It was hot and sticky and the Richardson tailgate was ready for the crowds heading into Tuesday's AFL-CIO debate in Soldier Field. Earlier in the day our intrepid volunteer crew drove an RV to the parking lot, plastered it with Richardson signs, set up speakers and a BBQ -- we were good to go.

It shouldn't have been a surprise that the hundreds of people passing and stopping by, were less interested in the brats we were grilling up, and more interested in bottles of water -- we gave away 350 bottles of water in two hours. It was a great opportunity for volunteers to meet one another, county Democratic chairs stopped by, supporters picked up signs and bumper stickers and a few people even wrote out checks to the campaign on the spot.

http://www.flickr.com/search/?q=tailgate&w=52156690%40N00

With just a few volunteers, we brought the Richardson campaign into Chicago and showed our grassroots strength. Watch for more to come!