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It looks like someone might have an anger management problem...

repchristophershays.jpg My Left Nutmeg:

According to sources familiar with the event, the outburst began after Officer Randy Cooper informed a staff member that he could not bring a tour through a lower west front door that has restricted access. One source said that after Cooper informed the staffer that the family could not enter through the door, the staffer called Shays and tried to have the officer speak with him. When the officer refused, Shays himself came down to the post and proceeded to "scream obscenities" at Cooper before touching his nametag to read it in the rain and storming away.

Update: Other recent acts that might have caused a neutral observer to question Shays' mental state have included attacking NASA scientist James Hansen in a committee hearing, literally screaming at the widows of Blackwater contractors who had died in Iraq in a committee hearing, and dismissing Abu Ghraib as a "sex ring" and not torture, among others.

How much you want to bet this won't get nearly the airtime as Cynthia McKinney's outburst last year?

UPDATE: It looks like Shays has apologized.  According to the Guardian, Shays was trying to meet with a family of constituents, not give them a tour.

About Nicole Belle
Nicole Belle's picture
Mom, Wife, Media Critic/Political Analyst, Blogger, Austen Fanatic, Unapologetic Liberal NicoleBelle@crooksandliars.com
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62 Comments
Pappa Mwege's picture

Its those Conservative Family values and Respect for Authority that republicans learn from birth that produce such admirable representatives of the people.

Salmineo's picture

Shays is a Christian Science guy. I thought they had all this worked out with that "clearing machine"..?

What?

veritas's picture

Christopher Shays has come unglued too on too many occasions recently and his lack of self-control is indicative of something larger - an anger management problem and/or psychiatric intervention. This latest attack makes clear the need for him to take a "leave of absence" from Congress and receive some medical intervention. We certainly do not need some loose cannon in Congress. His attack on Jim Hanson was horrendously indicative of his incredible lack of respect for others, particularly those who seem to hold some greater power over him - either institutionally or scientifically.

Get some help, Chris, before it's too late!

Jo's picture

Shays needs an "herbal" remedy.

NewNameAcquired's picture

Ah, well if it was "a family of constituents" then the screaming was appropriate, right? Wrong. This guy has issues.

And it also highlights how our security is still all out of whack. I'm glad to see we're finally able to stop someone, but of course they go about it all wrong.

Siigghhh....

actual's picture

A little off topic, but check out this quiz.

http://www.dehp.net/candidate/index.php

It's an issue-based survey that let's you see which candidate you're most closely aligned with.

L.A. Confidential's picture

During the 2006 Congressional election, a week after Ted Kennedy had campaigned in Connecticut for Farrell, Shays was questioned about the Mark Foley scandal. Shays said, "Dennis Hastert didn't kill anybody".

See the reactionary-reptilian brain mode these types dwell in?

bubba's picture

Im perfectly willing to cut him slack if he apologized, which he has apparently done. The interesting part is less him about being angry, I mean who doesnt lose it every once and awhile? The interesting part is how little coverage this will get over the corporate media attack on McKinney for doing something equally stupid.

Petro's picture

actual @ 6:

A little off topic, but check out this quiz.

http://www.dehp.net/candidate/index.php

It's an issue-based survey that let's you see which candidate you're most closely aligned with.

That was fun, thanks for the link. I'm shocked - shocked - that I scored Kucinich... :)

Smack_dab's picture

What the fuck is wrong with Connecticut? Why do they elect such stupid people to represent them?

TDoff's picture

Let's show a little compassion'

In the first place, realize that one must be at least a bit unbalanced to become a republican.

Add to that the psychotic disorder underlying all politicians.

Then consider the strain of being forced to agree with the demented policies of a Bush.

It's a wonder the whole go**amned republican caucus isn't hanging by their necks from the sh*thouse chandeliers, or dying of AIDS from the constant fu*king they get from Bush and Cheney.

So they go a little nuts in public once in a while.

Just be glad you don't have to live with one of these ass*oles.

Bruce's picture

Fuck Shays. He's a weaselly little prick with his nose up the neo-cons asses. This jerk needs to be dumped.

GreenGenes's picture

Cynthia McKinney explain what happened during this speech.
Cynthia McKinney talks about her political history

Snowball's picture

Cynthia McKinney got tarred and feathered by the Corporate Media elite for touching a police officer with her cell phone. We heard about it for weeks if not months. Nothing in the Corporate Media about Chris Shays. The difference? Cynthia McKinney is a female black Progressive Democrat who opposed the occupation of Iraq and is a staunch critic of the Bush regime, Chris Shays is a faux moderate white male Republican who lied about wanting to end the occupation to get re-elected and now fully supports it.

