10 a.m. to 2 p.m. festivities by the Bethel VFW Post 935 for Veterans Appreciation Day at the Second Meeting House, 40 Main St. For more information, call Richard at (203) 792-5300.
11 a.m. ceremony at the Veterans Monument at the Municipal Center
BREWSTER, N.Y.
10:30 a.m. VFW program at Electrazone Field on Railroad Avenue.
BROOKFIELD
11 a.m. ceremony at Williams Park by the Veterans Monument
7:30 p.m. salute to the Marines by the Brookfield Historical Society at the Brookfield Public Library
DANBURY
11 a.m. ceremony at the Danbury War Memorial
9 a.m. to 2 p.m. veterans bike show at Harley-Davidson/Buell of Danbury, 51 Federal Road. A bike ride will follow.
NEW FAIRFIELD
11 a.m. ceremony at the Veterans Memorial on Route 37.
NEWTOWN
10 a.m. flag ceremony at monument triangle on Route 25
11 a.m. memorial service at VFW Post, 18 Tinkerfield Road
RIDGEFIELD
11 a.m. memorial service at the Community Center, 316 Main St.
Well, the smoke is settling and the Democrats come out the big winner on election night with victories in the 109, 110, and 2nd districts.
On election night, I paid a visit to Democratic Headquarters and caught up with 110th State Rep Bob Godfrey, newly elected 109th State Rep Joe Taborsak, and DTC chair Joe DaSilva and got their views on their big win.
The newly elected Congressman Democrat Chris Murphy paid a visit to JK's restaurant in Danbury to thank supporters of his campaign.
While Murphy beat Republican Nancy Johnson in Tuesday's midterm election, his victory in Danbury was impressive to say the least. Not only did Murphy beat Johnson by a wide margin, he beat the Republican on EVERY voting machine in Danbury...every voting machine.
I caught up with Murphy and asked him about the role progressive blogs played in Connecticut politics.
Ah, now that the elections are over, I can turn my attention to the silliness in Danbury again and the new round of garbage from Mayor Boughton makes me want to laugh.
Convicted child sex offenders will be banned from parks, playgrounds, sports fields, swimming pools and other "child safety zones" under a proposed city ordinance that attempts to balance child protection with the rights of convicted sex offenders.
The Common Council will introduce the ordinance today at its monthly meeting, and a public hearing is expected sometime this month.
The impetus for the city ordinance was Mayor Mark Boughton, who began looking into a possible ordinance this summer after reading about other communities across the country that have adopted similar measures.
"It's an ordinance that creates child safety zones throughout the city, and although it's not an outright way to end any problems, it makes it easier to manage," Boughton said.
Now, let me explain things folks. Not that I'm not for this but lets thing about this for a second.
* 2007 and the mayoral election is right around the corner.
* Boughton has polled people regarding how he stands a chance in being re-elected against several Democrats.
* Boughton is worried about the Republican majority being called a NO-NOTHING party.
* Boughton is looking for anything positive to place on his campaign mailers.
Now please take that into consideration when you see all the things coming down the pipe right now. Want more proof? Lets take a look at tonight's Common Council agenda.
24 – AD HOC REPORT & ORDINANCE - Parades and Public Assemblies _________________________________________________________________________ 25 – AD HOC REPORT & ORDINANCE - Danbury Housing Partnership _________________________________________________________________________ 26 – AD HOC REPORT & ORDINANCE - Sex Offender Ordinance _________________________________________________________________________ 27 – AD HOC REPORT - Affordable Housing Inventory _________________________________________________________________________ 28 – AD HOC REPORT - Road Cut - 125 Long Ridge Road _________________________________________________________________________ 29 – AD HOC REPORT - Request for Sewer Line – 4 Stadley Rough Road _________________________________________________________________________ 30 – AD HOC REPORT - Conveyance of Land – 2 Garry Knolls _________________________________________________________________________ 31 - AD HOC REPORT - Sewer and Water Extension – Reynolds Road _________________________________________________________________________ 32 - AD HOC REPORT - Sewer Extension – Westville Avenue Ext _________________________________________________________________________ 33 - AD HOC REPORT - Sewer Extension – 7 Great Pasture Road _________________________________________________________________________ 34- AD HOC REPORT - Sports Entertainment Complex _________________________________________________________________________ 35 - AD HOC REPORT - Grant Agency Review Board
That's a lot of ad-hoc committee reports huh? I wonder if this has anything to do with next year's election...
Look, here's the deal. Boughton and the Republicans want to show that they're actually doing something when they haven't really done ANYTHING. With people like Elizabeth Putnam from the News-Times and common citizens coming down to record the Common Council meetings, Boughton NOW wants to give the impression that he actually doing something besides looking for a new way to exploit the illegal immigration issue.
DON'T BE FOOLED.
