A well-known musician and a lesser-known Democratic presidential candidate are making campaign stops in Iowa today and tomorrow.
Connecticut Senator and presidential candidate Chris Dodd was the opening act during their stop in Fort Dodge. "My name is Art Garfunkel," Dodd joked with the crowd. "You may not recognize me here. My hair color’s changed a little bit and I’ve brought along a pal of mine who you’re going to meet shortly here."
Dodd’s pal is Paul Simon who was part of the duo "Simon & Garfunkel" before his solo singing career.
Simon and Dodd met through a mutual friend, Lorne Michaels, the executive producer of "Saturday Night Live." A Dodd campaign staffer says the two cemented their friendship 20 years when Dodd invited Simon along as an election observer in Europe.
"When Chris Dodd first said to me he was going to pay me $1.7 million to do this show, I said: ‘Chris, it’s really not necessary,’" Simon said to the crowd in Fort Dodge.
Simon revealed that the first time Simon and Garfunkel performed together in public was at a college in Davenport, Iowa. "When we took our intermission, the student representative came back and said they thought they weren’t going to pay us for the performance. We said: ‘why?’" Simon told the crowd. "(He) said, ‘Well, you guys are like the Smother’s Brothers and you’re not funny.’"
Simon is known for songs like "Bridge over Troubled Water" and "50 Ways to Leave your Lover." He sang three others during the stop in Fort Dodge, starting with the theme from the movie "The Graduate." Simon also sang "The Boxer" and "Me and Julio Down by the Schoolyard."
Simon concluded by telling the crowd it was a "joy" to have a friend running for president.
Dodd then came back on the stage as a closer, asking folks in the crowd to back his candidacy. "We’re going to hand out some cards here for those of you who would like to get involved in our effort, I’d appreciate the support and backing," Dodd said. "We’ll be back in Fort Dodge many, many times. I might even bring Paul Simon back here."
As the two men exited the stage, the campaign had the U2 song "It’s a Beautiful Day" played over the loudspeakers.
The Dodd campaign has put the Simon & Dodd show on-line. Find it at http://ustream.tv/SenatorDodd/videos/URZ45O5ZvMzRy7a87QKRCK3x2z1KUZHp