Monday,June 12, 2000
By Terry Corcoran
© 2000 Republican-American
WATERBURY — U.S. Sen. Joseph Lieberman, D-Conn., last visited the city a few months back to sip coffee and talk politics with patrons at the Robinwood Luncheonette on West Main Street.
But after delivering the keynote address Sunday at the Waterbury Black Democratic Club's annual awards luncheon, Lieberman, 58, said he expects to return here several times over the next six months, as he runs for his third term in the Senate.
After all, since his likely Republican opponent will be city Mayor Philip A. Giordano, Lieberman has good reason to be seen and heard here.
"I've had a close relationship with Waterbury over the years. It's a city that's had its problems, and I've tried to be of help," Lieberman said.
"Of course, it will have a special meaning in this election if Mayor Giordano goes ahead and runs. We'll be spending a fair amount of time up here in the next several months."
Although neither Giordano nor Lieberman has "officially" announced their intentions to run, it's a given each will seek his party's nomination at conventions next month.
Giordano, 37, who was elected in November to his third term as mayor, is expected to announce his candidacy Wednesday in four stops across the state. Gov. John G. Rowland, the state's unofficial Republican party leader, initially tried to deter Giordano from running, but now will endorse Giordano at the Capitol.
While Lieberman's formal announcement has yet to come, it didn't keep campaign staffers from placing "Lieberman 2000" pins in front of every place setting for Sunday's luncheon at Courtyard By Marriott and recruiting campaign volunteers in the hallway outside the room where the luncheon was held.
Early polls and campaign finance reports indicate Lieberman has little to worry about from a November challenge by Giordano. With almost 12 years in the Senate, Lieberman said he will focus his campaign on his own record and, therefore, will likely pay little attention to his challenger.
"When you've been in office for 11½ years now and running for re-election, you're running on your record, and you're running on your plans for the future," Lieberman said. "I'm proud of what I've been able to do for this state, for the economy, for the environment and for the education system. I have a lot of things I want to work on in the future, particularly education, health care and to continue to improve the environment and the economy.
"When you're lucky enough to have been in office, your obligation, your responsibility when you run for re-election, is to talk to people about what you've tried to do and what you've done. Part of what I've been involved in is trying to protect average families through work on issues such as education, health care and family values. That's what this campaign will be about."
If Lieberman is looking for supporters in the city, he could find about 150 of them at the Black Democratic Club's annual awards luncheon. Arriving about 90 minutes late, Lieberman made up for his tardiness by fascinating the crowd with stories of meeting and listening to noted civil rights leader Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and volunteering in Mississippi in 1963 for a mock election "to show the country that black people wanted to vote."
It wasn't until 1964 that black Americans were given the right to vote.
Lieberman also recalled working as a young college student in 1962 on the campaign of Gerald Lamb, a black Waterburian elected state treasurer in 1962 and 1966.
Lieberman was one of many politicians at the luncheon, where awards were given to six people for their contributions to the city and the club: state Rep. Reginald Beamon, D-72nd District; the Rev. Raymond Gatling; school board members Joyce H. Petteway and James A. Murray; Dorothy F. Steward and Thelma Williams.
Also on hand were U.S. Rep. James Maloney, D-5th District; Secretary of the State Susan Bysiewicz; state Reps. Thomas Conway, D-75th District, and Michael Jarjura, D-74th District, and Democratic aldermen Laurie Singer Russo, Jeff Berger, Ron Napoli and Donald Rinaldi. Democratic Alderman Larry Butler, president of the Waterbury Black Democratic Club, was also on hand.
E-Mail
Authorized and Paid For by the Lieberman 2000 Committee
36 Woodland Street
Hartford, CT 06105
phone: 860.723.8980/ fax: 860.723.8983
www.lieberman2000.com