Plinsey@thestamfordtimes.com

STAMFORD — Sounding on familiar campaign themes, U.S. Rep. Christopher Shays and Democrat Diane Farrell plunged into a series of 11 debates in Stamford Wednesday.

Shays repeated his call for a timeline to withdraw American troops from Iraq, Farrell repeated her call for President Bush to fire Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld and Libertarian candidate Phil Maymin called on Farrell to pronounce his name correctly.

The debates come as polling indicates Connecticut's 4th District is one of the Democratic Party's best opportunities to pick up one of the 15 seats it needs to overturn the Republican majority in the House of Representative.

Shays called for an investigation of what Republican and Democratic leaders knew about alleged sexually explicit communications between former Rep. Mark Foley and teenage boys who had worked as congressional pages. He then questioned whether Democrats released information to the press to sway upcoming mid-term elections.

"We don't know why this just came out as we adjourned," Shays said. "We don't know if Democrats knew about it and kept it secret so that they could let the press know just at the opportune time."

Republican leaders have admitted knowledge of questionable e-mails sent from Foley to a 16-year-old former page, and Shays said after the debate he has seen no evidence that Democrats knew about or covered up Foley's behavior.

Foley has resigned from Congress, and Farrell called on House Speaker Dennis Hastert, R-Ill., to do the same.

"To somehow suggest that this is somehow a Democratic conspiracy in my way of thinking makes no sense," Farrell said.

Shays defended his support for the Iraq war and his call for a timeline, saying significant political progress was made in the country, but that progress has stalled.

"I'm absolutely convinced that benchmarks without an absolute date for withdrawal will not work," said Shays. "You sit (Iraqi leaders) down in a room, you say 'You are going to negotiate, but there are going to be firm timelines.'"

Shays has traveled to Iraq 14 times, and on returning from each visit submitted recommendations to President Bush. Farrell said those recommendations have had no effect.

"It's a letter. It's not an action taken from Congress. It's not a mandate to the president from Congress," Farrell said. "A recommendation is not an action. It's a passive statement."

Calling for a no-confidence vote for Rumsfeld would be more effective step to influence the Bush Administration's policy, she said.

While Farrell said she does not doubt the "earnestness" of Shays' feelings about Iraq, she also suggested the congressman's call for a timeline is a response to focus groups held by his campaign and Connecticut's Democratic Primary in which pro-war Sen. Joe Lieberman was defeated.

Shays and Farrell both said steps must be taken to reduce government debt. Farrell said the Iraq war is costing taxpayers more than $250 million every day, while Shays criticized Farrell for driving up debt as first selectwoman in Westport.

Maymin focused on "the similarities" between his opponents, arguing for the abolishment of federal income tax and the phasing out of the Social Security program.

The debate was sponsored by the Business Council of Fairfield County. Candidates responded to questions from three panelists — Mark Davis, political reporter for WTNH channel 8, Joy Haenlein, editor of the editorial pages for the Stamford Advocate and Erik Campano, afternoon news anchor for WSTC/WNLK radio.