(Now cross-posted at MyDD and My Left Wing... And thanks to The Liberal OC for the nice shout-out : ) - promoted by atdleft)
As you all know by now, State Senator Lou Correa voted against SJR 1. And as you remember, SJR 1 is the the resolution opposing the proposed escalation of the Iraq War. I wanted to know why my own State Senator would vote against this resolution. I wanted to know why he voted against a resolution that called for an end to this disastrous war that has hurt our community in Central Orange County in many, many ways. So I took out some time last night to write my Senator a letter. And since Senator Correa's office has still not responded to any of the previous calls and emails asking him why he voted the way he did, I figured that I might as well share my letter with all of you. And besides, I would like for everyone here to know how one of Lou Correa's own constituents feels about his vote.
OK, so I'm feeling tired today...
And I still have so many things to do...
So here's a new weekend tradition that I'm starting here...
Yes, I'm starting it just for you!
- "Youthful Spring: 25 Glorious Years!" This weekend, Little Saigon will be going all out for this year's Tet, or Vietnamese Lunar New Year. But why? Well, this one is extra special because this will be their 25th annual festival in Orange County! Get ready for a one million firecracker display, a traditional lion dance, a fantastic beauty pageant, and more. Oh my, this certainly looks to be fun!
Eve before the House passed their resolution on the escalation in Iraq, the California Senate had already done so. It passed overwhelmingly, with only Republicans opposing. Vote info here
California's Senate became the first state legislative body in the nation to oppose President Bush's plan to send 21,500 additional troops to Iraq, passing a resolution Monday urging Congress and Bush not to escalate U.S. involvement in the war.
The nonbinding resolution, which will be sent to Congress if it clears the Assembly, was approved by the 40-member Senate on a largely party-line vote of 22-14. Voting "no" were 13 Republicans and one Southern California Democrat, Lou Correa of Orange County. (SF Chron 2/14)
The question of the day, as the Liberal OC has been asking, why the hell did Lou Correa vote against this measure? Does he really support the surge? Does he think that his district supports the surge? The fact is that according to a new poll released today, only 35% of the country supports the escalation. So, even behind the Orange Curtain, support for the failed policies of George W Bush is not mandatory.
So, I strongly, indeed very strongly, request that you call Sen. Correa's office and ask him why he voted against the Senate Resolution. He's apparently in the district today, so try him at both offices. In Sacto, call him at (916) 651-4034. His OC office is (714) 558-4400.
As we continue to watch the still unresolved special election to replace Lou Correa on the Orange County Board of Supervisors, here are some questions that we progressives should be thinking about:
- So can we just get over it and learn our lesson? Huntington Beach small business owner and progressive activist Joe Shawsums it up perfectly for us:
Maybe I'm naive. I'm definitely a newbie to OC politics, but it seems to me Democrats in OC at the grassroots level spend a lot of time working on the high profile campaigns that don't stand a chance in hell, but little time working on the lower profile campaigns they can win. This one was winnable, but the candidate was not the right choice. Democrats should concentrate on developing strong leaders at the local level. Candidates with strong records of accomplishment locally can win these bigger races.
Right on, Joe! You said it much better than any of us could. I hope we get over our squabbling soon and take your advice. : )
So who are we to blame for yesterday's loss? Whose fault is it that we have lost our one and only Board of Supervisors seat in Orange County? Some are blaming State Senator Lou Correa. Some may want to blame Santa Ana DINO Mayor Miguel Pulido. I was about ready to blame Garden Grove Councilmember Mark Rosen as the Democratic spoiler...
But you know who is really to blame? WE ARE!
Want to know why... AND find out how we can get our groove back in The Land of the OC? Then follow me after the flip for more...
Would you like to see how OC Blog is wrong in its slam of OC Democrats? And is OC forever doomed to be "Red County"? Well, follow me after the flip to find out...
(Nic is doing some great work down in the OC. I love to see these campaign updates. - promoted by juls)
The election of State Senator Lou Correa in Orange County has marked yet another shifting of tides for OC Republicans. What was once thought to be a Republican stronghold in California is now facing erosion much like Southern California's seaside cliffs. The Democratic Party, bolstered by Howard Dean's 50 state strategy of leaving no county behind has taken root here in the O.C.
The Senate race in District 34 was by far the most carefully-watched legislative race in the state. It was the only high-profile race, one agreed to be competitive by all analysts.
This district is situated in Central Orange County, in the Santa Ana/Anaheim/Garden Grove area. It is the only district in Orange County that can ever elect Democrats, since the county is so overwhelmingly Republican. The district is 58% Hispanic, but because of low Hispanic participation is competitive between the parties.
STATE SENATOR, 34th District
Completed Precincts: 377 of 377 Vote Count Percentage
LOU CORREA (DEM) 55783 50.1%
LYNN DAUCHER (REP) 54713 49.1%
OTTO BADE 907 0.8%
It looks like Lou Correa will be my next State Senator... But before I declare victory and start dancing in the street, I'd like to reflect over the not-so-ethical behavior by Republicans AND a few "Correa Supporters" that disappointed me... More on the flip
Yet more problems out of Orange County! This time, there weren't enough functioning machines at the polling places on Election Day... And to make things worse (and the wait EVEN LONGER), there weren't enough paper ballots for the voters either! Now while Lou may still be able to win, what would have happened had there were fewer voters in SD 34 who were patient enough to wait in line for several hours in the evening?
Wow, this is some crazy stuff. Correa now has a 783 vote lead.
And as for the Senate Republicans? Well, they are currently trying to find ways to steal the election:
One thing he's doing is looking for ways the Democrats might have cheated in the 34th Senate District race. Lou Correa's dramatic lead among provisional ballots is one thing that's caught his attention, as I've mentioned before.
"Somebody said a lot of signatures looked similar, so we're going to go back and look at those (after the election is certified)," Ackerman said. (OC Buzz Blog 11/17/06)
Now, according to the OC Registrar, Lou Correa has widened his lead to 783 votes! Wow, this will be a steep hill for Lynn Daucher to climb as the Registrar is nearly finished coutning all votes in the 34th State Senate District. Well, what can I say? I guess this wasn't as much of a "lock for Lynn" as all the right-wing bloggers were expecting!
STATE SENATOR, 34th District
Completed Precincts: 377 of 377 Vote Count Percentage
LOU CORREA (DEM) 55147 50.0%
LYNN DAUCHER (REP) 54364 49.2%
OTTO BADE 899 0.8%
Well, hump day for the week and month I suppose. Teasers: Elections are just one more bizarre process in OC governance, we got no money, we got no voters, and we got no media. Well, that's a bummer.
With all regular ballots counted, the closest race in Orange County is as close to a statistical tie as humanly possible...
Republican Lynn Daucher leads by ONLY 13 VOTES...
The Orange County Board of Supervisors had a chance to allow the Registrar of Voters to do its duty to rectify this situation by sending out a letter of correction to the 14,000+ targeted voters...
Instead, the board majority let petty politics get in the way.
(The OC GOP has called for Tan to drop out. Also, this story was #4 on Olbermann! - promoted by SFBrianCL)
TAN NGUYEN, GOP candidate for CA-47, has been revealed as "Sergio Ramirez", the mysterious individual who sent out all those threatening letters to Central Orange County Latinos.
(So, funny enough, McPherson invited Lockyer to join him in an investigation. Problem is, Lockyer had started an investigation a day earlier. - promoted by SFBrianCL)
