BILL LEUKHARDT, Courant Staff Writer 04/19/2005

SOUTHINGTON -- The stickers Jeremy Kincaid plastered onto his coat summed up the 2005 Jefferson-Jackson-Bailey dinner, Connecticut Democrats' biggest yearly fundraiser.

The 23-year-old Torrington town committee member was a billboard for the party: four stickers from party candidates for statewide office and one button chastising Democratic Sen. Joseph Lieberman for being too conservative.

"It's part of democracy," he said. "Myself, I'm for Audrey Blondin for secretary of state."

To be heard and seen seemed the purpose of many in the crowd of nearly 1,500 people at the $175-a-ticket dinner which featured a keynote address by Sen. John Edwards, the party's vice presidential candidate in the 2004 election.

"It's an unbelievable turnout tonight," state Rep. Peter Tercyak, D-New Britain said, as he talked to an out-of-district friend from Bristol.

Edwards used his time to criticize the Bush administration for favoring the wealthy over the poor, ignoring working people's health and economic needs, and trying to take apart Social Security.

"Thirty-five million Americans live in poverty," Edwards said, and many families struggle even when employed. Millions have little or nothing beyond a paycheck-to-paycheck life, he said.

"The average black family has $6,000 in assets. The average Latino family has $8,000 in assets. The average white family has $80,000 in assets," he said. "Income is what you need to get by. Assets are what you need to get ahead."

His call for compassion and assistance struck a chord in the room.

Will Fulton of Stamford, a Democrat who never held public office and is not seeking it, said he's come to this annual fund-raiser before and always leaves impressed and energized about his party.

"Sen. Edwards has lots of charisma, good goals and ideals," said Fulton. He sported a "Dan Malloy for Governor" sticker, boosting the Stamford mayor's run for the party's nomination.

"I liked the way Sen. Edwards talked about including all people, all races in government," said John Robinson, 61, a seven-term city council member in Middletown.

Also big at the event were the party favors - packs of Susan Bysiewicz for Governor candy, the Malloy stickers and cards, and handouts pitching John Nussbaum for secretary of the state and New Haven Mayor John DeStefano for governor.

But perhaps the biggest hit of the trinkets were the red plastic flyswatters handed out by the Blondin campaign.

Some folks left with one, some had several. A woman with a half-dozen said she would give them to fellow members of the Ashford Democratic Town Committee.

As the crowd left after 9 p.m., Blondin's husband, Matt Blondin, walked from empty table to empty table, collecting any red flyswatters left behind.

"At 70 cents a piece, it makes sense to use them again," he said.

©The Hartford Courant 2005