Trust me, I've been closely follwoing the activities in Danbury for the last six years and I can honestly tell you that there needs to be a change in the way things are done in Danbury. Although this bill looks nice on paper, it's more politics than anything else.
DON'T BE FOOLED.
UPDATE: Seems like some readers at the News-Times aren't taking Boughton's bait.
I don't need to have a better idea to know a bad idea when I see one.
It's the mayor and the common council's job to come up something that will work. Proposing something that is going to have zero effect is wasteful.
The mayor said he got the idea from other towns who have passed a similar law. Well why doesn't hizzoner ask those other towns about the results of such laws? Has it had any effect?
The attorney who wrote the ordinance and the Criminal Justice professor both said it will not deter sex offenders.
So please tell me what possible reason is there for having a law that will not do what it is proposed to do except that Mayor Mark can use it in next year's election.
[...]
This looks like a law to campaign on as in "I am tough on sex offenders" when really it does not look like it can possibly accomplish anything.
[...]
Laws that can't be enforced except selectively or by profiling are nothing more than politics. It's meant to give an illusion of doing something when it's more than likely going to be ignored or imposed after the damage is done.
[...]
Do we really need another "sounds good, but really isn't going to do anything about the problem" ordinance?
A potential $100 fine is not going to deter a sexual predator considering that the odds of actually getting caught are very slim and the punishment minimal.
After this passes, I'd like to see a report the next year as to how many people were actually given summons under this ordinance.
Balance that with the cost of writing and passing this legislation and it seems like a waste of time and money.
Lamont lost the senate race to a person who had to run to the Republicans in order to save his political career (technically, Ned beating Joe two times among Democrats..that should tell you something). Now, contrary to anything that came out of Lieberman's mouth last night, Ned Lamont ran one of the most honest, inspiriting campaigns in the history of Connecticut, if not the nation. On the other hand, when people have a chance to really go back and really take a hard look at everything that really happened (which includes the hours of video which bloggers never posted online), it will be obvious to everyone which candidate pulled every dirty trick in the book to get elected. Trust me, the people who were there know the true story (including what Lieberman's 387,000 in petty cash was actually used for).
I'm proud to know Ned and I'm so thankful I picked up a camcorder and videotaped his second public appearence in New Haven on that cold day in January. The words he spoke on that fateful day forver changed my life and armed with only a video camera and a belief that Lamont symbolized change, I traveled across the state during those early days and did all I could to bring attention to his campaign. In time, I and other bloggers such as the great Spazeboy and CTBob ushed in the concept of videoblogging and documented Ned's rise from the "Lamont who" candidate, to the person who shocked the nation by beating a three-term candidate on a hot day in August .
Lamont made it FINALLY okay for Democrats to put the Iraq war on the political agenda without being called unpatriotic or un-American. It was because of Lamont's spirit and drive that a record amount of people registered Democrat in Connectiut and voted in the state primary. It was also Lamont's spirit which drove us to spend endless hours following him across the state and putting our lives on hold for a cause we truly believed in, a need for a change in direction in Iraq and in this nation.
Here's what Lamont campaign manager Tom Swan had to say last night about the man that shocked the world.
Lamont's drive and love for the Democratic Party had a ripple effect assisting in HUGE victories for Democrats on a state nd national level. Nationally, we now have a House majority and possible a Senate majority which means the Democrats can finally set the agenda and bring a sense of check and balance to the government (somehing that has been lacking in the last 6 years).
On a state level, the Democrats gained several State Rep and Senate seats (although, I'm truly going to miss Bill Finch :-) and Chris Murphy was able to give Nancy Johnson her long overdue pink slip (BTW: Murphy beat Johnson on EVERY VOTING MACHINE IN DANBURY). On the other hand, Lieberman's campaign probably caused Diane Farrell and possibly Joe Courtney (2CD will have a probably have a recount) their victories which looked like a no-brainer prior to the primary. I only hope the Democrats at State Central remember all that Lamont did for this state and the Party (while remembering what Jim Amann DID NOT do for the Party) as we move forward.
In my area of Danbury, Democrats had HUGE victories as well thanks in large part to a amazing ground game at Democratic Headquarters as well as the spirit Ned Lamont brought to the area with his theme of change. Democrat Joe Taborsak crushed Gregg Seabury in the 109th while Pauline Basso didn't get over 1,000 votes against her battle Bob Godfrey (a man who ran the most honest positve campaign I've ever seen). Bernie Gallo put up a great fight knocking on every door in his district and working tirelessly day after day and although the chips were against him, he has nothing to be ashamed of at all. Jason Bartlett's victory was the last one to be called on electon night and ended a tremendous day for the Democrats in Danbury and sets the stage for the mayoral race next year.
I have plenty of video footage to share with everyone from last night and throughout the day and tomorrow, I'll share those memories but for now, it's time to slow thing down a bit and get back to my normal life. I have a wife who is ready to have her husband back and my first child will be on the scene shortly.
