Not Exactly Perry Como. Not Even Bobby Vinton.

Democrats in Self-Destruct Mode CCCLXXI

"Dale Rhome first learned that Democratic presidential candidate John Kerry was coming to his house from an unusual source – his poodle."

John Kerry was in the neighborhood, Monday:

.... Mr. Kerry stepped boldly into the verbal minefield early, arriving at a front-porch session with supporters in Canonsburg, Pa., near Pittsburgh. As he likes to do, he brandished a bit of local color to show he wasn't just any interloping politician blowing through town.

But in so doing he seemed to forget that Republicans have been tearing him down for months as a vacillating, indecisive, finger-in-the-wind politician of the worst order.

"Everybody told me, 'God, if you're coming to Canonsburg, you've got to find time to go to Toy's, and he'll take care of you,'" Mr. Kerry said, dropping the name of a restaurant his motorcade had passed on the way in. "I understand it's my kind of place, because you don't have to - you know, when they give you the menu, I'm always struggling: Ah, what do you want?

"He just gives you what he's got, right?" Mr. Kerry added, continuing steadily off a gangplank of his own making: "And you don't have to worry, it's whatever he's cooked up that day. And I think that's the way it ought to work, for confused people like me who can't make up our minds." ....

For 4½ years, I drove past Canonsburg to and from work. It's the hometown of Perry Como & Bobby Vinton. But it's more famous now for Sarris Candies. :-)

P.S. Thanks to Paul for letting me know that a local paper has the scoop:

Dale Rhome first learned that Democratic presidential candidate John Kerry was coming to his house from an unusual source – his poodle.

"I got home from work last Tuesday and was 'puttsying' around in the cellar when my little poodle started barking and barking," Rhome said. "So I went upstairs and there was my dad out in the yard with five men and a woman. I asked them what was going on and my dad said, 'What would you think about John Kerry coming over for a visit?"

For a moment, Rhome thought his dad was kidding, but the seriousness of the other people in the yard made it clear this was no joke.

"We'd like permission to use your porch for one of his appearances," Caleb Marshall, one of Kerry's campaign members told Rhome. "I said, 'No problem,' and then this real hectic week began," Rhome said Tuesday.

The seeds for that week were actually planted a few days earlier when state Rep. Tim Solobay received an inquiry from the Kerry campaign about a possible location for a Labor Day front porch rally. Solobay suggested that one of his fellow Canonsburg firefighters, David Rhome, escort Kerry campaign workers around town to scout for a fitting house. Rhome was preoccupied at his pizza shop, so asked his father to fill in as the driver. While driving down West College Street, the elder Rhome pointed out his youngest son's home, and the campaign officials liked it.

After getting permission to use the home, Kerry staffers were there every day. "At first, they were mostly doing a background check. They'd take all of the information I gave them, and send it to D.C. I swear they knew my whole life story," he said. In addition, Rhome's phone line was tapped as a security measure.

The neighbors, of course, were curious about all the activity, and kept asking questions. "We just said we couldn't tell them anything," Dale said. "And for a few days we honestly didn't know whether anything was going to happen." At 5 p.m. Friday, the visit was confirmed.

By that time, Dale's wife, Jody, was scrambling around the house, doing what he described as "an entire spring cleaning in two days."

On Sunday morning, the Rhomes and Kerry campaign workers went door-to-door on the street, alerting neighbors of Kerry's upcoming visit. "We also told them they had to get their cars off the street because the street was being shut down. We had a couple of people who were fully Bush supporters, but they didn't say too much."

Rhome was asked to introduce Kerry, and his nervousness about that short introduction kept him up most of Sunday night. "I think I finally laid down about 4:15, and I was back up at 5:30, finishing up odds and ends."

Two buses pulled onto West College Street about 8 a.m. Monday, an hour before Kerry arrived at Rhome's back door. In an effort to block out the few dozen Bush supporters on one end of the street, Kerry officials provided volunteers with various Kerry signs in key positions to block Bush signage.

When Kerry arrived, he was introduced to Dale, who then introduced Kerry to other members of his family.

"We went into the kitchen, and he asked me about my family, my job, and about being a volunteer fireman. I told him how my (volunteer) hours had dropped because I had to do so many part-time jobs to make ends meet. You know, he really talked like we had been friends for a long time. He came across like a regular guy. He sure didn't seem like he had let it go to his head."

When Kerry left, he got a hug from the Rhomes' daughter, Carly, 4.

The Rhomes may get something from Kerry as well. He promised the family that, should he win the election, the Rhomes will be invited to the inauguration.

The Blog from the Core asserts Fair Use for non-commercial, non-profit educational purposes.

Lane Core Jr. CIW P — Thu. 09/09/04 07:35:50 AM
Categorized as Democrats in Self-Destruct Mode.