Necadawg's picture

He has the hair style of a BIG JOHN cruising the streets of DC looking for some action.

miss_kitty's picture

maybe he's crabby because he thinks Larry Flint has something on him...?

Ron's picture

This guy, just like the rest of the repugs, doesn't think rules should apply to them. He was trying to show the cop that he had more authority than the cop did. It's typical of these assholes.

Friar Tuck's picture

Ive never cared for this man. I saw him once on larry king and his demenur came off as being all controlled and contained and i was thinking, bet this dude can snap at a moments notice. Sure enough,,,,the end results from the this topic.
Its time to dismiss chris once and for all.

Meddi's picture

He touched an officers name tag? Why didn't he get taken down and arrested?

Jo's picture

miss_kitty @ 16:

maybe he's crabby because he thinks Larry Flint has something on him...?

Ah ha! You may be on to something, miss_kitty.

Kiva's picture

i assume he's a log cabin republican? Does his wife know that?

Snowball's picture

Meddi @ 19:

He touched an officers name tag? Why didn't he get taken down and arrested?

See my comment @14

miss_kitty's picture

Kiva @ 21:

i assume he's a log cabin republican? Does his wife know that?

She finds out with the rest of us-when Larry Flynt presents the 'Reveal'

Snowball's picture

It's getting more obvious that there are two separate standards of justice in this country. It's the velvet glove for rich white Republicans and the iron fist for the rest of us.

Indubio's picture

With Larry Flint hanging over these guys they have a right to be shaky. On top of that they're watching their Republican ideology being ground up in slow motion by the very leaders they elected. And then what morphs from the grinding can only be held up by a force of arms and their names going down in history as most vile and despicable found to date in the US. Them nervous Republicans have a right to lose it. I got a feeling they will be losing more than their cool.

StirFry's picture

This bash needs a valium.

trank's picture

the MSM reaction to shay's temper tantrum will be several orders of magnitude less than what happened to Cynthia McKinney, even if Cynthia was white.

this is a great example of the effectiveness of the talk radio monopoly and the hipocrisy is enables.

even if the Dem party went all out with a major media campaign on this it wouldn't have matched the republicans ability to turn the mcKinney episode into major media event. only with the uncontested repetition possible on the RW talk radio monopoly with it's trickle up pollution of the MSM is that possible.

Snowball's picture

trank, I don't think talk radio has much do do with the disparity in treatment the Corporate Media has given these two events. It isn't a trickle up effect. The Corporate Media is owned and operated by the corporate elite and as such is its mouthpiece. You could get rid of wingnut radio completely and the so-called mainstream media (so-called because it's not, it's corporate and therefore right wing) would still pile on Democrats, inflating non-existent scandals such as Edwards haircut to epic proportions while ignoring or excusing real corruption and criminality by Republicans. By the way, I haven't seen anything on Vitter on the three network news programs.

cobalt's picture

"Trying to meet with" or "trying to sneak in"... funny that they didn't use the front door.

Max-1's picture

.

SO,

He was against assaulting an officer before he was for it?

.

inthemornin's picture

[This is off topic. Please feel to email the site with your questions-Sitemonitor]

Max-1's picture

.

SO,

It's different when I flick away your lapel to read your badge and not when I tap you to get you to move?

.

buh's picture

Is it fair to call Shays' implosion "cheneyesque?"
The corporate media, unfortunately, is still perceived by a large percentage of Americans as being "liberal", as you know, and the Cynthia McKinney scandal doesn't register with this crowd, just the attacks on humble "dubaya."
I must mention that I consider her a true hero for attempting to open congressional hearings on 9-11.

Max-1's picture

.

SO,

It's not assaulting an Officer when the Officer hasn't laid hands on me FIRST?

.

Max-1's picture

.

I refuse to do the sexist [/rant] nor the racist [/rant]...

For that is way too obvious.

.

Snowball's picture

Cynthia McKinney apologized too, it didn't make any difference in her case, why should it with Shays?

Hype-Jersey's picture

what a total and colossal asswipe. You can spend 3 minutes listening to this asshole and know that he's an asshole right to the core.

klunk's picture

actual @ 6:

A little off topic, but check out this quiz.

http://www.dehp.net/candidate/index.php

It's an issue-based survey that let's you see which candidate you're most closely aligned with.

Apparently, Gravel is my preferred candidate and the only one I have no disagreements with... lol... I guess it's a good thing I'm a canuck ;-)

timmm's picture

klunk @ 38:

actual @ 6:

A little off topic, but check out this quiz.

http://www.dehp.net/candidate/index.php

It's an issue-based survey that let's you see which candidate you're most closely aligned with.

