OC Blog

AD73 Watch: Diane Harkey for Assembly's Endorsement Freight Train Picks Up Steam

This just came over the transom from the Diane Harkey for Assembly campaign:

MAYOR DIANE HARKEY ENDORSED BY ORANGE COUNTY ASSEMBLY MEMBERS CHUCK DEVORE, TODD SPITZER, JIM SILVA, VAN TRAN, MIKE DUVALL AND BOB HUFF FOR THE 73RD ASSEMBLY DISTRICT

Orange County (CA)--- Dana Point Mayor Diane Harkey announced today that she has been endorsed by Orange County Assembly Members Chuck DeVore, Todd Spitzer, Jim Silva, Van Tran, Mike Duvall and Bob Huff for the 73rd California State Assembly District Republican Primary election in June of 2008.

“Along with my Honorary Campaign Chairman, Mimi Walters, I am now endorsed by all of the Republican Members of the State Assembly that represent Orange County,” said Mayor Harkey.  “I am truly grateful, honored and humbled by all of their support.”

In addition to the Orange County Republican Assembly delegation, Mayor Harkey is also endorsed by Republican Congressmen John Campbell (CD 48), Ken Calvert (CD 44),  Darrell Issa (CD 49) and Ed Royce (CD 40).

The 73rd Assembly District includes the cities of Laguna Niguel, Dana Point, Laguna Hills, San Juan Capistrano, San Clemente, Oceanside and Camp Pendleton.

Brea-Olinda, Cypress Council Recounts Called Off

I was at the OC Registrar's office yesterday afternoon and learned the recounts in the Brea-Olinda Unified School District and Cypress City Council had been called off.

In the Brea-Olinda race, Kevin Hobby trailed Sue Anthony Nowers 3,624 votes to 3,630 -- a margin of just 6 votes. Ouch.

In Cypress, Del Davis trailed Prakash Narain 4,680 votes to 4,723 votes --  a  43 vote margin.

The OC Registrar staff spent the weekend preparing for the recount, which commenced on Monday and was called off by the requesting candidates when it became clear the result was not going to change. And it's a lucky thing for them to call off the recount when they did, because now they won't be charged.

Election Day Was Dia De Las Victorias For SchubertFlint

This well-deserved victory-lap press release came over the transom yesterday from SchubertFlint Public Affairs:

SCHUBERT FLINT PUBLIC AFFAIRS CELEBRATES ORANGE COUNTY ELECTION DAY VICTORIES

Award Winning Public Affairs Firm Wins Five Races in Orange County

ANAHEIM, CA – Schubert Flint Public Affairs Inc., was tapped to manage one high-profile countywide measure, three local measures and a Mayoral reelection campaign for this election cycle. In each instance, Schubert Flint Public Affairs was victorious in its efforts.

Yes on Measure M Renewal
The hotly debated transportation tax extension was passed by nearly 69 percent of Orange County voters.  According to the Orange County Business Council, no countywide transportation funding program in Orange County has received the necessary 2/3 vote since 1912.  It’s worth noting that a majority of the local option transportation sales tax measures throughout the state did not receive the necessary two-thirds vote yesterday.

...And November Election Losers

And now the time has come to review some of Election Day's losers, here behind the Orange Curtain:

Cassie DeYoung
What can you say about someone who puts $2.6 million of her own money into a supervisor campaign, spends it on everything except carrier pigeons to communicate to voters, and garners just 37.3%? Then, that certain someone puts another $775,000 and pushes it to 46.7%

Would you say that person has a bright future in OC politics?

Neither would I.

Cassie DeYoung proved to the world that there is someone who wants to be a county supervisor so badly she will spend more than $3 million of her own money on that ambition. It's a free country, so why not.

Pat Bates is a class act, an experienced campaigner and a veteran vote-getter. But she's not invincible - nobody is against that much campaign cash. Bates' victory owed a lot to her qualities and the savvy of her campaign team -- but it is also a testament to what a bad candidate DeYoung proved to be. She periodically reinvented her campaign persona, and never advanced a consistent, coherent message to the voters -- even as she buried them in a mind-numbing flood of mail.