Now, don't worry, I'm not going anywhere. There is much work to be done as we have elections in 2007 as well as the BIG one in 2008.
Ned Lamont's campaign and the blogosphere forever changed the way political will be viewed. Average people getting involved in politics via a videocamera, digital camera, and a computer changed everything and over the next year, the CT Bloggers will help teach a whole new generation of progressive bloggers what we've learned over the last 10 months.
Trust me, People-Power Media (PPM) is just getting started but for now, I'm going back to bed.
Thank you Ned Lamont for making me feel proud to be a Democrat again!
SIDENOTE: Big fat thank you to the Danbury News-Times for linking my blog to their website. Hopefully, I was able to show the people of Danbury the amazing potential of PPM. Please come back often to Hat City Blog as I'll bring you a different side of Danbury which is rarely seen. Although unapologetically progressive, I always try to bring common sense to common issues people in Danbury face on a daily basis.
11:00 Oh man, what a ride. Just made it back to Lamont headquarters and although he lost, he made a impact on this nation that will never be forgotten.
It was a HUGE day for Danbury as Joe Taborsak and Bob Godfrey won big. I'm still waiting on results from the other races in Danbury.
Be back soon...going to get as many interviews as possible.
5:30 Okay, I'm hitting the road. Going to stop at all the polling places and see what's going on. Be back soon.
KEEP THOSE FIELD REPORTS COMING.
Hey Greater Danbury residents, I want to hear from you so email me your reports at hatcityblog@yahoo.com. I noticed that the News-Times hasn't updated my blog on their site in a while so I'll call and see what's happening. This is a new thing so there's going to be bugs.
5:15 Field report: East Norwalk:
I was at St. Mary's Community Hall in East Norwalk where voting is very heavy. This was about 1:15pm with several Lamont pollstanders, one Lieberman woman who was a Bloomberg operative from New York and anti-war. We had the enthusiasm and many thumbs up signals from voters and people stopping by and talking ...I am going back out at 4pm to stand there for at least two hours. Very good vibrations here in Norwalk for Ned.
4:15 DANBURY REPORT: Ward 3: Broadview School
I arrived at Broadview School around 1:30 and unlike in previous elections, I had a bit of a time finding a parking spot so I knew there was a possibility of a high turnout.
Tons visibility for Chris Murphy, and Ned Lamont while there was only one guy holding a "find Joe on the ballot" sign who took off about three minutes after I arrived (was it something I said :-)
One of the rather interesting State Rep races is in the 109th between Democrat JoeTaborsak and Republican Gregg Seabury. Now Seabury is what polical junkies call a carpetbagger. He's tried his luck once in the 107th and two times in the 110th before moving into the 109th to give it a go for the open seat held formerly held by Lew Wallace.
Now, this seat was almost a lock for the Democrats until immigration took the spotlight earlier this year with the arrest of 11 day laborers at Kennedy Park. Seabury took advantage of the situation and launched an attack on Taborsak and made a boring race, interesting.
Both Gregg Seabury and Joe Taborsak were at the school when I arrived and each had their team of volunteers holding signs and cheering their guy on. I would say that Taborsak had more visibility at the school while Seabury had more lawn signs on the way to the school.
I went into the school and handed my ID and noticed while they were looking for my name, pages after pages of names already cross off the list. I asked how the turnout was and I volunteer, pointing at the list, said it was amazing. Personally, the last time I saw anything close to this was during the primary in August.
After I did the voting thing, I walked outside and caught up with Joe Taborsak and asked him about his feelings about today's election. Here's what he had to say:
Oh yeah, here are a few photos I took at the school...I promised the kids that I'd place their photos online. It's amazing how fast people want their photo taken when you say you're a blogger...
4:00 Remember when I reported about FOXNews and Joe Lieberman in Milford eariler today...
Just heard this story that came from one of our volunteers in Milford… apparently, he was the only person from any campaign pollstanding at a polling place in Milford earlier this morning. All of a sudden, two or three out-of-state Fox News vans (accompanied by a Fox News crew) pull up and unload a bunch of Lieberman lawn signs, placed right in front of the Lamont signs that had already been planted. And, what do you know, after a few more minutes, who shows up but Joe himself, ready for the cameras.
Who needs a field organization (or an advance team) when you’ve got Fox?
Well, click here to seeRepublican Liberated Joe gooble up every GOP talking point on FOXNews this morning.
Had enough?
Vote for change.
3:20 Update:
Earlier, I heard from a source that the Sec of State was going to anounce that the turnout for this eleciton was going to be 70 percent. Guess my source was correct.
Turnout in several communities reached 30 percent by noon Tuesday as Connecticut voters cast ballots in contentious congressional and Senate races and several state and local contests.
