Clinton Campaigns In New Haven For Blumenthal

President Bill Clinton was in New Haven on Sunday to campaign for U.S. Senate candidate Richard Blumenthal.  The gymnasium inside Wilbur Cross High School was packed with more than 1,200 state and local leaders, parents and students eager to see and hear President Clinton. 

He told the enthusiastic crowd that its their job to convince Democrats, especially young voters, to get out to the polls in November.

"Since this is Sunday and I’m a Baptist, I can tell you this. This is the equivalent of preaching to the saved. The main purpose of this talk is to give you points you can make to people who are not here."

Clinton said Republicans are trying to turn the mid-term election into a referendum, "...on people’s anger or disappointment or apathy with a good dose of amnesia thrown in. And if this is referendum, we got a lot of trouble here."

But Clinton insisted the November election is not a referendum. He called it a choice.

"And nearly as I can figure it out, all over America,  the Republican argument goes something like this. We left  the country in a $3 trillion hole, after driving the economy down for seven years before the explosion in September 2008. You gave us eight years to dig that hole. They’ve had 21 months to dig out. We’re not out and roaring again. Throw them out and put us back in so we can put our shovels to work again."

Clinton praised Blumenthal and said he’d served the people of Connecticut well as Attorney General and was the best candidate for U.S. Senate. Most of the President’s remarks focused on the Democrats’ larger battle against the GOP. 

But afterwards, Blumenthal supporters in the crowd were also anxious to talk about his tough fight against opponent Linda McMahon. Joe Rodriguez is a member of the New Haven Board of Alderman.

"She’s leading him I think five to one when it comes to money... We’re against a mega-machine right now. But at the end of day moneys don’t buy elections and I think Dick Blumenthal’s gonna pull it off."

After his remarks, President Clinton went onto Massachusetts to stump for Congressman Barney Frank, another well-known Democrat facing a tough campaign. 

For WNPR, I'm Diane Orson.