November 2006 Election Winners...

Orange County election outcomes are settled with the major exception of the 34th Senate District, so it's time to review the some of the biggest winners and loser from yesterday's election.

Winners

Jeff Flint
Jeff had a huge day yesterday as lead consultant in the two biggest initiative campaigns in Orange County:  Yes On Measure M and No On Measure X. Vaulting over the two-thirds threshold renew Measure M was a very tall mountain to climb, especially in tax-averse Orange County, and the Flint led Yes on M team did it with 68.5%.

Measure X was a dagger pointed at the heart of property rights and  representative government -- a virus that would have spread to other municipalities if it passed in Newport Beach. Kudos to Jeff for devising a successful campaign to drive a stake through its heart.

Both victories will no doubt make Jeff and SchubertFlint Public Affairs an even hotter commodity.

Team Daucher
Even if Lynn Daucher is unable to hold on to her razor-thin lead, Team Daucher must still be counted in the Winners column. The post-primary conventional wisdom -- to which I subscribed for time -- was that Lou Correa would run her over  over in the general. Team Daucher, led by Jim Nygren and on-site manager Bryan Lanza, did exactly what they said they were going to do, and which few people believed. They commenced an intense general election campaign even before the primary, and never let up. Lou Correa was caught napping and had to scramble to catch up.

Kudos to Lynn Daucher and her team for disregarding post-primary naysayers such as myself and powering forward.

Predictions Contest Winners

And now, the moment our readers have been waiting for...the inners of the November 2006 Election Predictions Contest!

Measure M: The 69.3% "yes" predicted by "Bill Braski" makes him the winner of the Just Like Dad bubblegum cigarettes for use on any county beach. The unofficial final tally is 68.5% "Yes".

Measure X: "Bill Braski" wins again with a prediction of 54.8% for the "No" side, and he will receive the Cold War Unicorns. The unofficial final tally  was a 62.2% "No" vote.

5th Supervisor District: Orange Juice blogger Luis Rodriguez ventured an uncannily close prediction of 53% for Pat Bates (the unofficial final tally being 53.3%), for which he'll receive the Marie Antoinette Action Figure.

47th Congressional District: Faithful reader Redperegrine posts his second win in a Red County/OC Blog predictions contest with his prognostication of 60.1% for Loretta Sanchez -- for whom the unofficial final tally is 61.9%).

34th Senate District: This is too close to call, so I'll postpone declaring the winner of the Dashboard Ninja Set until a winner is certified in the 34th SD.

Thanks to everyone their predictions. Who knows? If Correa prevails, we'll be having another prediction contest in early February.

Winners need to e-mail me their address in order to recieve their prize (pseudonymous contestants' identities will be kept sacrosanct).

Veterans for Congress 2006: Fightin' Dems vs. Chickenhawks?

We've all heard plenty about "cut and run" or "stay the course" in Iraq. But what do those sound bytes really mean? Our OC congressional delegation has largely remained quiet on the war debate, consistent with the “silence of the lambs” as described in Thomas Ricks’ #1 NYT bestseller Fiasco: The American Military Adventure in Iraq. If Reps. Campbell, Rohrabacher, Royce and Sanchez (I’m skipping Calvert and Miller) had served in the military or have their own children fighting in harm’s way, would they feel differently?

With the war Iraq cited as the top issue in today’s midterm elections according to the Washington Post, control of the House and the Senate could shift by tonight, depending on a handful of races including involving veterans, especially them Fightin' Dems. Nearly a year ago, the Democratic National Committee set out to enlist veterans to run for Congress. Of course those candidates received little attention when compared to the war faces of the Democratic Party, mainly Vietnam veterans like John Murtha, John Kerry and Max Cleland. The GOP has its share of veterans like Senator John "POW" McCain, outgoing chairman of the House Armed Services Committee Duncan Hunter (his Marine son served in Iraq) and disgraced and jailed Top Gunner Randy "Duke" Cunningham. Remember those Chickenhawks?

