▁admitted ▁to ▁the ▁Connecticut ▁bar ▁the ▁same ▁year . ▁After ▁pract icing ▁law ▁in ▁the ▁office ▁of ▁a ▁Hart ford ▁lawyer , ▁he ▁set ▁up ▁his ▁own ▁practice , ▁first ▁in ▁K ens ington ▁and ▁later ▁in ▁Hart ford . ▁ ▁Political ▁career ▁ ▁Now ▁interested ▁in ▁politics , ▁Rib ico ff ▁began ▁as ▁a ▁member ▁of ▁the ▁Connecticut ▁state ▁legisl ature , ▁serving ▁in ▁that ▁body ▁from ▁ 1 9 3 8 ▁to ▁ 1 9 4 2 . ▁From ▁ 1 9 4 1 ▁until ▁ 1 9 4 3 ▁and ▁again ▁from ▁ 1 9 4 5 ▁to ▁ 1 9 4 7 ▁he ▁was ▁judge ▁of ▁Hart ford ▁Police ▁Court . ▁During ▁his ▁political ▁career ▁Rib ico ff ▁was ▁a ▁prot ég é ▁of ▁powerful ▁Democratic ▁state ▁party ▁chairman ▁John ▁Mor an ▁Ba iley . ▁ ▁He ▁was ▁elected ▁as ▁a ▁Dem ocrat ▁to ▁the ▁ 8 1 st ▁and ▁ 8 2 nd ▁Congress es ▁serving ▁from ▁ 1 9 4 9 ▁until ▁ 1 9 5 3 . ▁During ▁that ▁time ▁he ▁served ▁on ▁the ▁Foreign ▁Affairs ▁Committee ▁( a ▁position ▁usually ▁reserved ▁for ▁members ▁with ▁more ▁senior ity ) ▁and ▁generally ▁proved ▁to ▁be ▁a ▁loyal ▁supp orter ▁of ▁Tr uman ▁administration ▁foreign ▁and ▁domestic ▁policies . ▁Gener ally ▁liberal ▁in ▁his ▁out look , ▁he ▁surprised ▁many ▁by ▁oppos ing ▁a ▁$ 3 2 ▁million ▁appropri ation ▁for ▁the ▁construction ▁of ▁a ▁dam ▁in ▁En field , ▁Connecticut , ▁arg uing ▁that ▁the ▁money ▁was