Elections officials were checking scattered reports of problems at polling places, but no formal complaints had been filed with state elections enforcement officials by early afternoon.
[...]
Several towns reported turnout at or near 30 percent by noon, considered unusually high for midterm elections.
Municipalities such as Danbury, Vernon, Tolland, Suffield and Bolton reached the 30 percent mark by noon while others, including Middletown and Windsor, saw ballots cast by one of every four registered voters by midday.
They were voting in Connecticut's Senate race, in which Democratic Sen. Joe Lieberman was running as an independent after losing a Democratic primary to political newcomer Ned Lamont.
Also drawing interest were three close congressional races that could help determine whether Democrats gain the 15 seats they need to take back the House. Also on the ballot was Republican Gov. M. Jodi Rell, who faced a challenge from Democratic New Haven Mayor John DeStefano.
These reports echo my observations earlier today. Turnout in Danbury is off the chart and we still have a while till the polls close.
3:10 Field report: DANBURY- Ward 5, War Memorial
Well,
I voted at the war memorial. No Lieberman signage of any kind. No Lieberman pollsters of any kind. I gotta wonder what the hell he spent $14 million on in his campaign???
The stream of people into the War Memorial was very steady. More than I have ever seen voting in the middle of the day. I too looked at the names and saw many, many of them crossed off. It was good to see those old voting booths and the votes getting backed up with a real paper trail. I wish all of America could feel like I did after I voted for Ned!
There was a Ned sign guy out there that was doing a great job and quite a few Democrat sign holders for DeStefano and others. Again, no Nancy Johnson people and no Joe Lieberman people either. It was kind of strange. I only saw one Nancy Johnson sign by CVS (near the War Memorial) and it looked odd. The colors were changed to look more like one of Ned's signs?
I think the Democrats missed one good opportunity this year. The entire ticket was pretty strong. It was very easy to just vote the entire line B. They should have publicized voting a straight ticket down the line...
Here's to hoping we can take our country back from evil!
3:00 Field report: DANBURY- Ward 5, War Memorial
I voted in Danbury at roughly 8:20 AM (Danbury War Memorial Building). There were no lines when I arrived so I got through reasonably rapidly. Met an old acquintaince and another chap poll standing for Chris Murphy & Ned Lamont. No sign of any Lieberman presence.
Since we are still using the old machines, there did not seem to be any apparent problems. The lines were just starting to build as I left.
Come on Hat City folks, I wanna hear from ya!
Email me your report at hatcityblog@yahoo.com (don't forget to tell me which ward your reporting from).
Anywhere else in CT, email me at ctblogger@yahoo.com
If you already gave me a report, email your friend and tell them to do the same.
2:50 Observations:
Here's what I'm hearing so far.
The turnout for this election is HUGE. I just came back from voting myself and there were nothing but cross off names on the voter list. Poll watchers and people filing in field reports all say the same thing..the turnout is VERY high.
The DeStefano campaign just issued this press release.
Early polling results from Democratic stronghold voting precincts across Connecticut indicate that voter turnout is extremely high and is on record pace for a mid-term election.
Middletown (34%) and New London (36%) - for instance - already have 5% higher voter turnout that the 2002 gubernatorial election. Hamden and Bloomfield have reached the voter turnout levels for 2002 – with more than 5 hours left until polls close.
"One thing both Gov. Rell and John DeStefano agree on is that today all the earlier polls mean nothing," said Derek Slap - campaign spokesperson. "Election Day is about turning out voters and right now things look promising for DeStefano and the Democrats. The heavily forecasted Democratic wave is taking shape and this can only be a good thing for John DeStefano."
I can't wait to get back out on the road again and see how the evening goes...
2:45 Reminder:
Email me your voting report.
If your from Danbury email me at hatcityblog@yahoo.com (don't forget to tell me which ward your reporting from).
Anywhere else in CT, email me at ctblogger@yahoo.com
I'm love the reponses I'm receiveing so far so keep them coming!
NOTE:I just came back from Broadview School and I'll bring you my full report including my video interview with 109th Democratic State Rep. candidate, Joe Taborsak shortly.
2:40 Field report: New Haven
Just got back from poll standing this morning. Guess who voted in my precinct? Yep, Mr. & Mrs. Lieberman.
Anyway, there were five or six of us outside, which is hard to believe given the small size of our precinct. And lines! Perhaps we're all just eager and voting early, but the turn-out was much greater than I would have thought. Much, much greater.
Met one guy who was gleeful about voting for Lamont. I guess he had bumped into Joe on the sidewalk, and Joe wouldn't shake his hand. (The voter was a down on his luck vet, but he recounted how kind Ned was to him at an event on the New Haven Green.)
Finally, no Lieberman volunteers anywhere to be found. Two paid poll workers doing absolutely nothing. But no one advocating on behalf of Lieberman.