Veterans are rarely elected to Congress soon after they leave the military, McCain an exception. In 1994, two Gulf War vets won election along with 32 other GOP candidates running for Congress and governors. No Iraq/Afghanistan veteran currently serve in Congress. A number of veterans-run organizations and PACs have poured money into these tight races. They include the Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans of America, VoteVets Action Fund, and Vets for Freedom Action Fund.

A 2005 Military Times poll found that 56 percent of military personnel described themselves as Republicans, and 13 percent described themselves as Democrats. (This is the same paper that published the editorial "Rumsfeld Must Go" yesterday.) Yet the GOP could only muster one candidate, Marine and Harvard grad Van Taylor who's running in the district with GW's ranch in Crawford, Texas. Lately Taylor seems to be running out of steam against his Democrat opponent resulting in the GOP pulling support recently.

Which one of these veterans will take the Hill by tonight? By far, Democrat-Republican-Democrat James Webb in Virginia (his Marine son is currently in Iraq) has received the most attention since George “Macaca” Allen fumbled away his presidential hopes and maybe his Senate seat. Webb is legendary is the Marine Corps. For 20 years, his novel Fields of Fire has been required reading for lieutenants and sergeants. He is a personal friend and I have refrained from writing about his race until today. Last night Bill Clinton headlined his final campaign rally which attracted 5,000 die-hards as compared to Allen’s meekly 250.

Brendan Conway, an editorial writer at the Washington Times, nicely covers other hopeful veteran candidates in today's The American Spectator. Double-amputee Tammy Duckworth was spurned an endorsement by the antiquated Veterans of Foreign Wars (VFW), an organization which I have allowed my membership to lapse. Retired Admiral Joe Sestak leads embattled Curt Weldon in Pennsylvania. Once again, like the George Allen meltdown, the power of incumbency only wanes when there’s a scandal on hand.

When the smoke is cleared, about five or six (10% of the 60 or so candidates) will win their races. That number correlates to the percentage of veterans in our population (26 million vets in a country of 300 million or 200,000 vets out of 3 million residents in the OC). How much does a military record count in politics these days?

Midway City Sanitary District Mailbox: Dang! Truong Diep's 3rd Mailer

Hard-charging young Midway City Sanitary District candidateTruong Diep sent out his third mail piece over the weekend, an English/Vietnamese postcard.

Truong has raised more than $23,000 for a seat on a special district of which few Orange Countians have ever heard, and lining up some top shelf GOP endorsements for his run. I must say, I will definitely be keeping on eye on the returns from this race.

What's Happening In The Westminster School Board Race?

Mike Lawson of TheLiberalOC wrote an interesting and informative post yesterday about the Westminster School District Race, and I encourage our readers to read it.

Mike also reproduces part of a mailer from the Our Children-Our Vote Coalition Committee which claims that Westminster School District Trustee Judy Ahrens is "financed by the WTA [Westminster Teachers Union."

Judy Ahrens e-mailed me regarding this mailer and the issues surrounding the election:

The Anti-John Duong Mailer

I haven't had time to focus on the Irvine races as much as I'd like, and just now had a chance to read the anti-John Duong mailer sent out by the Los Angeles-based Common Sense Voter Guide.

The Agran crowd is a rough one, and I doubt John Duong was under any illusions regarding the type of campaign that would be waged against him. John works for a decades-old, successful real estate developer with lots of properties -- a target rich environment for an opposition researcher to dredge public records and bring up citations of various kind spanning the years, which can then be served up -- out of context, undifferentiated and unexplained -- in a negative mailer. Mix in an unflattering picture that makes John Duong look like a Vietnamese Tony Soprano, imply he's linked to Asian street gangs -- and voila! you have a real stink bomb.

Santa Ana Council Mailbox: Sal Tinajero Hit For Tardiness

The California Real Estate Political Action Committee was very busy this past weekend. Here's the negative mailer the PAC sent out this weekend against Santa Ana Unified School District Trustee Sal Tinajero, who apparently has a bad habit of being late.

Tinajero is running for Santa Ana City Council in Ward 6 against Mayor Miguel Pulido's candidate, Jennifer Villasenor.

Fullerton Council Mailbox: Throwin' Hardballs

Some hard-hitting IEs are flying in the City of Fullerton.

