Getting to know Jim Himes

By ROB SULLIVAN

These days, Fourth Congressional District candidate Jim Himes is striving to keep a high profile throughout Fairfield County. And as part of his efforts to introduce himself to voters, Himes is attending 17 town meetings in 17 days, a tour the campaign has dubbed the "Listening and Leading Tour." The tour includes an appearance at the Burroughs Community Center on Fairfield Avenue Wednesday night at 7 p.m.

"It’s a great opportunity to get to meet the voters and exchange ideas on the issues," Himes told a recent interview with the Banner Editorial Board. "We’ve gotten a warm reception and it’s been very gratifying."

Himes is opposing incumbent Congressman Christopher Shays, who has represented the fourth district since 1987. In the past two election cycles, Shays has fended off a pair of serious election challenges from former Westport First Selectwoman Diane Farrell.

Himes said the reason he is running is simple: he wants the nation to return to its core values.

"It might sound hokey, but I firmly believe in our constitutional principles," explained Himes. "The ideas of freedom, service and democracy that guided the hands of our Founding Fathers. The American dream has been eroded."

Himes explained the starting point for America’s return to core values involves three main issues: education, universal health care and energy.

In terms of universal health care, Himes was critical of Shays’ co-sponsoring The American Health Care Benefits Program Act (AHBP) with Congressman Jim Langevin, a Rhode Island Democrat.

"Chris Shays has been a Johnny-come-lately on this issue," noted Himes. "Jim Langevin has tried to get this bill passed in the past, and Chris Shays is coming on board only when it has reached a crisis stage."

Himes, who was born in Lima, Peru, and also lived in Bogota, Colombia as a child before moving to New Jersey, noted another reason he was running for Congress is the excellent public education he received in the Garden State.

"That public education is why I was able to go to Harvard and then to Oxford," he said. "Look, why is it that 40 percent of students in Bridgeport that walk into high school as freshmen don’t walk out as graduates?"

In a brief speech before the Bridgeport Town Committee several weeks ago, Himes noted that a fraction of the amount of dollars the government is spending in Iraq could completely transform Bridgeport. When asked by the Banner if hew would back increased aid to the cities, Himes didn't hesitate.

"Absolutely," he said. "We absouluely have to bring more money back to Bridgeport."

Himes, a resident of Cos Cob, worked for 12 years at Goldman Sachs after Harvard and Oxford, then left the financial firm to join Enterprise Community Partners, a non-profit organization charged with eradicating urban poverty. The candidate’s financial background has proven to be a boost, as he is nearly even with Shays in fundraising.

In figures released by the Federal Election Commission on July 16, Himes had raised $2.1 million as compared with Shays $2.3 million.

Another positive for Himes in the race with Shays is the widespread unpopularity of President George W. Bush. As the lone remaining Republican Congressman in New England, Shays will be vulnerable if anti-Bush sentiments and Barack Obama supporters drive up voter turnout. That could be especially harmful in Bridgeport, which is heavily Democratic, but has traditionally had low turnout. In fact, some political analysts have argued that Bridgeport's low voter turnout cost Farrell the election in 2006.

The Democratic candidate argued that Shays has been lax on bringing significant funding back to the district, saying that freshman Connecticut Congressmen Chris Murphy and Joe Courtney have done a better job that Shays, now in his 21st year on Capitol Hill.

"I’ll be a Congressman who can walk into (Speaker of the House) Nancy Pelosi’s office on day one and say here’s what we need for our district," said Himes.

Himes, who is a former Chairman of the Greenwich Democratic Town Committee, said he would not necessarily align himself lock, stock and barrel with the national Democratic Party on every issue.

"I’m particularly disappointed with how the Democrats handled FISA," said Himes. The Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act (FISA), born after the Watergate scandal, establishes how the government can secretly eavesdrop on Americans in their own country in intelligence investigations.

On July 10, President Bush signed the FISA Amendments Act of 2008 (FAA), aimed at updating the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act (FISA). The law meant to update FISA but many insist it gutted the original law by eviscerating the role of the judicial oversight in government surveillance. The law also gave sweeping immunity to the telecommunications companies that aided the Bush administration’s warrantless wiretapping program. The act would not have passed without Democratic support and Obama controversially endorsed its passage.

But before he gets to Congress and even before he gets a crack at Shays, Himes must first defeat Lee Whitnum of Greenwich, who has collected enough signatures to force a Democratic primary Aug. 12. Himes said he is glad Whitnum qualified for the ballot.

"From a practical standpoint, it’s great for me," Himes said. "This allows me to get my name out there and to get our operation ready to go. I’m not taking anything for granted, but I am looking forward to the primary."