2:35 Field report: New London
Just voted at Ocean Beach Park in New London. No Lieberman signs or workers anywhere to be found 3 men working outside for the Democrats. Courtney, DeStefano and Lamont signs around. Don't remember any other signs except for 2 Simmons signs across from the park, and this is the conservative part of the city!
They have had good traffic all day and had 4 booths that were all in use. There had been only 1 booth for the primary.
Courtney was there when I left.
2:30 Field report: Guilford
I spent the morning poll standing in Guilford. Ned did very well here during the primary and he needs to do well here again today in order to pull out a victory. All indications are that he is on track to do that.
The polling station in the third district, where I was stationed, was extremely busy for the entire pre-morning commute period. If what I saw holds throughout the state then the projections of 65% turnout might be right on target.
The staff working the polls was extremely efficient. Even though people continued to flood in all morning, the lines never got too long and most people were in and out in 5 to 7 minutes.
I got a lot of thumbs up, shouts, waves, and other signs of support for Ned. While I also got some gruff assertions that, "I'm sticking with Joe" these were definitely a minority. Of course, the vast majority of people give absolutely no indication of who they will be supporting. However, I would hazard a guess(based on the percentage of people giving overt signs of support for Ned, the general demeanor of most voters, and my "gut feeling") that Ned was running a bit ahead by the time I had to head out for work.
If not for the crowds of voters it might have been a bit lonely as only a solitary Joe supporter showed up with his GPS system (I mean sandwich board) indicating how to locate Joe on the ballot (hint, just keep going down and down and down). While he seemed pleasant enough, he elected to stand on the other side of theparking lot from me, as I had gotten there first and staked out the best spot (right over that 75 foot line).
This election will be a nail biter either way, but I am feeling optimistic. In communicating with incoming voters I found that I received the most thoughtful stares and nods when I mentioned that a vote for Ned Lamont was a vote to bring our troops home. Certainly, I think that many people will have second thoughts when faced with the realization that pulling the lever for Lieberman means giving their tacit approval to the disaster in Iraq. Hopefullly, Ned can win a few voting booth conversions when the voters of Connecticut realize the heavy responsiblity that this Senate race has placed on them.
I will be back poll standing after I duck out of work early this afternoon and will be there until polls close at eight. Registered voters in Connecticut, the world is watching, get to your local polling place and vote for Ned Lamont.
1:00 Problems in Bridgeport:
I'm just got a report of strange things happening down at the Blackham school in Bridgeport. According to a source, someone was caught passing out Farrell and Lieberman literature (which is a NO NO).
Also hearing reports of unusually long lines (I can not verify this as I'm not in Bridgeport).
If anyone is in the Bridgeport area, can you please take a camera or video camera and get down to the Blackham school ASAP.
Blackham School 425 Thorme St, Bridgeport, CT (Google map)
12:30 I'll be traveling to the Broadview School in Danbury to see how things are going shortly. I'll come back with photos and hopefully a video report.
12:25 Field report: Wethersfield
Voted in Wethersfield 1st district this morning. There was a Lamont poll worker there and Lamont signs in a row as you come to entrance of the polling place, nothing at all for Joe anywhere. The only Republican present was for Jodi Rell.
I just voted at the East Rock School in New Haven. My initial reactions:
-A lot more people at the polls today than compared witn the primary (at the same time).
-Lamont signs far outnumbered Joe signs. In fact, I do not think there were any Joe signs.
-There was one Joe campaign "volunteer" attempting to handout "find Joe" literature. Quite frankly, she looked liked she couldn't wait for the day to be over (already!) so she can collect her slush fund money from Joe LIEberman. She was wearing headphones, had them cranking, and barely turned them down when she attempted to approach voters. I say "attempted" because she looked so disinterested and nobody was paying much attention to her.
-Lieberman looks lonely on the bottom line. VERY lonely.
I voted for NED!!
Email me your voting report.
If your from Danbury email me at hatcityblog@yahoo.com (don't forget to tell me which ward your reporting from)
Anywhere else in CT, email me at ctblogger@yahoo.com
10:55: Field report: Glastonbury/Eastbury
NO SIGNS FOR JOE ANYWHERE!
This is a pretty solid Lamont area, but I was surprised that the only Joe LIEberman sign I saw was on van a Stop & Shop in Glastonbury yesterday.
I would have imaged more presence at the Eastbury School polling location.
But, there was nothing.
Not a juicy story for you, but, just like in sports, the formula for success is winning your home games and splitting on the road. Ned needs to capture all his stongholds and split Joe's.
Go DEMS!
Email me your voting report.
If your from Danbury email me at hatcityblog@yahoo.com (don't forget to tell me which ward your reporting from)
Anywhere else in CT, email me at ctblogger@yahoo.com
Just heard this story that came from one of our volunteers in Milford... apparently, he was the only person from any campaign pollstanding at a polling place in Milford earlier this morning. All of a sudden, two or three out-of-state Fox News vans pull up and unload a bunch of Lieberman lawn signs, placed right in front of the Lamont signs that had already been planted. And, what do you know, after a few more minutes, who shows up but Joe himself, ready for the cameras.