Here is one from a group called Friends for Fullerton's Future, slamming Democrat candidate Dough Chafee and Pam Keller. H/T to Steve Greenhut at Orange Punch, who helpfully links to an earlier column on Doug Chafee.

And here is an anti-Councilman Leland Wilson mailer from another group called Fullerton Taxpayers for Fiscal responsibility, hitting Wilson on an old bankruptcy and tax lien.

Orange Council Mailbox: Realtors IE For Bilodeau

This independent expenditure mailer for Denis Bilodeau from the California Real Estate Political Action Committee arrived at Casa de Jubal on Saturday (the same day as the bizarre "I Really DO Live In Orange" mailer from Carol Rudat):

I actually received two pro-Bilodeau IEs from the California Real Estate PAC on Saturday -- the other one promoting Bilodeau and Mayor Mark Murphy and featuring a letter from Supervisor Bill Campbell. I didn't post it because it was too big for my scanner.

The Jubal Voter Guide

I've had some requests to post how I voted. Not that my choices will necessarily surprise anyone, but here's how I cast my ballot:

Governor: Art Olivier (Libertarian)

Lieutenant Governor: Tom McClintock

Secretary of State: Bruce McPherson

Controller: Tony Strickland

Treasurer: John M.W. Moorlach (I wrote in John because Claude Parrish is a hack).

Press Release Slams Hit Piece on Irvine Mayoral Candidate John Duong

For Immediate Release

November 4, 2006
John Duong for Mayor Campaign
Contact:  Charlene Hatakeyama
949-861-8643 or 714-337-9338, or
John Duong - 714-654-6980

Dirty Tricks Cross the Line, Prompting Legal Action

Irvine, Calif. – Beth Krom, Irvine Mayoral candidate, and her political allies have mailed a defamatory “hit piece” that libels opponent John Duong.

The unprecedented personal attack may prompt multiple legal actions against Krom and her supporters, including the publishers of the “Common Sense Voting Guide.”  It was printed and mailed by an Irvine business with ties to Krom and Irvine Councilman Larry Agran.  “Unfortunately, I must explore a lawsuit since my character has been deliberately and falsely attacked,” said John Duong, candidate for Irvine Mayor.

The mailer purposefully tries to deceive Irvine voters about Mr. Duong’s occupation, and falsely accuses him of mismanaging business properties in Westminster . In fact, Mr. Duong’s consultation role with the company does not involve any property management responsibilities.  The mailer goes on to accuse the company of incurring health and building code violations, which are also not part of Mr. Duong’s oversight.  It also impugns the reputation of several small businesses in Westminster , many of which are family owned and operated.  It characterizes these small business owners as “frequent violators of health, safety and building codes.”

Westminster Councilman Kermit Marsh said, “I am offended by this inappropriate attack upon my constituents.  One would have thought the Irvine political establishment would have learned its lesson after insulting the Taiwanese American community.  Apparently, they consider all Asian Americans to be fair game.  We do not tolerate this kind of racism in Westminster , and I am disappointed to learn that it is condoned by the Irvine political establishment.”

Councilman Andy Quach of Westminster said, “This is dirty politics that hits below the belt.  John Duong is one of our most trusted and honest business leaders in the City.  This brochure shows a complete disregard for ethics, which is consistent with the present Irvine City Council majority.  They must be afraid of losing something very dear to their livelihood.”

Assemblyman Van Tran said, “I am disappointed in this tactic by Beth Krom and her political friends.  John Duong is a respected businessman whose work in Westminster has helped to make the city a better place.”  Assemblyman Tran’s district includes the cities of Westminster and Fountain Valley

“The Krom/Agran machine will do anything to win,” said Duong.  “Krom and her political friends are avoiding the important issues facing voters, like traffic and overdevelopment.  Instead, they are engaging in false personal smears.”

