerable Democrat controlled seats, only 35% of Americans would like their Democratic Congressman re-elected, and 50% prefer someone new in Congress.

The Democrats have only a few legislative achievements and have failed with the rest. They have gone back on the rhetoric of the 2006 campaign and are proving their own double standard. The American people and the people in the Fourth Congressional district do not need another rubber stamp in Congress to add to the failed leadership.

http://www.stamfordadvocate.com/news/local/scn-sa-himes4aug21,0,3645918.story?coll=stam-news-local-headlines

http://nrcc.org/news/view_article.asp?ID=57

http://www.nrcc.org/pdf/DoNothingMemo.pdf