Chris Shays, Master of Understatement

The only New England Republican left in the House is angered that Henry Waxman is actually looking into wrongdoing by the federal government on his behalf in the 2006 election. So he pulled this one out of his ass:

“It’s the kind of thing that I think might happen in a place like Russia where the party in power goes after the party that they want never to be in power,” Shays said of the investigation. “This kind of stuff just grosses me out.”

Later, speaking about Iraq, Shays argued, “Republicans and Democrats have a harder time getting along than Sunnis and Shiites.”

Right, don't you remember all of the car bombs on the House floor? The sectarian bloodshed?

This is a guy who's trying to lament the partisanship in Washington, while making one of the most partisan statements you'll ever read. Talk about feeling the pressure. Jim Hines is a top recruit for this seat, neither Sunni nor Shiite but an American who wants to see Chris Shays retired, so he can make these rants in the privacy of his own corner bar.