I Just Returned

from a small rally for Senator Chris Dodd about a block away at the local firefighters' union hall.

Chris Dodd spoke for perhaps 15 minutes thanking the IAFF for endorsing his candidacy. That can be considered a major endorsement in the campaign. It will help Dodd a lot. He spent much time talking about the importance of firefighters to the community, and that he was committed to supporting them in addition to supporting organized labor and families. Recall if you will he helped sponsor the Family and Medical Leave Act, which helps families who need the extra time to care for babies and sick relatives. We in the United States were lucky to get that. Granted, PAID leave would be much better, but we can be thankful corporate America got overrruled.

Dodd gets asked quite a bit why he is running. He said on the way to Reno during one of his visits (he makes many out west since his wife, Jackie Clegg, is from Utah and has family there), and a woman he spoke with said she believed our best days in this country are "behind us." Dodd said that remark made him mad. He didn't want our generation to be the one to believe in such a thing. He said he wants the citizens of this country to believe the best days for America "are AHEAD of us." I can't quarrel with that, even as our dictator has made a huge mess of things.

Dodd said in effect that also as a parent of two young daughters (one of whom was born on September 13, 2001, after Dodd's wife took some medication to delay labor after the 9/11 tragedies), he wants this country to be a better place for them to grow up. Dodd's remarks were brief and to the point, and, after he finished, he met with the few dozen supporters, mostly from the firefighter union (and some of us wore the t-shirts of the union in support of Dodd) and a smattering of the public, including yours truly. Dodd, who years ago after his first marriage ended in divorce and before his second was known as a bit of a womanizer and such, absolutely loved the little kids who were there and readily posed with them for pictures. I shook hands with him and he signed my IAFF sign.

Dodd is sincere and friendly to everybody. He took time to talk with every person there. He may still be down at the union hall (as I am typing this it is 11:30 a.m.) talking with supporters.