Apparently, Gravel is my preferred candidate and the only one I have no disagreements with... lol... I guess it's a good thing I'm a canuck ;-)

Looks like Gravel has my support too!?! Then Kucinich, and then Obama...

sulphurdunn's picture

Republicans are coated with Teflon, democrats with tar.

[...] House Link to Article iraq Rep. Christopher Shays Screams Obscenities At Police Officer » Posted at [...]

Northern Son's picture

I have a feeling that the DC Madam may be able to solve the puzzle of Chris's
extreme nervousness.

GonzoD's picture

Cynthia McKinney is nuts. I hope Chris Shays gets stuck with the same label!

GonzoD's picture

GonzoD @ 44:

Cynthia McKinney is nuts. I hope Chris Shays gets stuck with the same label!

I guess that's because I miss Bob Dornan.

GreenGenes's picture

More than likely, Cynthia McKinney was targeted for doing research like this:
Cynthia McKinney talks about stolen elections and American Blackout
Snowball, thank you for being a voice of reason, insight, understanding.

chronic's picture

Snowball Says:

Cynthia McKinney got tarred and feathered by the Corporate Media elite for touching a police officer with her cell phone. We heard about it for weeks if not months. Nothing in the Corporate Media about Chris Shays. The difference? Cynthia McKinney is a female black Progressive Democrat who opposed the occupation of Iraq and is a staunch critic of the Bush regime, Chris Shays is a faux moderate white male Republican who lied about wanting to end the occupation to get re-elected and now fully supports it.

That sums it up!!!!

shoobadoo's picture

But it should get as much coverage. It should lead to his defeat in 2008.

Fozetti's picture

A lot of those elderly Repug congresmen seem to have mental disorders. Is it due to being Repugs, or are they just old?

Max-1's picture

Snowball @ 36:

Cynthia McKinney apologized too, it didn't make any difference in her case, why should it with Shays?

SO,

It's NOT hypocrisy when a good Bushie, loyal Republican does it?

Sherri's picture

Cynthia McKinney was label crazy for pointing out continue double standards she faces all those years she serves in congress. People, just brushed her off as making a fuse out of nothing. Now we see this and the silence from both sides of the asle is proof she was truthful in her assessment of her treatmean while there. Some people need to eat humble pie.

not stupid's picture

Is he the one on the Larry Flint list?
Why be so angry when you passed all these corporations laws for the last 10 years + while in control. This congress! Get over it you lost control of congress because you were greedy.
Time to resign! Too old to continue in power, you made enough money. Resign and disappear.

kerplunk's picture

Rep. Chris Shays is mentally ill and has continually refused treatment.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G0utur8fEcI&mode=related&search=

Paul's picture

Great! Another douchebag suffering from terminal self-importance.

JohnnyEnnui's picture

There is a difference between the Mckinney and Shays incident: Mckinney was supposedly not recognized by the officer as she tried to enter her workplace (one of the things Mckinney said she was reacting to was the fact that other Congress people were let through security routinely without having to show ID and Capitol police officers are trained to recognize Members). My point is that maybe Mckinney did react poorly, but I think it was in the face of constant slights that may or may not have had to do with her race, gender or politics--Shays is just an arrogant, establishment white male used to getting his way.

Zenrage's picture

Shays was trying to meet with a family of constituents, not give them a tour.

Meet, my ass.

Like any outburst (criminal or otherwise), this was an action conceived in personal desperation - Shays couldn't achieve his goal and acted out in the most irresponsible way possible. Meaning this was more than "just a meeting". He wanted those people beyond that post for a specific reason. He could have met them at an Applebee's for all it truly mattered.

iburl's picture

Check out my youtube video with this fothermucker's views on Abu Ghraib:

beltman713's picture

Meddi @ 19:

He touched an officers name tag? Why didn't he get taken down and arrested?

That's what I was thinking, especially when he was shouting obscenities at the officer and then he touched him.

Limp-Dick Blimpaugh's picture

Just another lying Repug., flip-flopper with a filthy, loud, mouth. What's new???

ysbaddaden's picture

Pizza delivery boys all over Washington are peeing on themselves.

ysbaddaden's picture

We'd call The Exorcist, but he's too busy molesting the little girl.

Jack Damage's picture

Shoulda cuffed the mofo and dragged his ass down to the station house to explain himself and his anger issues for the record.. Ain't there some kind of goofy law about disrespecting a peace officer on duty or some kind of statute on the books supposedly for dealing with this sort of behaviour???? I know one thing.. There are many many towns and cities where the average person pulls this, and ends up locked up or dead...Jus sayin... You can check it yourself people, with the LAPD or SFPD or Oakland PD just to name a few off the top of my head.. And they ain't the only cop shops around that take that sort of dim view of people giving their officers a ration of shit, whether that's right or wrong....JD

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