Report from a man in Windsor who voted for change (via AP)
That's just what 60-year-old Ron Bowman, a Democrat from Windsor, Conn., had on his mind when he went out to vote first thing Tuesday. "It was a chance for a change," he said, after casting his ballot for Democratic senatorial candidate Ned Lamont over incumbent Sen. Joe Lieberman, running as an independent.
Another voter who echoed Bowman's sentiment, Shirley Swanson of Windsor, said that she, too, voted for Lamont. "He's not Lieberman. Joe isn't listening to us,'" she said.
Just got back from my poll-standing shift in the Valley. Yes, everybody is doing it. It’s all hands on deck today and it feels good ...
So, I was in the Valley. That's a part of CT not necessarily expected to be a treasure trove of votes for change. Anyway, I admittedly arrived a little bit late (was sending out a mass email for volunteers) with my Lamont gear and assumed my place about 80 feet away from the front door.
There was a nice middle-aged lady there wearing a Joe sandwich board that indicates his crossword puzzle-like positioning on the ballot. Maybe it's just me, but I reminded of the fact that he LOST everytime I see his voter education tools.
I struck up a conversation with the Joe supporter and asked what time she arrived. She said, "I got here at 5:30. People in this part of Connecticut are early risers." "Oh," I responded, "Where are you from?"
Her answer ... "D.C." It was pretty funny. I chuckled. She is one of Joe's staffers on the Homeland Security Committee.
Anyway, here's one thing I did notice. A handful of voters came out of the polls, looked at the two of us and said, "I voted for Ned," or some variation. In about two hours, not a single person said the same thing about Joe.
That's not to say we will even carry that polling location. We probably won't. It's just to say Ned voters and Joe voters are a different beast. For all the talk about "voting against someone," there are a ton of people quite proud to actually cast a U.S. Senate ballot for someone they actually believe in.
I want to here from you so email me your voting story.
Danbury: hatcityblog@yahoo.com The rest of CT: ctblogger@yahoo.com
The next post will be the election day thread. Each update will be timestamped so come back often.
A special welcome to those reading from the Newstimes. I'll be filing video reports all day from around Danbury, stopping by Chris Murphy's headquarters in Waterbury, and finishing things off at Lamont headquarters.
Again, welcome to my little corner of the blogosphere. Come back often throughout the day...this is going to be a long day.
I tell you, no matter what happens tomorrow, I'll never forget the amazing time I had following Ned Lamont's campaign.
Whether it's the first time I met Lamont at the New Haven library in January, or watching his first speeches at DTC meetings, I knew back then that I was witnessing history happen right before my very eyes. With each passing day, more people joined the Lamont bandwagon and changed what was once a barely noticed campaign into a national phenomenon. Now, with election day near, Lamont ends his campaign in my neck of the woods and I couldn't be happier.
Well over 200 people came out in the middle of the afternoon to show their support for Lamont and it was a fitting way to end to an amazing campaign. Without further delay, here's my video on Ned Lamont's final rally.
Still undecided in choosing between Nancy Johnson and Chris Murphy?
Well, after watching my footage of their last debate in Danbury, the choice will become crystal clear.
I've been following the various politican races across the state and besides the U.S. senate race, the 5th CD race has caught my attention the most. In short, Nancy "donut hole" Johnson is so far from reality that it scares me as she's run one of the worst campaigns in recent memory.
Here's the brief rundown of her meltdown:
1: Johnson whined about Chris Murphy attacking her in an ad that wasn't made by him. 2. Johnson makes an campaign ad in which she recreates a 9/11 victims funeral.
3. In an ad straight out of Battlestar Galatica, Johnson lies about Murphy's stand on wiretapping.
4. Gets the NRCC to flood my cellphone with a ridiculous amount of robocalls tha make outright claims about Murphy's record.
5. Johnson lies about Murphy voting record in an ad, admits to lying Murphy's record to the Hartford Courant, and makes the same lie in a new ad.
Oh, I could go on but you get the idea.
If that wasn't bad enough, I had to endure a hour of Johnson lying and deceiving the public at the last 5CD debate in Danbury (the things I do for my readers).
While you watch the video, please make sure your sitting down when you witness Johnson a) make the outrageous claim that No Child Left Behind is funded b) completely dodges a question (to the delight of Murphy), and c) attempt to explain her travels that were bought and paid for by lobbyists and ultimately c) treat the audience to an hour of pure b.s.
This is a textbook "out of touch" politician going by against someone who's probably one of the brightest politician who is leading the charge for change in the House of Represenatives.
