I was at the Irish Festival in North Haven yesterday. I had a nice time and met lots of people… lots. At some events I’ll stay in one place, not at this festival. I went from booth-to-booth venue-to-venue like I was a politician trolling for votes.
There were Irish bands and step dancers and more pale people with Irish accents than I’ve ever seen. More than once I commented it was probably a good thing there wasn’t as much sunshine as forecast.
I saw something new (to me) in “fair food.” There was a truck where grilled cheese sandwiches were being made. I didn’t sample any, but they looked really good. Really good!
Rosa DeLauro was there yesterday too. She is my congressman (congresswoman… congressperson?) here in the Third District. Like me she understands you can win friends and influence people one at-a-time. In that regard she and I are both in retail!
She was at the ceremony last year where I was honored by the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation. I thanked her again for being so nice to my parents that night and she asked how they were doing. Then I got a little political.
Maybe in retrospect I should have kept my mouth shut, but I asked her to ask the president to “grow a set” in his dealings with Congress. I have been disappointed he has not governed as the progressive he seemed to be while running. It was that promise of a strong progressive that got my support in the primaries.
Of course I don’t expect Rosa to rush into the Oval Office and say, “Geoff Fox said…” but she was receptive because she and I are aligned here.
She said she would tell the president to stand up for these principles (my interpretation of her words) as she has in the past. “And don’t think I won’t,” she added flashing a sly smile and showing the lack of fear that comes with being in the safest of safe districts.
I hope my conversation with her meant something. I hope her conversation with the president means something.