Democrats and Republicans in Norwalk were honking horns in support of Senator Joe Lieberman and Jodi Rell, who each made campaign stops in Norwalk on Wednesday. Lieberman stopped at Swanky Franks, greeted diners and held a brief press conference to thank Norwalk Democratic Common Councilmen for their support along with Brian Petronella of the United Food and Commercial Workers Union, and Pete Carozza of the International Association of Firefighters Union along with CWA 371 leader Nick Palko.
Lieberman thanked his supporters and promised to “build the kind of relationships to that can produce for the people of our state.”
Noting the many Norden workers in attendance, Lieberman provided an anecdote about the Norden/Nothrup plant, located in Norwalk. According to Lieberman, a few years ago after the plant was acquired there was talk to move it to Baltimore. Lieberman worked with Palko to convince Northrup to keep the plant in Norwalk and the 500 jobs.
“We all have common values and shared hopes for a better future” Lieberman said.
Brian Lockhardt, of the Norwalk Advocate asked a question about the ever changing situation in Iraq and how Lieberman’s position on Iraq has changed.
Lieberman opened with campaign rhetoric, stating somewhat defiantly that instead of letting Ned Lamont define his position on Iraq, he’d define it. His tone softened as he explained, since the start of the general election, “I have been willing to be more critical of the what the administration has been doing in Iraq after the overthrow of Saddam.”
After citing some examples, he continued. “What are we going to do now? Leave or try different ways to succeed to get the job done. The Ned Lamont withdrawal by a deadline proposal got 13 votes in the senate the last time it came up.”
Lieberman joked that Lamont would make it 14 if he were elected, then summarized his position.
“I’ll actually be in a position as a senior member of the armed services committee with the credibility to work across party lines to work to try to put together a consensus, you might say among the other 87 who didn’t vote for an immediate pull out. To improve what we are doing and put pressure on the Iraqi’s, we are not going to stay there forever. They’ve got to assume control of their own security and their own destiny.”
Jodi Rell and Chris Shays were on hand at the Volk Fire Station up the road around the same time. Firefighters stood in dress uniforms and waved at passing cars. More on this event in a later post.
19 comments:
I think this is huge for JOE! These council members are making Norwalk Proud. Both DEMS and REPS working together should mean victory for Joe 2006. Too bad Ned!
You could always run for Congress in two years and maybe Joe will endorse you.
Credibility? On Iraq?
If Joe is returned to the Senate, he will remain a pariah and laughing-stock. I'm sure the Republicans will want to cozy up to the Iraq War architect, particularly after they lose Congress.
I think those Common Council members that are backing Joe are great. They have a much stronger GOTV and campaign operation that the DTC does. I hope that their Common Council President runs for higher office. At least those courageous and independent Democratic Common Council members have integrity compared to the other creeps and lackeys that the Norwalk DTC has in their lineup.
How is this for a funny Norwalk rumor. In addition to switching from a Joe supporter to working for Ned, Alex Knopp is now saying he will run for Mayor since he cannot find a job. How comforting. I am glad a potential Mayoral candidate can sport "unemployed" on his resume for the past year and still hope to be seriously considered. I think he losess by three thousand votes if this is anything other than his wildest pipe dream.
The Norwalk firefighters endorsed Shays at a rally/ press conference with Governor Rell yesterday. It was great to see all the firemen wearing their blue shirts saying "Norwalk Firefighters for Shays." They were responsible for electing Mayor Moccia and they will help Shays tremendously in Norwalk.
Turfgrrl, if you need any video coverage, just call the Farrell campaign, because their stooge was at the Fire Department HQ filming the entire event. It shows a lot of class by Diane to pay someone to follow Shays around.
And I believe that you can also get audio of Diane from countless events by calling the Shays campaign.
The use of the Volk Fire Station by Shays and Rell as a camapign venue is an innaproprite use of government property. Ethics is not their strong suit but it does apply to their competition in other settings aswell. Their is also some controversy going on with Moccia using his officail stationary to campaign for Fred Wilms in todays' Norwalk Hour.
And from yesterday's Westport News there is this on DeStefano and
this on Rell with endorsements to follow tomorrow from this newspaper chain that covers much of lower Farifeld County
Why would anybody support Knopp? This guy is the most hated pol. in the city. Police and Fire Unions, most city workers would vote against him. This guy turned on his buddy Joe and the few dems that did support him- and now many are supporting Mike Coffey. Galen would help A-Knopp get the nom because she doesnt agree with Coffey's Politics. - So a Moccia- Knopp III match up is likely. Remember Alex campaign theme Moving Forward- Now , he could call his 2007 bid Moving Backwards. Ex-Mayor, you sir have been eating off the taxpayers too long and now you have to work for a living. If you are broke go ask LAZ for a job that is the least they can do - you gave them a contract and lost your job behind it- How sad- this is a lesson- make money before you go into politics- or you will be a- knopp a loser with no job. How can you go from Mayor of Norwalk- to parking cars. What a shame?
