President Obama Comes to Bridgeport to support Jim

Connecticut Post, Monday, October 25, 2010

BRIDGEPORT -- With one week until Election Day, the details surrounding President Barack Obama's Bridgeport visit are taking focus.

The president will arrive here on Saturday afternoon, campaign for the state's Democratic candidates, then rush off to similar rallies in three Midwestern states, finishing all of them before kids head out trick-or-treating.

The Bridgeport rally is taking place at the Arena at Harbor Yard, whose doors will open to the public at 1 p.m. Tickets are not required to attend to the rally, but seats are available on a first-come, first-served basis.

On Monday, Mayor Bill Finch's office had no details concerning street closures during the event but said that such an announcement will likely come later this week.

At the city's request, the Bridgeport Sound Tigers have postponed their home game scheduled for Saturday night against the Manchester Monarchs. The organization has yet to announce a make-up date for the game.

The Democratic National Committee has asked anyone planning to attend the rally to avoid bringing bags if possible. The security there should be similar to that of an airport. And signs, banners and laptop computers are prohibited.

Neither First Lady Michelle Obama nor Vice President Joe Biden is scheduled to attend the Bridgeport rally. The three of them will, however, join forces on Sunday afternoon in Cleveland. Before that stop, Obama will have also campaigned on Saturday in Philadelphia and Chicago.

That Obama is coming to Bridgeport at all came as a surprise to many politicians in the area. The announcement came from U.S. Rep. Jim Himes, D-4, last Tuesday evening, during a Democratic fundraiser at Testo's Restaurant on Madison Avenue.

Himes is relying on strong voter turnout in Bridgeport, Norwalk and Stamford, which helped catapult him two years ago over former U.S. Rep. Chris Shays. This time around, it is Republican state Sen. Dan Debicella who's looking to unseat the congressional incumbent.