| What a great few days since we kicked off our Tour of the 7th District on Monday. Everywhere I go, I hear from people that we need to send new leaders to Washington to get our country back on the right track. And our campaign for change is poised to do just that.
Tuesday was all about Hunterdon County, and I was overwhelmed by the warm response everywhere we went. We started the day in Flemington visiting with Main Street business owners. I had such wonderful guides in Councilwoman Brooke Leibowitz and Bob Flisser. We popped in everywhere from the Shaker Café to Kries Jeweler to Main Street Bagel, meeting lots of local folks at every stop. Several business owners shared with me their economic concerns. As Americans are struggling to afford the higher cost of everything from gas to food to healthcare, small businesses are feeling the pinch. The Bush Administration has really left our economy in shambles, and we need change in Washington to bring real relief.
We then traveled to Friendly Grounds Coffee House - where we took part in a meet n' greet with Flemington supporters. It's always nice to see old friends, and I also had the opportunity to meet a few new ones eager to join our campaign for change. It'll take all of us working together to ensure victory in November! Then it was on to Clinton, where Council members Michelle Harrison and Gene DeCleene walked with me downtown. Thank you to Michelle and Gene for introducing me all around town! As I stopped in businesses such as JJ Scoops, Krauses Flowers, and the Clinton Book Shop, I again heard from voters who are worried about making ends meet.
Next up was High Bridge, where I was joined by Councilwoman Mary Murdock and Joe Despivera, who leads the High Bridge Business Council. I was thrilled to talk with so many supporters exited to learn how they could get involved in our campaign or change. I stopped in to chat with a local florist who told me the high cost of gas has forced him to increase delivery charges. The Bush economy really is hurting all of us in ways we might not even realize.
Tuesday finally wrapped up at a house party in Tewksbury. It was a beautiful summer evening, full of good conversation and friends. The huge crowd was made up of supporters and undecided voters, so it was great to talk with folks about the real issues in this election.
Last night was one of the highlights of the week. We had a wonderful crowd at the Victory '08 Open House in Martinsville - in fact, it was a full house! Somerset County Chair Peg Schaffer did a terrific job making sure the night was a success. It was also great to see Rob Angelo - Director of the New Jersey Democratic State Committee - not only in attendance but energizing the crowd. And of course, thank you to our Somerset County Freeholder candidates Cecilia Birge and Doug Singleterry, as well as all of the local candidates who joined us. It's great to have such strong support at the local, county, and state level.
Folks from Somerset and Hunterdon County came out in droves to celebrate the official opening of the new Victory '08 HQ. I was amazed at the energy and enthusiasm in this standing room only event. As I walked around meeting with supporters, it was so great to hear everyone eager to knock on doors, make phone calls and generally help in any way they can.
It will take a strong grassroots effort across the 7th District to ensure we win in November. And events like last night's open house really prove the strength and depth of our operation. It's important that we run a top notch program in places such as Martinsville, where voters are hungry for change and want to get involved. I know that every time I listen to a volunteer making phone calls on behalf of the ticket, it personally pushes me to work even harder.
Our week-long tour will continue to roll on today and tomorrow with stops in places like Edison, Woodbridge, and Summit. I know we will wrap things up as strongly as we began! I hope to see a whole bunch of you out on the campaign trail, not only over the next few days but in the months ahead, as well. |