John Duong was selected by the President of the United States to be the Executive Director of the White House Initiative on Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders. Duong, a Vietnamese immigrant who embodies the American Dream, also worked on the staff of former Governor Pete Wilson. For accurate information on Mr. Duong, voters should visit his campaign web site: www.JohnDuongForMayor.com

Orange Mayoral Mailbox: 3rd IE Hit On Mike Alvarez

Voters for Responsible Government paid for a third IE against Orange mayoral candidate Mike Alvarez, a longtime former Orange city councilman. Alvarez is locked in a bitter mayoral contest with Mayor Pro Tem Carolyn Cavecche (with the drug-addled Juan Pablo-Nieblas running a perennial third).

I think these mailers are having an impact. Alvarez staked much of his candidacy on cracking down on illegal boarding houses, and the code enforcement violations he was zapped with last month really drain the credibility out of that stance.

Cavecche has been doing much more mail than Alvarez, not to mention at least 3 robo-calls from various elected officials on her behalf. Cavecche hasn't been on the receiving end of any negative mail, while Voters for Responsible Government have been pummeling Alvarez.

Barring some unforeseen event, I think Carolyn Cavecche will be sworn in as Mayor of Orange next month.

UPDATE: When following the money trail of these slate-mailers-that-aren't-really-slate-mailers, it isn't easy to figure out who is paying to hit whom. But judging from this late payment report from October 31, it looks like OC Water District Director/lobbyist Steve Sheldon's $20,000 contribution to Voters for Responsible Government paid for the above anti-Alvarez mail piece.

Orange Mayoral Mailbox: Cavecche Keeps The Positive Mail Coming

Orange Mayor Pro Tem Carolyn Cavecche was in the mail again yesterday (although I was a bit surprised, because as a tiple permanent absentee voter household, I would expect the campaigns would have already shifted to election day voters). It was another positive piece, this one highluighting the endorsement of the firefighters union, with a lovely picture of the fountain in the Orange Circle and Carolyn talking to some old folks.

I could be wrong, but I don't believe the Cavecche campaign has sent out a single piece of negative mail. Of course, her campaign hasn't really needed to since the mysterious Voters for Responsible Government -- so active here and in Newport Beach -- have relieved her campaign of that unpleasant task.

Midway City Sanitary District Mailbox: The Second Truong Diep Mailer

Two Midway City Sanitary District Mailbox posts in a single day. Surely, a portent of the apocalypse.

Here is the second mailer sent out by Truong Diep-- the endorsed Republican for the Midway City Sanitary District!

You gotta love an underdog with moxie. Go Truong!

UPDATE: Truong informed me that he has raised $23,000 for his race. Pretty impressive for a low-profile special district race.

Newport Beach Mailer: An Anti-Barbara Venezia Mailer on Halloween

Although Barbara Venezia ended her candidacy against incumbent Newport Beach Councilwoman Leslie Daigle, a number of observers believe she may still win the election anyway.

Taxpayers for Safer Neighborhoods sent out this eye-catching mailer on Halloween with the obvious intention of preventing such an outcome. The mailer cost $9,248, and Taxpayers for Safer Neighborhoods received $20,000 during October 27-30 - including $8,000 from Ware Disposal Company  and $7,000 from Madison Materials (which is owned by Ware Disposal). So, there looks to be enough in the kitty for another mail piece.

Midway City Sanitary District Mailbox: Truong Diep Mailer

I'm a native Orange Countian and had lived here for 27 years before I'd even heard of Midway City (because that's where the Brothers of St. Patrick Monastery is). And it was not until some years later that I learned of the existence of a secret organization known as the Midway City Sanitary District.

And it wasn't until a few minutes ago that I actually saw a campaign mailer -- here and here -- for a Midway City Sanitary District candidate: a young fellow by the name of Truong Diep. He has some pretty stellar endorsements for a sanitary district race: Rep. Ed Royce, Sen. Tom Harman, Assemblyman Van Tran.

Diep is challenging incumbent Margie Rice, who earlier this year in 2004 re-registered from Democrat to Republican. Rice has been on the Midway City Sanitary District Board for 16 years. She has been on the Westminster City Council for six years. She was on the Westminster School District Board of Trustees for 17 years. That's a cumulative 39 years as a local elected official (169 years in dog years)

She's like a one-woman League of Cities.

So enjoy the first and probably only edition of Midway City Sanitary District Mailbox.

