McMahon Will Endorse Shays If He Wins Primary.

Poor Chris Shays had a public come apart with the New Haven Register the other day. The 11-term former United States Representative sputtered that he will not endorse Republican rival Linda McMahon if she defeats him in their August 14th primary contest. Shays has concluded that in more than a score of primary and general election campaigns for municipal, state, and federal office he has never–not once, mind you–had so little respect for an opponent as he does for Linda McMahon.

Contrast this to the response of the McMahon campaign to a question posed this morning by Daily Ructions. Would she endorse Shays should he win the primary 3 weeks from today?  ”Linda is going to win, but this seat is so important, that yes, she would endorse Shays, should he be the nominee,” writes campaign spokesman Tim Murtaugh. No demonizing, just a crisp, mannerly recitation of political reality that McMahon along with most Republican primary voters share: They would prefer Shays to Murphy. Shays is out of touch with mainstream Republican voters to think the same people would choose Murphy over McMahon.