Why would anybody support Knopp? This guy is the most hated pol. in the city. Police and Fire Unions, most city workers would vote against him. This guy turned on his buddy Joe and the few dems that did support him- and now many are supporting Mike Coffey. Galen would help A-Knopp get the nom because she doesnt agree with Coffey's Politics. - So a Moccia- Knopp III match up is likely. Remember Alex campaign theme Moving Forward- Now , he could call his 2007 bid Moving Backwards. Ex-Mayor, you sir have been eating off the taxpayers too long and now you have to work for a living. If you are broke go ask LAZ for a job that is the least they can do - you gave them a contract and lost your job behind it- How sad- this is a lesson- make money before you go into politics- or you will be a- knopp a loser with no job. How can you go from Mayor of Norwalk- to parking cars. What a shame?
Norwalk isn't the only Firs Station that clean-as-a-whistle Shays has used to campaign in. He used the Fairfield Station last week to get the union endorsement. At least when Lieberman showed up at the Firehouse a couple of months ago with Susan Barrett, a Fire Commisioner and state central delegate, he brought a check.
cgg - Paying someone to follow a person around everywhere may be a common campaign practice, but that doesn't make it right. No matter how common, it is a despicable practice. Some events and some places should be off limits. Farrell has had people filming Shays for the past 2 years - that is a fact. And yes Shays recently started sending people to Farrell's events to audio tape what she was saying.
There is a reason why a lot of good people decline to run for office, and the erosion of all privacy is one of the main reasons. Nobody should be proud of that. Public officials certainly give up much of their privacy, but not all of it.
Anon. 11:36 - There was nothing wrong with the firefighters having a press conference to endorse Chris Shays at the fire station. Nothing at all (unless you have something against the brave men and women of the fire department who protect us or you have a problem with the First Amendment).
So what are you saying Anon. 1:41, that Joe Lieberman bought the endorsement?
No one from the Farrell camp was filming Shays over the last two years. As someone who has attended his town meetings, this is only a recent development (April, I believe)
anaonymous 1:47 reinterprets the United States Constitution. Farrell filmed Shays at public gatherings not in his house or his bedroom or eevn at a restaraunt. And it is absolutley wrong for Firefighters on government property to engage in political activity just as they did wrongly for farrell in Stamford.
Regardless of the legality of it, filming your political opponent almost a year in advance (I witnessed her video boy at a town hall meeting in January and April) and only half way through an elected term is with out a doubt over the top and border line sleazy. Perhaps if Ms. Farrell had a job title other than "professional candidate" for the past two years, she would have better things to do than record consituents as they ask their congressman questions. While Mr. Shays may sacrifice his privacy by being a member of Congress, I don't believe I should have to give up mine simply to ask my elected official a question at a town hall meeting. Having someone take an audio recording at campaign events within two months of an election seems much more normal to me. Not only was Diane's video boy at the town hall meeting (not a campaign event) to tape it, he was planted there to ask loaded questions and did, taking away time from constituents like myself who actually wanted to have a civil discussion of issues. I was slightly on the fence and was actually open to considering a vote for someone other than Shays this election but Ms. Farrell's campaign tactics of shadow groups placing downright false recorded calls for the past two years, aggresively trying to catch Mr. Shays in some type of gotcha moment by filming everywhere he goes, crashing parades that she was not invited to (black rock), I have decided that is not the type of Congressperson this district needs. I think you can learn a lot about how a person will act in office by how they campaign, and I am far less than impressed with Ms. Farrell. Her campaign has been nothing more than an echo of whatever Nancy Pelosi says. While I disagree with Mr. Shays on a number of issues, he is honest, independent, has integrity and is someone that can be respected and he has my vote.
Regardless of the legality of it, filming your political opponent almost a year in advance (I witnessed her video boy at a town hall meeting in January and April) and only half way through an elected term is with out a doubt over the top and border line sleazy. Perhaps if Ms. Farrell had a job title other than "professional candidate" for the past two years, she would have better things to do than record consituents as they ask their congressman questions. While Mr. Shays may sacrifice his privacy by being a member of Congress, I don't believe I should have to give up mine simply to ask my elected official a question at a town hall meeting. Having someone take an audio recording at campaign events within two months of an election seems much more normal to me. Not only was Diane's video boy at the town hall meeting (not a campaign event) to tape it, he was planted there to ask loaded questions and did, taking away time from constituents like myself who actually wanted to have a civil discussion of issues. I was slightly on the fence and was actually open to considering a vote for someone other than Shays this election but Ms. Farrell's campaign tactics of shadow groups placing downright false recorded calls for the past two years, aggresively trying to catch Mr. Shays in some type of gotcha moment by filming everywhere he goes, crashing parades that she was not invited to (black rock), I have decided that is not the type of Congressperson this district needs. I think you can learn a lot about how a person will act in office by how they campaign, and I am far less than impressed with Ms. Farrell. He campaign has been nothing more than an echo of whatever Nancy Pelosi says. While I disagree with Mr. Shays on a number of issues, he is honest, independent, has integrity and is someone that can be respected and he has my vote
What's wrong with Fairfield County any way?
Having been to one of Shays town meetings held on the taxpayer dime and seen the event filmed including myself asking a question. The press has been covering Shays' town meetings for years. I can also say the video operator interuppted noone and I can also state that Shays brought up the election campaign. As for someone being planted, Shays outright confronted someone who asked a tough question asking him if he was Democrat staing that some of his (Shays) Democrat friends had tipped him off that Farrell was sending plants. If there were any plants at Shays town meeting it was the Chair of the RTC who pooh poohed several questions....just check the tapes!!!
I meant chair of the RTC.
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