What is up in CT?

Christopher Shays, (R)CT, fresh off reminding us all that serial, willful pedophelia is not as bad as Chappaquiddick, now says that Abu Ghraib wasn't torture, but rather a "sex ring." Later, in defending his comments he says, "...It wasn't primarily about torture" (emphasis mine).

One, why bother running to the defense of Abu Ghraib? He acknowledges that torture has happened at other prisons, so why draw the line here? US guards have been tried and found guilty, the picutres were so bad they couldn't be released, and up until Shays' recent comments, the only person I recall defending Abu Ghraib is Rush Limbaugh, but he's an actor so it's not really the same as an actual law maker defending it. So why wouldn't Shays just say something about it being a terrible incident, but it was an isolated event and those responcible have been punished, the US needs to do a better job of discussing its successes in Iraq, media bias, etc. But to defend something that all but the most loyal Republican's can tolerate, and only then through rose colored glasses, is just weird. Without going into each picture, I've seen some that clearly weren't sexual and had lots of blood and other nastieness going on. So let's just focus on the "sex ring" comment.

I'm not sure why no one in the debate, or any reporter in follow-up later, pointed out that if you look in the Torture Bill that Shays voted for there are provisions under "Prohibited Conduct" labled (G) Rape and (H) Sexual Assault or Abuse. Since my bet is the prisoners were not willfully engaging in the activity, I'm assuming they were forced, thus violating the provision in the very Torture Bill he voted for. So I'm not really sure what is point is. Shays is making the rattled comments of a desperate man.

So I started wondering why and found this. He's in a real squeaker with his opponent Diane Farrell (D), leading her only 44-40 with 16% undecided. For a sitting congressman, the way districts are gerrymandered this is enough to make a man like Shays panic.

And he is.