CRA Endorsing Convention Saturday....
Posted by: Lady Fingers | 03/16/2008 9:17 PM
Saturday, March 15 (also known as the Ides of March) the CRA held their endorsing convention at the RP headquarters in Orange. Starting outside the front door, Larry Dick and his lovely wife met and shook hands early on and helped people make a cup of coffee and showed them to the "bagel table" ....nice start to the morning....
The morning started with the usual outline of rules, motions on how to proceed, seconds, voice votes, invocation, pledge of allegiance to the Flag, etc.
Then we got down to the business of the day, not without some controversy, not without some disappointments.
But first we started with the HIGH point of the day, with the introduction of Rosie Avila running against Loretta Sanchez!! Hurrah!! We have an excellent candidate in Rosie and I hope everyone can get behind her and give her a great boost to gain another Republican seat, and a very important one in Central OC.
Next Mimi Walters got the nod for the 33rd State Senate district.
Then the 60th Assembly District was up for a vote... We had Larry Dick and Curt Hagman (Mayor of Chino Hills); three votes were taken and Hagman missed getting the endorsement by one vote. So no endorsements for the 60th.
Tom Harman received the endorsement for the 35th State Senate district with Yes 29; No 2 and one abstention.
Moving on to the 71st Assembly District, Neil Blais and Jeff Miller were up for endorsement; and Jeff received the endorsement. Due to much noise, I did not get the count on that vote. Sorry.
The 73rd Assembly District - Diane Harkey got the nod for that one unanimously.
Then the OC First District Supervisor's race came up for a vote with the two Republican candidates present with their contingents. What was believed a few months ago would have been an endorsement for Trung Nguyen; turned into something quite different (well it had to since he isn't running now).
Janet Nguyen spoke first, heartfelt and with the strength of her record and multiple endorsement from many strong Republicans. Then Dina Nguyen the councilperson from Garden Grove spoke. She didn't speak about the strength of her service or any endorsements. The first vote was taken. Janet: 11 Dina: 6 Abstain 2 No vote: 1.
So the candidates were given another minute to speak before the next vote would be taken. Then Dina pulled out some better rhetoric about her service record in Garden Grove. Janet spoke about her service record and her long affiliation with the California Republican Party and the California Republican Assembly, her endorsements, etc. (well done in 60 seconds I might add). The second vote was Janet 11 (solid voters there), Dina picked up one more vote for 7; NO endorsements 2 and 0 Abstains. So they got yet another minute and Janet spoke to the issue of holding a Republican seat in central county and the importance to the RP of doing this. She also mentioned that everyone has read the papers over the last few months and they know of all the lawsuits filed by her opponents and this should be about retaining the seat, it should not be made into a personal vendetta (I don't think she used exactly those words, this is my interpretation of it) and then she indicated her opponent should be asked if she is a member of the CRA.
While the Dina contingent did eye-rolls and others in the room agreed with Janet the final vote was Janet 11, Dina 8; No endorsements 0; and Abstain 1.
After the meeting was over there was much conversation and I overheard Dina indicating that she had joined the CRA in January of this year. She was elected to the GG City Council about a year and a half ago; but I had not heard of her or any of her civic participation before that. Apparently she worked for the OC Courts for many years and is a practicing attorney in the same law firm as the Democrat that is running.
While trying to remain objective, I did wonder how it could come about that the sitting Supervisor would not receive the endorsement of the CRA she had been a member of so long. So with some listening and actual eavesdropping (no shame, people talk loud ok?) It seems there are, as noted on this blog often; some tensions between the "camps". Apparently the Van Tran camp is in support of the Dina Nguyen candidate along with that CRA unit. As we all have heard, there is some tension between the Janet camp and the Van Tran camp. But it does appear that perhaps some of these tensions could cool; as Janet seems to be getting support from other Republican and conservative quarters.
All in all, it was a good day at the CRA; with some disappointments and some nice surprises.
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Thanks for the descriptive narrative of the CRA meeting. Best wishes to all those endorsed.
Great report. It is very apparent that the Van Tran crowd is more interested in their petty squabbles than in promoting your party, or its incumbents.
As for Rosie Avila, we are very happy in Santa Ana that she is finally off the school board. This is the equivalent of the rats jumping off the sinking ship. There is NO WAY she will defeat Loretta Sanzchez.
Sadly, at least for the red party, there will be no progress made in central OC this year. The only candidate from your party who has made any inroads in central OC is Supervisor Janet Nguyen. And Tran and his allies would rather see her defeated than get behind her.
If your party wants to make a comeback in Santa Ana, it must do what I tried to do in 2006. Get Republicans elected to local offices, on the City Council and the School Board. And I am not talking about politicians like Carlos Bustamante, who does nothing for his party and is a wingman to our Democratic Mayor, Miguel Pulido.
