Community Corner

Obama Leads Bridgeport Rally For Democratic Candidates

President meets both supporters and protesters at "Moving America Forward" campaign stop in The Arena at Harbor Yard.

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BRIDGEPORT -- President Barack Obama joined Democratic party candidates, including former Stamford Mayor Dannel Malloy, Attorney General Richard Blumenthal and Congressman Jim Himes Saturday afternoon at the "Moving America Forward Rally" at The Arena at Harbor Yard.

Thousands of supporters gathered to witness the president and local community leaders drum up support for candidates just four days before the election.

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Hosted by music and fashion entrepreneur Russell Simmons, the gathering was part of a series of rallies the president was scheduled to attend Saturday that seemed focused on two goals: encouraging younger voters to show up to the polls on Election Day and getting Democrats excited again about the Obama administration.

"The media forgets that we now have things like health reform," Simmons told the crowd. "And we're just getting started … remember that you made a good choice and keep sticking to that choice. Help us keep the team that best represents our interests."

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After opening remarks by others, Obama took the stage for an approximately 20-minute speech that was interrupted early on by audience members verbally protesting for more funds for global AIDS efforts, and holding up a sign that read, "Keep the Promise, $50 Billion for Global Aids."

Obama directly addressed the protestors by telling them that their efforts were misdirected. "You've been appearing at every rally we've been doing, and we're funding global AIDS and the other side is not," he said. "I think it would make a lot of sense for you guys to go to the folks who aren't interested in funding global AIDS and chant at that rally."

After the protestors were escorted out of the arena, Obama continued his speech by touting some of the changes his administration has made since taking office in 2008, but admitted that there was a lot more to be done.

"Unless we can put people back to work and unless we're confident about the future, it's going to be hard to move forward," he said. "Our hope was, when we came in the midst of this crisis, that we could get all parties to come to focus on these challenges."

Instead, Obama said, Republican leaders wanted to "stand on the sidelines and point the finger" at Democrats. "They were counting on amnesia as a political strategy," he said. "We had a different strategy. Ours was to fix the problem and, as a consequence, an economy that was shrinking is now growing again."

Obama expressed his disappointment that the U.S. is now behind other countries in vital areas, including transportation and education.

"When it came to the amount of college graduates we were producing, we used to be number one," he said. "Now, we're number nine and that's not acceptable. We've made historic investments in education so that by 2020, we'll be number one again. And that's when the other side was saying; 'We want to cut taxes for millionaires and billionaires.' That was paid in part by the 20 percent cut they made in education [funding]."

Obama closed his speech by acknowledging some of the excitement over his administration has weakened and the economy continues to suffer, but said more changes are ahead. "Don't let anyone tell you that this fight isn't working for you," he said. "Because of you, there are 100,000 brave men and women that are home and not fighting in Iraq because you wouldn't tell them that change isn't possible."

Bridgeport Mayor Bill Finch addressed the crowd earlier in the program, acknowledging that his term, which began in 2007, came just when the economy was beginning to collapse. He credited Himes and Obama for bringing in funds that helped the city to create jobs and hire additional police officers. "Himes and Obama helped the economic situation," he said. "But what was missing was a little help from Washington."

Malloy, who's running for governor against Republican Tom Foley, urged the audience to make phone calls, talk to friends and family, and use Facebook and email to encourage people to vote on Tuesday. "Make this a fairer and stronger country that provides health care for all and an education that properly prepares our children for the workforce," he said.

Malloy went on to say that while other states in the U.S. saw an increase in jobs over the last few years, Connecticut saw no job growth. "Some don't mind watching the poor get poorer, but that's about to change on Election Day," he said.

After Malloy left the stage, Simmons referred to him as a possible governor "who actually cares about the poor."

Blumenthal, who's running for U.S. Senate against Republican Linda McMahon, and Himes, who's running for a second term against Republican Dan Decibella, also addressed the crowd before Obama's appearance. Blumenthal expressed the urgency of this election, telling the crowd they would be the difference between "giving into special interests and meeting special interests," while Himes warned that the Republicans' agenda lies in making sure that "Obama becomes a one-term president."

In addition to Bridgeport, Obama was scheduled to attend "Moving America Forward" rallies in Philadelphia, Chicago and Cleveland on Saturday. The president has already attended rallies in Columbus, Los Angeles, Las Vegas and Madison, Wis.


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