Road Report from Ted Chiodo:

10-25-2006: Today with 13 days remaining John Kerry and his traveling band of staffers took the early continental flight out of Boston heading to the garden state to meet up with Sen. Bob Menendez. The early morning sun reflected off the bay as the full mini van headed to the airport.  JK was in high spirits as he passed around freshly acquired chocolate chip cookies.  We quickly grabbed our boarding passes and headed to our gate.

The fine TSA officers reminded me to take my laptop out of my bag and proceed through the checkpoint. One trick I have learned in my short time traveling throughout this country is to pack items that must be x-rayed on top of your other belongings.  It is a real help to the TSA and you are much less likely to spill your belongings all over the floor (I learned from experience). We arrived refreshed in Newark after a short hop on a 50 seat regional jet. I had a great seat, 2A at the very front of the aircraft.  (These are the seats that come along so rarely that I had to recount it to you here.) <!-more-> Andrew Gournardes, a great guy from Brooklyn, picked the group up and drove us down to the West Orange Fire Station. There we were met by West Orange Fire Department Chief Pete Smeraldo and local veterans who were there to lend support to Sen. Menendez and John Kerry.  Chief Smeraldo graciously gave us a quick tour and briefed Jk on the current situation at the firehouse.  Bob Menendez arrived shortly after and the democratic leaders met and talked for a few minutes.  While they talked I set up shop outside to catch some good stills.  I ran into an old Kerry headquarters staffer and we told some old war stories as we marked our space where press was setting up.

As soon as I had my camera on the two leaders made their way to the microphone set up in front of a red West Orange fire truck.  Bob Menendez spoke first and powerfully about the Iraq war.  He underlined the choice between his opponent who believes in a failed stay the course policy and his belief that a change in our Iraq policy is critical to our foreign policy future.  He went on to blast Kean Jr. by saying, “My opponent relies on so much empty rhetoric when talking about Iraq, sometimes I think we’re listening to George Bush.”

John Kerry thanked Bob for inviting him and thanked the crowd for voting for him in 2004.  JK expressed his gratitude for Senators like Bob Menedez who cast one of the 13 votes to set a 1 year deadline to transition out of Iraq.  ”He stood with me on the floor of the senate and I am proud to stand with him in New Jersey today. ”  Kerry asked the crowd to send Bob Menendez back to the Senate so he can continue to struggle against the current stay the course folly.  John Kerry ended his remarks with a example of what happens when voters make a choice based on name id alone. “I knew his dad and I liked his dad, and his dad has served this country well; but the last time people voted for somebody because they liked his dad, we got W.”

With that JK ended his remarks and went into the crowd to shake hands.  As soon as I had packed up all my stuff JK and Bob Menendez had moved inside to grab a picture with the Seaton Hall College Democrats.  It was good to see so many garden state residents making a difference and willing to stand up and make a difference this November!

Then we headed towards Connecticut to meet up with Ned Lamont—which (in the wacky way things work sometimes) has already been posted here.

Mahalo!

    -- Ted