Yet Another Argument Against 1B

Per Ted Balaker at the Reason Foundation, let's stop and think about Arnold's legacy borrowing.  Lead,

Prop 1B Might Make Things Worse
Complete article here: Southern California needs toll roads and transportation reform
By Ted Balaker

If California voters give the nod to Proposition 1B, they'll get $20 billion for transportation. Ironically, Southern California could also get more gridlock. The proposition spreads the dough around enough to ensure widespread political support, but the approach also ensures that no area gets enough resources to take a real bite out of congestion. Yet even if we could stuff Prop 1B with twice as much funding, our transportation woes would still continue. State leaders say our transportation network is starved for funds, but what it's really hungry for is reform.

If Prop 1B fails state leaders may actually be forced to reform, but if it passes reformist pressure will surely dissipate. That's too bad, because Southern California is surprisingly well-positioned to beat back congestion.

Time To Abolish Contribution Limits

Whether she wins or loses, Carol Rudat's candidacy serves at least one useful purpose: illustrating the perversity and perniciousness of campaign contribution limits.

The standard "reformer" argument is that contribution limits somehow limit to influence of special interests on elected officials. I think only the most hard-core devotee of this 1970s experiment still clings to that illusion.

As long as our government is pervasive and powerful, "special interests" will seek to influence its decisions. No constitutional campaign finance reform can be devised that will prevent that from happening.

The only real effect of contribution limits is to magnify the already big advantage enjoyed by incumbents and self-funding candidates.

Orange Mayoral Mailbox: Mas Mail From Carolyn Cavecche

Yesterday, my faithful mail carrier slipped this comparison mailer from Carolyn Cavecche for Orange Mayor through the mail slot of Casa de Jubal:

 

Today, another mailer from the Cavecche campaign arrived, bearing the big, shining, ever-so-slightly-smiling face of Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger:

OUSD Trustee Kathy Moffat's Website Run By Non-Profit Group?

From the Greater Orange News eBlog:

NON-PROFIT SANTIAGO CREEK GREENWAY ALLIANCE LISTED AS ADMINISTRATIVE ORGANIZATION FOR KATHY MOFFAT POLITICAL CAMPAIGN WEBSITE

Orange Unified Trustee Kathy Moffat’s official political campaign “dot org” registered website has the non-profit Santiago Creek Greenway Alliance listed as the official administrative organization. Former Villa Park Mayor Robert McGowan is listed as the website Administrator and his house address on Lincoln Street in Villa Park is listed as the Administrative Address. McGowan’s telephone number is listed as the contact number.

According to Santiago Creek Greenway Alliance President John Moore, the organization is a non-profit 501(c) (3) organization. Internal Revenue Service regulations prohibit 501 (c) (3) organizations from political activity (see link below).

Complaint Filed With FPPC Against Hometown Voter Guide

This came over the transom earlier from an attorney by the name of Guy Mailly:

CORRUPTION ALLEGED IN IRVINE CITY COUNCIL RACES

Campaign watch-dog, Brad Mailly, today has filed a complaint with the California Fair Political Practices Commission and the Orange County District Attorney alleging that Irvine Mayor Beth Krom, Irvine City Councilmember Sukhee Kang and council candidate Mary Ann Gaido received unreported campaign contributions in excess of Irvine’s $390 contribution limit.  The complaint alleges that over $153,000 has been funneled from billionaire Anne Getty Earhart and other enterprises doing business with the city to Hometown Voter Guide, a slate mailer organization, ostensibly as payments for advertising to support Measure M in its slate mailers. As indicated by its campaign statements filed with the Registrar of Voters, Hometown Voter Guide is not a committee under California law, has not received any contributions and, therefore, the complaint alleges that Hometown Voter Guide had no funds to make an independent expenditure.

Applying No-Growth Philosophy To Opponent's Signs

A reader sent me these photos of two citizens applying a no-growth philosophy to the existence of Newport Beach council candidates Michael Fenn and Keith Curry. They were taken this Sunday in the Mariner's Mile area of Newport Beach:

Such a carefree attitude towards the property of others!

