Thread: Lieberman stumps in Danbury for immigrant votes

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Lieberman stumps in Danbury for immigrant votes
By Elizabeth Putnam THE NEWS-TIMES

DANBURY – U.S. Sen. Joe Lieberman promised Friday to help the immigrant communities here find grant money to support their community centers’ efforts to educate them about America.

Lieberman met with about 30 leaders from Danbury’s immigrant communities at K&N Grill on White Street over the lunch hour to discuss immigration issues.

After a brief speech reiterating his support for a comprehensive immigration reform bill, Lieberman pledged to help Al Pena, a member of the Danbury Area Coalition for the Rights of Immigrants.

Pena told the junior senator that organizations such as the Ecuadorian Civic Center want to provide education about jobs or health care to help newcomers but often lack the money to do so.

Lieberman and his staff plan to research the state and federal grant money that’s available.

“I know it’s controversial – the cost of the immigrant community – but the immigrant community also gives a lot,” Lieberman said.

Lieberman, 64, is running for a fourth term, and Friday’s stop in Danbury followed a televised debate Thursday night between the senator and his primary challenger, Greenwich businessman Ned Lamont.

Although the war in Iraq seems to dominate the race, Lieberman said Friday that other issues, such as immigration, need just as much attention.

“There’s more on the minds of people in Connecticut, such as the environment, energy issues,” he said.

Lamont also supports more lenient immigration laws. In a phone interview Friday, he said he generally supports the Senate bill created by senators John McCain and Edward Kennedy, which Lieberman also has endorsed.

But Lamont said he would be more cautious with a guest worker program to ensure that immigrants are not taking jobs away from willing Americans.

“If you don’t have people willing to hire, people won’t come,” he said.

Lieberman’s visit to Danbury was organized by the Tribuna, a biweekly newspaper published in Portuguese and English. Lieberman is a subscriber.

His wife, Hadassah, also spoke during the visit. Hadassah, who came to America from Prague as a young child with her parents, told immigrant leaders that she understands where they are coming from and encouraged them to keep working hard.

“You need to do what you need to do to make it,” she said.

Friday’s stop in Danbury ended a busy week for Lieberman, who announced Monday in Hartford that he is collecting signatures necessary to run as an independent to ensure he is on the ballot in November if he loses the primary.

On Wednesday, Lieberman told the editorial board of The News-Times that although he’s ready to run as a third-party candidate, he remains loyal to the Democratic party.

And Thursday was the debate with Lamont.

A Quinnipiac University Poll showed Lieberman leading Lamont among Democratic voters by 55 percent to 40 percent. A separate Rasmussen Reports poll showed Lieberman with only a six-point edge over Lamont.

Before Lieberman posed for pictures and left, Maria-Cinta Lowe of the Hispanic Center of Danbury told Lieberman that immigrants are looking for respect.

“We are a big force, and we are getting bigger and bigger,” she told the senator. “If you helps us, we will help you.”

Contact Elizabeth Putnam
at eputnam@newstimes.com
or at (203) 731-3411

“We are a big force, and we are getting bigger and bigger,” she told the senator. “If you helps us, we will help you.”

Lieberman, please join the ranks in the line of traitors selling out our country. McCain, Kennedy, Pence, Specter, Bush, etc.

(mod edit)

Maybe she'll teach him Spanish. Can you imagine what he'd sound like?

Lieberman is jewish, and I would like to ask him how he would feel if all the palestines people would decide to invade to live and work in Israel ? Then he will be very angry.