Healthcare Advocates Turn Out for Obama and Dodd

Stamford, CT Oct 23, 2009 -- Healthcare, union and religious activists came together outside the Stamford Place Hilton Friday to welcome President Obama to Connecticut and rally in favor of a strong public option with no taxation of healthcare benefits. Obama was in Connecticut for a fundraiser for Senator Chris Dodd.

Across the street, Dump Dodd "teabaggers" carried signs demonizing President Obama and Senator Dodd, government healthcare and environmental protection.

In the traffic came many honks of support for healthcare reform, but the biggest cheers came from school buses with children pressed against the windows shouting, "Obama, Obama!"

The multi-racial healthcare reform supporters were a stark contrast to the all-white Dump Dodd crowd. Several families from Stamford who had never participated in a demonstration before came out to support the public option, joining with long time activists who had taken part in the national call-in day to Congress on October 20.

The Dump Dodd group has attempted to create hysteria in Connecticut by scapegoating Dodd for the Wall Street financial scandals. Seizing on this opportunity, the national Republican Party has named Dodd their number one target in 2010 in their attempt to re-take the Senate majority.

Dodd, with a lifetime pro-worker voting record over 90% has the strong support of organized labor. Picking up from where Sen. Kennedy left off, Dodd has the lead in committee negotiations on healthcare, and has pledged to stand firm for inclusion of a public option.

-- Joelle Fishman