Orange Mayoral Mailbox: More Positive Cavecche Mail

This mailer from Carolyn Cavecche for Mayor arrived at Casa de Jubal the same day as the hit against Alvarez from Voters for Responsible Government:

Orange Mayoral Mailbox: Another Hit On Mike Alvarez

The mysterious Voters for Responsible Government are at it again. This weekend I received a second negative mailer against Mike Alvarez from this slate with an Elk Grove, CA mailing address, which has also sent out a pro-Carolyn Cavecche mail piece.

This one hits Alvarez again on being dinged by the City of Orange for boarding-house violations:

Loretta's Finally Campaigning -- in Idaho

Apparently tired of whining about Tan Nguyen, 47th CD Congresswoman Loretta's off to Idaho to campaign for some Democrat Nobody in Nowheresville.  Instead of lending support to Liberal Lou Correa (of course, does he really want it?), our favorite Airhead is regurgitating the Dem talking points on the yet-to-be-built border fence, per American Chronicle in Rep. Sanchez Calls Border Wall a ‘Political Ploy’.  Their lead,

CALDWELL — The recent vote by Congress to build a 700-mile wall along the border with Mexico was nothing more than a cynical political ploy, Congresswoman Loretta Sanchez said Tuesday.  Sanchez, who represents California’s 47th District, was in Idaho Tuesday campaigning for Democrat Larry Grant in Idaho’s 1st District.  “This 700-mile wall will never be built,” Sanchez said at a news conference at Grant’s campaign headquarters in Caldwell.

Freepers On Tan

Plenty of pictures on Tan Nguyen's Rally today at Free Republic here.

More False Claims Against Senators Allen and Talent

Now I know that normally this blog should be reserved for Orange County tidbits and commentary, but I really could not pass on these items out of states with hotly contested Senate seats.

VoteVets, a PAC for veterans, has released two very well done and very cool commercials, both in Missouri and Virginia, claiming that the respective Republican incumbent senators up for reelection, Jim Talent and George Allen, voted against a bill providing body armor for soldiers in Iraq and Afghanistan.  They cite Senate Vote #116 of the First Session of the 108th Congress.

I heavily doubted these claims, however, thinking that the body armor issue must have been buried as a rider within another bill, especially since neither party has been shy to use rider votes against an incumbent.  So I went to the Senate website and searched for "vote 116".  I then found the vote #116 for the First Session (year 2004) of the 108th Congress (04/05) and saw that neither Senator Allen nor Senator Talent voted against it.  In races as close as both of those are, misleading and/or outright false ads not only hurt the political process, they ruin the integrity of already spotty elections.

Now to relate this to Orange County:

Furious Fingerpointing in Dana Point

I left at a quarter till five to take one of my daughters to a friend's house so she could go to the Servite-St. John Bosco game tonight (go Friars!).

I came home less than an hour later to find an e-mail war between Dana Point Councilmembers Jim Lacy and Diane Harkey in my in-box.

First there was this e-mail from Lacy to a large portion of the OC politico-media universe:

Dear friends, supporters, confidants:

A mailing was received today in Dana Point, that is a shadowy "Independent Expenditure" that lists "Dana Point Tomorrow" as the sender, with a return address not in Dana Point, but in Elk Grove, CA which is in Sacramento County, 430 miles away.

This address is the same address as the professional Treasurer for the slate mail operations of Scott Hart, who is an ongoing consultant to Dana Point Councilmember Diane Harkey, and who is also the campaign manager for Joel Bishop for Dana Point City Council.

Orange City Mailbox: Say Goodnight, Carol

This scorcher against Carol Rudat from the Denis Bilodeau for Orange City Council campaign found its way to Casa deJubal's mailbox today. It's a truly masterful example of an effective negative mail piece:

That's a big ouch. Orange is a community-oriented town. We like our city council members to be Orange residents. We're old fashioned that way. This mailer is going to mortally wound Carol Rudat's campaign.

The Irvine Money Laundry, Part III

Last week I reported on the monetary machinations of the Agran machine in Irvine.  Well, with last night’s campaign filings, the scope of this machine’s well-oiled 2006 operation is coming into focus. 

