Christopher Shays' Troubling Outburst

It's nice to know that congressmen are having the same kind of meltdowns we see on a regular basis in the hinterlands. So far they are mostly directed at some poor schmuck who has the misfortune to work at a gas station/convenience store.

People are stressed, and with very good reason.

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.

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....And The Truth Shall Set Us Free