Following Ned Lamont throughout this entire campaign has been an eye-opening experience. For those who say Lamont ran a negative campaign or that Joe Lieberman is a nice guy, really have no idea what they're talking about.
Lieberman FROM DAY ONE has ran nothing but a angry, bitter politician. His campaign is made up of thugs who either stage phony phoho-ops for the media, or actively go out of their way to attack Lamont and his supporters.
Take a look at this picture of Lieberman and Lamont from yesterday's Veterans Day parade.
For a guy who has screwed up so many huge things (say, for instance the Iraq War), I must say: Joe Lieberman is damn good at minute pettiness. I guess it's easy to be good at that if you have no principles or basic sense of manners, and are willing to deploy your surrogates to disrupt a major veterans event by trying to physically throw Ned Lamont out of the parade today in Hartford. It was the Return of the Lieberthugz, Part II.
Yup, you read that right: at the beginning of today's Veterans Day parade in downtown Hartford, Joe smiled and shook Ned's hand, and then quickly sent his folks out to try physically bar Ned from marching with Congressman John Larson and other Democrats who invited him to march. It was one of those moments where all you could think of saying was wow, stay classy Joe Lieberman.
Ned decided not to listen, and jogged around the Lieberman folks while we distracted them, and caught back up to the Democrats. When the Lieberman people again tried to physically remove Ned from the parade, Larson backed them off once and for all telling them simply: "Ned's with us." That could be the bumper sticker slogan of this campaign, as it perfectly sums up how in more and more people's minds, Ned represents standing up for regular people, and Joe represents standing up for the status quo.
Simply disgusting. Joe Lieberman AGAIN calls his thugs to attack Lamont and this time it's at a VETERANS DAY PARADE.
Not to worry as there was a bright spot in all of this as Sirota continues:
I'll be frank: I was a bit nervous about the parade from the get-go because Joe has joined with Vice President Cheney to try to liken Ned and the majority of Connecticut who want change in Iraq to Osama bin Laden fans. But my concerns were allayed as we walked through Hartford - veterans kept coming up to Ned thanking him for having the guts to run in this race, and the guts to stand up and say what needs to be said about the war in Iraq.
Joe was, per the norm, as polished as a patent leather shoe, but as dirty as the sole of that same shoe had it been trudged through a manure pile. He marched waving and smiling - but not to the crowd, because there were very few people cheering for him. But he knows how to create a picture for the cameras, so he went ahead and waved and thumbs-upped the group of his own staffers and security guards walking through the crowd along the sidewalks.
[...]
What's most interesting to me about this campaign in terms of the race's mechanics is how unflappable Ned is. I've worked with a lot of different candidates, and all of them have their good traits and bad ones. But most often, non-career politicians aren't very even-keeled at this point in the race.
Not so for Ned. The guy is really passionate about what we're doing and how important this race is in trying to end the war in Iraq - but he never gets shaken by Lieberman's pettiness. My bet is that's really a commentary on Ned's focus - a focus that likely comes from his business experience where he's competed and won against the major cable conglomerates in one of the toughest industries out there. It must also be a commentary on Ned's smarts - though I've never asked him, I bet that Ned knows that everytime the career politician he's running against pulls one of these stunts, that career politician is once again sending a strong signal of desperation.
Today was a great example of this. When they tried to bully Ned, he didn't get upset - he just figured out a way to get around them so that he could meet with as many veterans as possible to talk with them about the issues. It was a successful event because it's obvious, to echo Larson, more and more voters know "Ned's with us" and Joe is not.
Ned Lamont's Stand up for Change Tour will make it's way through Danbury today.
Here are the details:
Time: Monday, November 6 at 3:30 PM Duration: 1 hour Host: Lamont Campaign Location: Portuguese Cultural Center, Hall A (Danbury, CT) 65 Sand Pit Road Danbury, CT 06810
Sen. Joseph I. Lieberman and his main challenger, Ned Lamont, briskly shook hands Sunday at a Veterans Day parade made more solemn by the mounting U.S. death toll in Iraq.
[...]
Lieberman, a petitioning candidate since losing the Democratic nomination to Lamont, marched in the Hartford parade Sunday with U.S. Rep. Nancy L. Johnson, R-5th District, and a conservative radio host, Brad Davis.
Joe Lieberman on the campaign trail with Nancy Johnson. I'm sure Chris Murphy is happy about that.
It's simple, Lieberman has been actively campaigning with Nancy Johnson and Chris Shays from day one. Joe knows that he needs the Republicqan vote to win the election so he's on the campaign trail placing the Democrat victory in Connecticut (as well as the Democratic control of Congress) in jeopardy.
Joe Lieberman only cares about Joe Lieberman. People like Johnson and Shays are more than happy to ride Lieberman's coattails since they're both locked in tight races and need a big Republican turnout on election day.
The paper that picked Lieberman as their choice in the primary, picks Lamont for Senate. Rarely do I post an article in full but this is a must read.