The main conduit into the Hometown Voter Guide slate for this year appears to be a group by the name of Planning 2020, Inc. in far off Monterey, CA.  It was formed early this year by Larry Agran’s election law attorney, Peter A. Bagatelos.  A couple of months ago it began taking large donations, only to start reporting those donations last week (two months late in violation of disclosure rules).

Among the new donations for Planning 2020 are another $35,000 from Getty heiress Anne G. Earhart of Corona del Mar (for a total of $95,500 this cycle), as well as $35,000 from Maguire Properties LP, the owners of the Washington Mutual campus at Von Karman and Main in Irvine, and $10,000 from Laguna Beach’s Griffin Structures Inc., the Great Park Corporation’s lead consultant.  Add to this the $12,000 from KB Home Coastal Inc., a firm with numerous land use decisions before the Irvine City Council, and you have more than enough to fund the $140,000 that Planning 2020 has pumped into the Agran-affiliate Hometown Voter Guide slate mailer organization so far. 

With all the above, can any of us really wonder why it is that Mr. Agran fought so hard in 1997-98 to enact a small donation limit for the city of Irvine, now at $390?  When you can collect almost $100,000 from a single donor or shakedown donations from companies who rely on Irvine decision makers for their bottom line, donation limits are simply a tool to hobble your opposition. 

Mainstream media, we’re still waiting…

Assemblyman Chuck DeVore

Irvine Mayoral Mailbox: Ouch -- Here's A Pungent Anti-Krom Mailer

This mail piece landed in the mailboxes of Irvine voters today.  It was sent out by "Irvine City, School and Neighborhood Leaders Committee." Clearly, they don’t like Beth Krom.

This will certainly stand out in any crowded mailbox.

"Mourning Period" by Chris Mears, former Irvine City Council Member

* I just received this previously unpublished column and permission to post it here.

UPDATE: The John Duong for Irvine Mayor Campaign just reached $150,000 in 10 weeks, a remarkable feat!

Mourning Period
by Chris Mears, former Irvine City Council Member
October 26, 2006

With the sudden death of Irvine political power broker, Ed Dornan, last December, many speculated that Ed’s slick slate mailer, the Hometown Voter Guide (HVG), might have breathed its last. But as Irvine residents discovered in their mailboxes earlier this month, HVG is back, its cover bearing a 20 year old photograph of none other than Ed Dornan, albeit in better days, accompanied by a testimonial letter, penned by a Larry Agran supporter, which very nearly canonizes Ed, and seeks to anoint HVG with a host of noxiously sentimental platitudes. With the HVG’s Resurrection Edition, the Agran wrecking crew has now added to its political play book the retouched photograph, and selectively sanitized biography, of a dead man.

Orange Council Mailbox: Bridget Ambriz Endorsement Letter For Denis Bilodeau

This letter arrived at Casa de Jubal today, paid for by Denis Bilodeau for Orange City Council. It's a letter from Bridget Ambriz, the widow of late Orange Councilman Steve Ambriz, asking Orange voters to elect Denis.

Newport Beach Council Mailbox: Firefighter Union IE for 6 Candidate Slate

The Newport Beach firefighters union sent this mailer yesterday touting the six candidates they've endorsed in the Newport Beach City Council elections:

Orange Mayoral Mailbox: Mailer Hits Mike Alvarez As A "Rule Breaker"

This mailer arrived yesterday at Casa de Jubal. It's from Voters for Responsible Local Government and it zaps former Orange Councilman and current mayoral candidate Mike Alvarez  for campaign financing reporting shenanigans -- hiding $20,000 in printing expenses and an illegal $20,000 loan from himself.

The mailer also features a huge quote from Shirley Grindle about how Alvarez "should  never hold a position of power, either elected or appointed."

This is the same group that did an IE in support of Alvarez's rival, Mayor Pro Tem Carolyn Cavecche, last week.

Catchy slogan there, Tan

Cleaning up the office at Lurk Manor this aft, and I remembered I'd met Tan a while back -- I think I was the one of the few to talk to him that night as the Republican regulars were looking