Right now there are NO Republicans running for any seats on the City Council or School Board. Zero. With the exception of Bustamante, who as I indicated does nothing for your party.
Shouldn't the members of the OC GOP Central Committee, who serve in the 69th AD, be trying to elect Republicans at the local level? You would think so.
But in 2006, Tim Whitacre and his followers on the OC GOP Central Committee's 69th AD delegation actually worked to DEFEAT the Republican candidates I recruited.
One of them, Evangeline Gawronski, lost by 600 votes to Democrat Michele Martinez. I was told by an OC GOP leader that Whitacre called all the members of the OC GOP Central Committee and begged them not to support Gawronski. Instead he asked them to support Tino Rivera, who at the time was a registered Democrat. In fact Tino went to the OC Democratic Party and pleaded for their endorsement. They gave it to Martinez instead.
This is why you don't have credible candidates for legislative seats, in Santa Ana. Nothing will change until your party decides to take back those local seats.
Fortunately for you Republicans, you have a chance in June to toss Whitacre and his allies. There are three candidates running for the OC GOP Central Committee, in the 69th AD, who support Supervisor Nguyen and who really do want to build up the OC GOP in Santa Ana. They include Thomas Gordon, Molly Doughty and Monica Banken. Vote for them and be sure NOT to vote for Whitacre, Oscar Garza and Cuong Sinh Cao. Change CAN happen in Santa Ana, but not with that bunch at the helm.
Lady Fingers,
It's easy to understand why Janet Nguyen, as an incumbent, did not get the endorsement from the CRA. Over the years, she managed to alienate and betray many fellow Republicans who at one time or another helped or guided her along to where she is today. People remember that stuff. Loyalty and honesty are important virtues in politics, but Janet seems to lack that, and also lack the CRA votes to get the endorsement.
There is a God and He sees all!
Arturo,
You have absolutely no credibility to objectively analyze GOP politics in the OC because you are not even a Republican and, worse yet, an Obama supporter. Are we to take your words, the words of one who worships Obama, as a reference?
You misives are so sour and off base in your analysis that one can't take you seriously. You love to cast blame on Van Tran and his operation for Janet's political woes. We all will believe that when the day you and your idol Janet, look within yourselves and do your mea culpas.
Art-
You and Janet lost, AGAIN. Take your pill , accept your defeat, and move on. It's two to zero now.
We are all adults and we really don't want to hear your blah bah blah, which is really nonsense.
Pedroza's wild comments about Tim Whitacre are laughable and predictable and his lies know no ends - he just flings whatever he can think of against the wall to see what might stick... Thank God Pedroza has no idea what is going on in Republican circles. The loud mouth can't keep his wacked mouth shut and would violate his own mother's reputation if he thought he could put some "scoop" out there on his blog to make himself look good.
I for one am glad people are listening to a credible leader like Assemblyman Van Tran over that of an immature, spoiled, little hot head new comer named Janet Nguyen. The fact Pedroza supports her and likes her should be all the reason anyone needs to vote against her. Van has built the base in central county; Janet has only torn down bridges where ever she can. Just like Pedroza can't provide one shred of evidence to any of his claims against Tim; he can't provide one shred of evidence where Janet has actually done something good for Republicans in central O.C. like Van has. In fact, Janet is now the best of friends with the ultra-liberal Democrat councilwoman Michelle Martinez, who has a similiar reputation in Santa Ana and who Pedroza absolutely adores as well. Janet is also co-hosting a luncheon with Democrat Senator Lou Correa to honor a liberal Judge at the Santa Ana courthouse this week. I guess you can call that building a base...
CRA did the right thing by not endorsing Janet Nguyen. It's one thing to work with Democrats on certain projects that have Republican values; it's another to suck up to them and cut backroom deals to get re-elected. Maybe the rumor IS true that she's planning on switching Parties if she's re-elected since the Dems are making this ambitious woman all the right overtures...Hmmmmm...
Why is Art Pedroza so jealous of Tim Whitacre? Tim's been doing a great job in Central Orange County. He's a straight shooter and an asset to the GOP in SA.
Now Janet Nguyen is trying to run her candidates against Tim for CC in the 69th. This is the same MO that Janet is doing even against her supporters who she is paranoid of. It's perverted but true. Talk to Lan Nguyen, Trung Nguyen, Van Tran Andy Quach and many, many others. They were all her supporters as recent as 2006!
People of like mind such as Art and Janet do think alike. Very scary.
Janet Nguyen lose big at the CRA . If she wants to request the endorsement from the OC GOP next month, Team Dina is very prepared to take her and her cronies down, hard. It will be another hard take down. Bring it on Janet Nguyen!