New Haven Independent

Hundreds filled the Goffe Street Park Saturday, passing between playgrounds, ice cream trucks and vendors’ tents as gospel music filled the air. Between songs and local preachers’ sermons, Lamont took the stage for a two-minute stump speech.

“You have the choice,” said Lamont, turning to the most mobilizing issue in his race to oust three-term U.S. Sen. Joe Lieberman. “Stay the course or change the course? Leave the troops in Iraq or bring them home?”

The candidate also urged more support for public schools and universal health care, but judging by scattered applause and hoots, Iraq was the issue that hit home most with the audience.

“How come we can spend all that money in Iraq but can’t afford to fix the levees in New Orleans? We’re making bad choices; I hope Tuesday you make a good choice,” said Lamont, leaving the stage to to shake hands with the largely African-American crowd.

With visits to black churches and high-profile endorsements from civil rights leaders Jesse Jackson, Al Sharpton, Lamont’s campaign — like Lieberman’s — has been focusing on the black vote this week. For the third time in three weekends, Lamont was joined Saturday by U.S. Rep. Maxine Waters of California. Lamont was also joined by actor and human rights activist Danny Glover earlier Saturday.

Lieberman was observing the Jewish sabbath Saturday. His campaign didn’t return a call for comment, but Lieberman planned Sunday to attend Gospel Fest and campaign with Newark Mayor Cory Booker and U.S. Rep. Eleanor Holmes, D-D.C. The senator has also received support (for the primary, not the general election) from Bill Clinton, the “first black president.”

“We’ve seen a real upsurge in African-American support,” said Lamont campaign spokeswoman Liz Dupont-Diehl. Black voters, like other pro-Lamonters, are finding their “priorities displaced by so much focus on the war,” she said.

Was the message connecting? Dorothy Johnson, a North Haven resident who was drawn to a campaign stop earlier in the day to see actor Danny Glover, said she’d voted for Lieberman in the last two elections. The senator had helped her and her fellow employees form a union at Circuit-Wise years ago. But “Lieberman has lost his way. He’s really like a Republican,” she said, mentioning his refusal to filibuster U.S. Supreme Court nominee Samuel Alito and his initial support of exploring privatization of Social Security. “And affirmative action — he’s not really in favor of it.”

Pam, a New Havener who’d come to the Gospel Fest with a local motorbiking club, approached Lamont as he made his way through the crowd. Like many others distracted by Gospel Fest activities, she’d missed his speech. She didn’t know much about him — “he’s a schoolteacher, I think,” — but was interested enough to go shake his hand. Her verdict? “I need to know more.”

Lisa Monroe, a Dwight neighborhood activist staffing a nearby bookstore tent, stuck around in a small crowd to watch Lamont get interviewed by prominent PBS reporter Gwen Iffel (pictured), who was taping a show for the Newshour with Jim Lehrer. Monroe admitted she was more interested in meeting Iffel than Lamont, but added, “It’s remarkable what he’s been able to achieve against a long-term incumbent like Lieberman.”