Christopher Shays: “this should be a time that I really feel great, and I do not, and I have only myself to blame. What I do not feel great…”

“this should be a time that I really feel great, and I do not, and I have only myself to blame. What I do not feel great about is the sense that somehow this is going to be a brutal fight and we are going to make lots of enemies in the process. For me, I believe with a passion in the Meehan-Shays bill. I believe passionately for this bill because it bans soft money, both at the Federal and State level, for Federal elections; that it, for once, recognizes that the sham issue ads are truly campaign ads and treats them as campaign ads and comes under the campaign laws; that we finally codify Beck, which makes it clear that a nonunion member does not have to pay money in his or her agency fee for political activity; that we improve the FEC disclosure and enforcement; that we deal with franking and ban it 6 months to an election district wide; and that we make it clear that foreign money and raising money on government property is illegal, which it is not right now, if it happens to be soft money. I believe passionately in this bill. I believe it is bipartisan and I believe it should pass. I also believe that the commission bill has a role to play but it does not have a role to play if it replaces the Meehan-Shays bill. I heard my colleague, who is a very outstanding Member of Congress and has tried to elevate the debate, talk about blame yourself and take responsibility. I think when we take responsibility, we take action.”