For months now, Joseph Lieberman has been running hard to keep his appointment with the voters on Tuesday.
He didn't expect it to be this way. The three-term senator, vice presidential and presidential candidate expected an easy re-election to a fourth term in the U.S. Senate.
But the war in Iraq and Ned Lamont, a Greenwich businessman, got in the way.
Lamont challenged Lieberman for the Democratic nomination and won the party primary in August.
Lieberman then decided to run a campaign as a petitioning candidate, gathering voters' signatures to obtain a place on the Nov. 7 ballot.
Lamont and Lieberman are joined on the ballot by Republican Alan Schlesinger. His party nominated him but has not supported him. Schlesinger has run an energetic campaign on a shoestring.
Public opinion polls show strong voter sentiment across the nation that Washington isn't working and change is needed. Concern about President Bush's conduct of the war in Iraq is a big part of that unrest.
Connecticut got a head start on that conversation this summer during the primary campaign for U.S. Senate. While Lieberman's struggles shocked the Washington establishment -- and Lieberman himself -- criticism at home had been building for years.
As he pursued his national political ambitions, Lieberman too often ignored Connecticut. He also pursued policies that left longtime supporters on the sidelines, wondering about his judgment.
His insistence, for example, that Congress should meddle in a family dispute involving Terri Schiavo, a woman who doctors said was in a vegetative state, was disappointing.
His unquestioning support of Bush administration policies on Iraq, even as American military casualties mounted and Iraq spiraled out of control toward civil war, was a failure of duty and he should be held accountable.
It took the Lamont challenge to get Lieberman back to Connecticut to explain some of the choices he has made in Washington.
During the primary, Lieberman sounded like a man who was ready to finally exercise his responsibilities of congressional oversight on Iraq.
But as a petitioning candidate this fall, he has returned to largely unquestioning support of the Bush war policies.
The News-Times Editorial Board has twice endorsed Lieberman for election to the Senate, citing his experience, intelligence and hard work. The Editorial Board also endorsed Lieberman in the August primary. After he lost, the Editorial Board suggested he withdraw from the campaign.
In Tuesday's election, the Editorial Board endorses Ned Lamont.
From the start of his campaign, Lamont has been a confident candidate, sure of his message as an outsider, not intimidated by Lieberman's long experience in government.
Lieberman dismisses Lamont as someone who wouldn't be able to match his presence in the Senate. Lieberman summons the same attitude toward voters who disagree with him on the war.
The problem for Lieberman is that all of his experience, all of his knowledge, didn't help him recognize what the Bush war policies were doing and now American military personnel are in the middle of a civil war in Iraq.
If the most experienced members of Congress didn't exercise oversight responsibilities on Iraq, have they really earned re-election?
If elected, Lamont will have to learn the ways of Washington. But Washington would benefit from having new people who ask questions, who wonder why "business as usual" can't be challenged and changed.
Lamont served in town office in Greenwich and is a successful businessman. He has a social conscience that motivated him to do more than just make a donation to help poor students; he volunteered to teach a class of Bridgeport teenagers about business.
In a year when the voters must impose change on Washington, Ned Lamont is the better choice.
Like a stalker, Joe Lieberman just won't take "no" for an answer from Connecticut voters. Now in the final days of the campaign, he's phone banking, and sometimes he goes too far.
Help and make sure we tell Joe NO again this Tuesday.
04.25.22 (RADIO): WSHU Latino group call on Connecticut lawmakers to open a Danbury charter school
06.03.22 (OP-ED): KUSHNER: "Career Academy ‘a great deal for Danbury"
On September 26, 2007, ten plaintiffs filed suit in response to an arrest of aday laborers at a public park in Danbury, Connecticut. Plaintiffs amended their complaint on November 26, 2007.
The amended complaint states that plaintiffs sought to remedy the continued discriminatory and unauthorized enforcement of federal immigration laws against the Latino residents of the City of Danbury by Danbury's mayor and its police department.
Plaintiffs allege that the arrests violated their Fourth Amendment rights and the Connecticut Constitution because defendants conducted the arrests without valid warrants, in the absence of exigent circumstances, and without probable cause to believe that plaintiffs were engaged in unlawful activity. In addition, plaintiffs allege that defendants improperly stopped, detained, investigated, searched and arrested plaintiffs. Plaintiffs also allege that defendants violated their Fourteenth Amendment rights when they intentionally targeted plaintiffs, and arrested and detained them on the basis of their race, ethnicity and perceived national origin. Plaintiffs raise First Amendment, Due Process and tort claims.
Plaintiffs request declaratory relief, damages and attorneys fees.
On September 26, 2007, ten plaintiffs filed suit in response to an arrest of aday laborers at a public park in Danbury, Connecticut. Plaintiffs amended their complaint on November 26, 2007.
