For some reason Orange County is a magnet for elected political losers. In recognition of that unbearable truth, and the fact we’re almost done with 2009, here is my list of the OC Political Losers of 2009.Â
Dean Grose — The Los Alamitos Mayor who found it funny to send an email to constituents with a picture of the White House rising over a watermelon patch. To add insult to his already stupid injury, Grose then further jokes about the email when an African-American constituent called him on it.Â
Andy Quach — The Westminster City Councilman (we call him Smiley) who drunkenly crashed his Mercedes into another car and a block wall while also knocking out power for 300 of his adoring constituents. The incident we dubbed QuachGate, became an onion of intrigue with a new layer revealed every few days (sometimes hours).Â
Van Tran — The 68th District Assemblyman who almost got himself arrested for interfering in the on-site investigation of Andy Quach’s accident.Â
Steven Choi — The Irvine City Councilman who disrespected the people of his city by using his official position to gain access to the Irvine Hotel where Speaker Nancy Pelosi was addressing the Democratic Party’s Truman Dinner. Once inside, he paraded among hotel guests and dinner attendees wearing a picture pinned to the back of his suit jacket depicting Speaker Pelosi as Josef Stalin.Â
Mike Duvall — What can we say about this GOP Assemblyman? He will forever be remembered as “Spanky” or “Open Mike” Duvall for bragging in front of a live microphone in an Assembly committee meeting about his “alleged” sexual escapades with a utility industry lobbyist. So much for this “Family Values” Republican. He resigned within a day of the incident being disclosed, but that didn’t silence the story.Â
John Campbell —  Our favorite “Birther” Congressman from Irvine, who on national television threw his support behind Orly Taitz and others for their claim that President Obama was not born in the U.S. To add insult to his constituents, Campbell will not lift a finger to bring money back to his district, and will not allow Christmas Carolers to visit his district office.Â
Chuck DeVore — Well start with his effort to tweet himself into the U.S. Senate and replace Barbara Boxer. You can fill in he blanks from there, just search Chuck DeVore on this blog.Â
Lan Nguyen — Racial Harmonist, Garden Grove Unified School Board Member and Van Tran acolyte Lan Quoc Nguyen was quoted by the Nguoi Viet Daily News as claiming that Caucasian, Black and Latino students fear going to school with Asian children, Vietnamese in particular, because they cannot compete.Â
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Tyler Diep — Another Westminster City Council member who found himself on tape trying to interfere in police enforcement of permit conditions at Cytrist Restaurant in Westminster. Our favorite quote from Tyler; “You got the memo?”Â
Who else do you think we missed? Let us know in the comments.
I would add Mike Carona —convicted in January and sentenced to 5 1/2 years in April.
and still free on appeal. And always add the words “disgraced, convicted felon, serial adulterer Mike Carona before uttering his name
And I will start the New Year off right by nominating Diane Harkey, State Assemblywoman and wife of the alleged Ponzi scheme operator Dan Harkey.
Art Pedroza promotes gay porn and sex between men and underage boys on web domains he owns
I am surprised not to see Connie Lee who admitted in the OC Register that she paid out of town signature collectors cash and then didn’t report it so one guy could continue to get unemployment insurance. And when Dale Tyler turned in the 460 six weeks late, sure enough there were seven people who lived outside of the recall’s jurisdiction. On the back of each petition sheet these folks signed it states in pretty plain English that anyone collecting signatures must live in the recall’s jurisdiction. And now Carlos Field from the OC DA’s office has picked up the original petition sheets with a signed court order.