And now [Rep. Shays is] threatening to not run again - he's already a top Democratic target - if the House GOP leadership doesn't make him the head Republican on the Oversight and Government Reform Committee. If they do promise him the top spot but then renege in 2009, he says he'll resign.
"I'm 61 years old. I've been in Congress 20 years," Shays told the Hartford Courant. "If I have to fight to become chairman of a committee, given the job I've done, I need to move on."
While I'm not at all surprised that the far-right-wing conservative GOP Leadership in both the House and Senate are not so quick to reward their less far-right-wing membership, I am shocked that more so-called "moderates" aren't more vocal in demanding leadership roles, especially members in blue states whose seats would likely be an easy pick-up for Democrats if not for the current incumbents, like Shays. Eh. Oh well.
