Choi uses Stalin Poster to Raise Funds for Assembly Campaign

Irvine councilmember Steven Choi is now using his Pelosi-is-Stalin stunt to raise funds for his assembly race. 

Choi is complaining that Democrats have attacked him for his right to free speech; no one is denying the wannabe Assemblyman his right to make a fool of himself.  But this isn’t the first time Choi’s “free speech” was demonstrated to be outrageous.  And its not the first time Choi has used his inflammatory speech to raise funds for his campaigns.

Irvine Council member Steven Choi wears a big smile with a poster of Nancy-Pelosi-is-Stalin poster on his back (credit TheLiberalOC.com)
Irvine Council member Steven Choi wears a big smile with a poster of Nancy-Pelosi-is-Stalin poster on his back (credit TheLiberalOC.com)

Choi’s current Assembly website puts out a plea for funds:

I am so humbled and honored to receive such an overwhelming outpouring of support from throughout the country (though there are obviously some opponents).

Will you kindly join my contact list to show your support for me?

I also hope you will help me by making a campaign contribution. Thank you so much.

 

Last year, during Choi’s re-election bid for Irvine City Council, Assemblyman Chuck DeVore used Choi’s depiction of challenger Todd Gallinger as a radical muslim terrorist sympathizer to raise funds for Choi.  From Chuck’s letter:

An interesting kerfuffle has arisen in my hometown of Irvine over Council for American-Islamic Relations (CAIR) and city council candidate, Todd Gallinger, who provides legal immigration counsel to the California Chapter of CAIR.  In a September 23 blog entitled “Choi’s Shameful Smear” on the LiberalOC.com liberal Democrat blogger Dan Chmielewski takes Republican Irvine City Councilman Dr. Steven Choi to task for calling CAIR an “Islamic terrorist group.”

Mr. Chmielewski then cuts and pastes a large portion of CAIR’s Orange County website to bolster his claim that CAIR is not a terrorist organization, including, “CAIR condemns all acts of violence against civilians by any individual, group or state.”  Chmielewski then writes of Choi, “This is the sort of divide the community approach the people on this side of the ticket have tried to do the past few elections in Irvine.  It’s hate speech coming from elected officials and candidates for office against Muslims…”

I have a different view – perhaps one a little more nuanced than Dr. Choi’s – but then, Councilmember Choi is running for reelection against CAIR-affiliated Mr. Gallinger and election season does tend to produce bold, black and white statements for public consumption.

Lastly, whatever one thinks of Mr. Chmielewski’s assertion that Dr. Choi was improperly injecting religion into politics in his critique of Mr. Gallinger and CAIR, it is relevant to note in this discussion that none other than CAIR’s own Chairman Emeritus, Omar Ahmed, said the Muslim holy book, the Koran, should be the “highest authority in America, and the Islam the only accepted religion on earth.”

One can only imagine Mr. Chmielewski’s outrage at council candidate Choi if Choi uttered such about the Christian faith.

If you are still not convinced about the connections between CAIR and HAMAS, then don’t take my word for it, believe liberal California Senator Barbara Boxer who, in late 2006, took back an award she gave to CAIR official Basim Elkarra after she learned about Mr. Elkarra’s CAIR involvement.  Sen. Boxer herself “expressed concern” about CAIR’s actions and past statements while her press secretary said that CAIR “gives aid to international terrorist groups.”

So, could Councilman Choi and Sen. Boxer be right and Mr. Chmielewski be wrong about CAIR and whether Mr. Gallinger’s close connection with them should be a matter of public discourse?  It looks like it will be up to the voters of Irvine to decide on November 4.

You can assist Dr. Choi in his reelection effort by going to: http://stevenchoi.org/contribute/.”

an example of Choi's Freedom of Speech
an example of Choi's Freedom of Speech

As an IUSD trustee, Choi has to apologize once for comments he made to GATE parents apologizing that the high cost of special education was taking away from funds that could go to GATE programs for gifted students, not realizing that some parents have a child who qualifies for GATE and have another child that requires special education. 

Of course, the greatest source of fundraising for Dr. Choi is Mayor Sukhee Kang’s fundraising lists.  A number of Mr. Kang’s Korean-American supports report to us that Choi calls them requesting a contribution shortly after Kang files his financial disclosures. 

And we’re delighted to learn Dr. Choi somehow fought alongside American troops in the Korean DMZ; there is no reference to any military experience on any of Choi’s official bios which is interesting given how much Republicans like to tout any military experience whatsoever.  We’re also delighted that Dr. Choi as a new blogger BFF in Art Pedroza; I’m sure Dr. Choi supports Mr. Pedroza’s efforts to blackmail his political enemies by having promoted gay porn and pederasty on web domains Pedroza owns.  We have to wonder if Choi is behind the recent post by Pedroza alleging that the Krom family has covered up some investigation of the Santa Barbara authorities into the accidental death of Noah Krom.  And with the attacks on Krom coinciding with the Hanukkah celebration, ripping open that scab reeks of anti-semitism.  So glad these two found each other…

Jerry Amante, time to Cowboy up!  Choi is eating your lunch.

4 Comments

  1. Speaking as a Conservative Republican – this Choi guy is an embarassment.

    My question is – why was this joker not tossed out of the Pelosi event on his ear?

    You can bet that if a dem had pulled a similar stunt at a reep event that he would have been given the boot. Republicans believe in free speech – but not to the extent that we would, in effect, pay for the speech of a dim-wit like this.

  2. Junior – he had every right to be there and speak his mind; as we have every right to ridicule him for it. Mind you, attendees to Bush Town Halls who wore a “No War” T shirt were arrested. Choi wore his Irvine city council member’s badge.

    Beth Krom, when she was mayor of Irvine, met President Bush and officially welcomed him to the city in spit eof the fact she disagreed with his policies. That said, she accorded the president all of the respect his office requires and she represented herself and the city in a dignified manner. Choi didn’t and now he’s getting cover some someone who linked websites he owns to gay porn and NAMBLA.

  3. “Junior – he had every right to be there and speak his mind;”

    I disagree Dan – that was a private event. The event sponsors have EVERY right to allow or disallow whom ever they desire.

    He should have been booted.

  4. I think it’s great that Choi will have more money to use to harrass Jerry Amante. It means Jerry will have less money to use in his race against Melissa Fox.

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