First Lady Stumps for Blumenthal in Stamford

Editor's Note: To view where candidates stand on topics relevant to Wilton, and to add your comments, click here for the 2010 Patch Voter Guide.

First Lady Michelle Obama made an appearance at the Palace Theatre in Stamford on Monday to drum up support for Democratic Attorney General Richard Blumenthal's campaign for U.S. Senate against Republican Linda McMahon.

Hundreds of local residents and supporters gathered outside the downtown theater as early as 8 a.m. to gain access to the fundraising event and hear Obama speak following a private luncheon, which cost attendees as much as $5,000 per ticket.

Before introducing the First Lady, Blumenthal addressed the crowd with a short speech thanking her and the president for their continued support and urging voters to help him "cross the finish line."

In addition to reminding the crowd of his accomplishments as Attorney General over the past 20 years, Blumenthal also criticized the amount of personal money McMahon has used to fund her campaign. "Now my opponent may think she can buy this election, but we know that Connecticut wants an election, not an auction," he said.

Obama took the stage shortly after with a 20-minute speech praising Blumenthal's record as an advocate for children and victims of domestic violence, but mostly focusing on the progress her husband has made since taking office in areas such as healthcare, education and veteran aid. 

She expressed to the audience that the same sense of excitement felt when President Obama was elected in 2008 is needed as Election Day 2010 nears. "We knew back then that we had a chance to change the country we love for the better," she said. "And the truth is that we have the same chance, but more importantly, we have that same responsibility. Because this election isn't just about all that we've accomplished these past couple of years, but it's about all we have left to do in the next few months and years."

Obama reminded the audience that while campaigning for her husband, she asked his supporters "to have his back" and encouraged them to do the same over the next two weeks by encouraging others to vote "not once, but every single time."

Prior to Obama's speech, both Comptroller Nancy Wyman and U.S. Rep. Jim Himes, made opening remarks. Democrat Wyman is running for lieutenant governor against Republican Mark Boughton, while Democrat Himes is running for a second term against Republican Dan Decibella.

Wyman expressed her excitement over Michelle Obama's visit, which she said, "only shows how important Connecticut is" referring to visits made by President Obama and former President Bill Clinton just last month.

In his remarks, Himes praised the First Lady for not only supporting her husband as he's worked to turn the country around as president, but as being one that has fostered change herself. "She's a leader who says that every child in our toughest neighborhoods in our most abandoned cities should have access to good education and good healthcare," he said. "She is part of something that changed the course of history."