REMINDER: Who Says there’s no free dinner?

Community dinner with Senator Sheldon Whitehouse next Sunday

Senator Whitehouse in Charlestown last September

By Will Collette

I’ll say it upfront that I am a huge fan of Senator Whitehouse. I am proud that he’s our Senator and I think he’s had one of the best first terms of any Senator I can remember.

So I am looking forward to his upcoming FREE community dinner in Narragansett on Sunday, February 12, from 5 PM to 7 PM at the Narragansett High School cafeteria on 235 South Pier Road.

The menu is macaroni-and-meatballs (not so good for my diabetes, but hey, it’s free).

I saw Senator Whitehouse at one of these types of dinners in Westerly in the summer of 2010, at the height of the Tea Party’s campaign to disrupt Democratic legislators’ community meetings. While other Democrats found themselves overwhelmed by teabagger rage, I saw Senator Whitehouse stand and deliver as he fielded one question after another from the dozen or so Tea Partiers in attendance.

Patiently and politely, he took their questions and answered them sincerely and earnestly. If I were in his shoes, I think (in fact, I know) I would have been far less composed and much more belligerent in my responses.

Now, even though this community dinner is totally free, that doesn’t mean that you shouldn’t support Senator Whitehouse’s re-election campaign. As part of the Charlestown Democrats, I took part in the hugely successful fund-raiser we did for his campaign here in Charlestown last September where we raised more than $5000 to help keep him as our US Senator.

If you like Senator Whitehouse, come out and support him on Sunday. If you haven’t decided yet, come have some macaroni and meatballs and see whether he can help you make up your mind. If you don’t like Senator Whitehouse, come and eat his food – and take your best shot.

This dinner is free and open to the public. If you would like to RSVP or would like more information please call Senator Whitehouse’s office at 401-453-5294, send an e-mail to rsvp_whitehouse@whitehouse.senate.gov, or visit http://whitehouse.senate.gov/services/dinners/.