WASHINGTON - Rep. Christopher Shays, a Connecticut Republican defending his seat from an anti-war challenger, says the U.S. should consider setting a timeline for troop withdrawals from Iraq.

 

Shays, long a supporter of the war and previously an opponent of withdrawal timetables, said he hopes to offer a specific time frame after he holds congressional hearings on Iraq next month. Few other congressional Republicans have supported setting a timeline.

 

"Our troops cannot be there indefinitely," Shays said Thursday from London during a telephone conference call with reporters after his 14th visit to Iraq since the U.S.-led invasion in 2003.

 

"We should be able to tell the American people what kind of timeline we can have to begin to draw down our troops," he said. "It may be a timeline the American people don't want to hear. It may not be something that brings them out quickly."

 

Shays has come under fire for his support of the Iraq war from Democratic challenger Diane Farrell in a race widely seen as a showdown on the war.

 

"I don't think Chris needed to go to Iraq 14 times to know it's a mess," she said. "To have a time line, there needs to be an exit plan. There's no exit strategy."

glad to see that some republicans are finally opening their eyes...this is an unpopular war that has accomplished little to nothing...we should have never been there to begin with...but i digress...there should have been an exit strategy to begin with...now i understand perfectly that war is hell and alot of unseen factors come into play...but we needed a plan...hell...im not even sure there is even a plan now...anyways...i hope more republicans stop suckeling from the bush tit and get their act together on a plan that makes us look like our leadership isnt totally incompetent

glad to see that some republicans are finally opening their eyes...this is an unpopular war that has accomplished little to nothing...we should have never been there to begin with...but i digress...there should have been an exit strategy to begin with...now i understand perfectly that war is hell and alot of unseen factors come into play...but we needed a plan...hell...im not even sure there is even a plan now...anyways...i hope more republicans stop suckeling from the bush tit and get their act together on a plan that makes us look like our leadership isnt totally incompetent

 

???????????

 

This has nothing to do with "suckeling from the bush tit", this has everything to do with cheap political stunts.

 

Shays doesn't believe this, you can even catch that when he says "It may be a timeline the American people don't want to hear. It may not be something that brings them out quickly."

 

He'll just as soon forget this once he gets reelected, which is what this is all about. Farrell's not nearly as strong if you claim you're for setting a time table, and this could lock up the election for Shays.

 

This is a Mccain move, and a smart one, but like Mccain their's no intent behind those words.

glad to see that some republicans are finally opening their eyes...this is an unpopular war that has accomplished little to nothing...we should have never been there to begin with...but i digress...there should have been an exit strategy to begin with...now i understand perfectly that war is hell and alot of unseen factors come into play...but we needed a plan...hell...im not even sure there is even a plan now...anyways...i hope more republicans stop suckeling from the bush tit and get their act together on a plan that makes us look like our leadership isnt totally incompetent

 

???????????

 

This has nothing to do with "suckeling from the bush tit", this has everything to do with cheap political stunts.

 

Shays doesn't believe this, you can even catch that when he says "It may be a timeline the American people don't want to hear. It may not be something that brings them out quickly."

 

He'll just as soon forget this once he gets reelected, which is what this is all about. Farrell's not nearly as strong if you claim you're for setting a time table, and this could lock up the election for Shays.

 

This is a Mccain move, and a smart one, but like Mccain their's no intent behind those words.

so basically what you are saying is that the scum i wipe off from my sneakers is better than a politician...ok...agreed

glad to see that some republicans are finally opening their eyes...this is an unpopular war that has accomplished little to nothing...we should have never been there to begin with...but i digress...there should have been an exit strategy to begin with...now i understand perfectly that war is hell and alot of unseen factors come into play...but we needed a plan...hell...im not even sure there is even a plan now...anyways...i hope more republicans stop suckeling from the bush tit and get their act together on a plan that makes us look like our leadership isnt totally incompetent

 

???????????

 

This has nothing to do with "suckeling from the bush tit", this has everything to do with cheap political stunts.

 

Shays doesn't believe this, you can even catch that when he says "It may be a timeline the American people don't want to hear. It may not be something that brings them out quickly."

 

He'll just as soon forget this once he gets reelected, which is what this is all about. Farrell's not nearly as strong if you claim you're for setting a time table, and this could lock up the election for Shays.

 

This is a Mccain move, and a smart one, but like Mccain their's no intent behind those words.

Exactly.

This many posts and no one's made the pseudo-clever "Shays Rebellion" response?

 

Tsk tsk.

 

:mischief

 

I'm assuming the timetable he thinks would be adequate would be somewhere between today and the year 3027.