AD70 Race: Irvine’s Stephen Choi Lets Art Pedroza Carry The Ball

Irvine Council member Steven Choi depicts Speaker Pelosi as Stalin (credit The LiberalOC.com) December 2009

When I first saw Matt Cunningham’s post about this on Red County, I had to check the calendar.  It’s not Christmas and my birthday was months ago. But there it was; a gift.  Irvine Council member Steven Choi, a struggling Republican candidate for the AD-70 race, is using a letter from Orange Juice publisher Art Pedroza to tout Choi’s candidacy.  Choi, who’s his own best contributor to his own campaign, must be getting stir crazy in that tiny Woodbridge apartment.

Choi issued a flier warning Republicans about Jerry Amante.  He cite’s the OC Progressive blog and Total Capitol as sources for Amante’s nickname of “Toll Road Jerry” which is funny enough, but then there’s the second half of the mailer — a letter to OC Republicans from Art Pedroza, who regularly refers to Republicans as the Taliban.  Why Choi would use Pedroza to vouch for Choi’s conservative credentials just shows that whomever is running Choi’s campaign lacks any competence whatsoever.

As we’ve documented here, Pedroza is being sued for cybersquatting and trademark infringement when he acquired domain names related to this blog, individuals who blog for it, our friends and my business. Pedroza demanded $1,000 to $2,000 for each domain name and when we refused, Pedroza redirected those domains to the North American Man Boy Love Association (NAMBLA), a group that advocates legalized sex between adult men and adolescent boys, and Pedroza routed other domains to gay porn sites. 

So is Choi really throwing his hat behind an chracter reference from a man who promoted gay porn and sex between men and young boys on web sites he owned?  Looks like he has. 

Did Choi know that Pedroza is being sued by two banks for credit card fraud?  Does Choi know Pedroza’s home is in foreclosure?  This of course makes Pedroza the model of a fiscal conservative, a blogger content to tell elected officials how they should spend tax dollars when its clearly obviously he has no idea how to manage his own personal finances.

And better still, Choi friend and former city council candidate Pat Rodgers going on in comments in Red County about what an honorable man Dr. Choi is.  Pat, your friend used someone who essentially resorted to cyber-blackmail to smear our names and reputations by demanding money for a web domain related to private busniness names and redirected it to NAMBLA.  At best, this is a collosal error in judgement on the part of Choi and at worst, should send a message to every Irvine parent who has a child enrolled in Dr. Choi’s school that he associates with someone of such character.

Defend Choi’s chracter all you want Pat.  It’s there in black and white from Art Pedroza himself.  Since Art rails against Republican Talibani “haters” who hate gay marriage, illegal immigration, and all things liberal, does this mean Dr. Choi has embraced Art’s pro-Gay-marriage stance?  Is Dr. Choi for amnesty?  Will Dr. Choi support the Dream Act for Latino youths? 

Dr. Choi’s lame duck status on the Irvine city council starts the day after the primary election.  But at least  he and his family can park that white Mercedes in the driveway of their Woodbury home again.

10 Comments

  1. I’m so glad the Amante campaign at least came out and attacked Choi and Pedroza quite vehemently. Melissa Fox should also attack Choi on this as well.

  2. Dan, I suppose honorable men sometimes hook up with those who are less than honorable?

    I do not read, defend or give a tinkers damn about Art Pedroza. You and those from the so called Republican Party, who have criticized him are probably correct. You are also right on the bad advice, Steven Choi received from his campaign consultant. Such an attack was not needed, as I believe Choi was ahead of both Amante and Wagner in potential votes regardless of the trash being thrown at him.

    On your commentary, I do sense a little bit of the kettle calling the pot black. I believe you, Dan to be an honorable man, firm in your convictions and community dedication. Yet, here you are attached at the hip with the “Agranista Political Machine,” the worst in the history of Irvine. I say that because; I have seen and worked with them all. This includes the other Larry Agran, also an honorable man in those days. Larry did a lot of good things for the community that he never got credit for in the early years. While we will have to agree to disagree on the Agranista issue, one day when the brown stuff hits the fan, I will remind you that I told you so. Best wishes.

  3. Pat —
    I have been hearing the conservative right in Irvine tell me your years that one day I’ll be covered with th stuff that hits the fan. I haven’t found that to be the case at all.

    The fact is Dr. Choi hasn’t been honest with votyers in AD-70 about his new address; he’s used one of the most vile political commentators in Orange County to speak for him; and let’s not forget the disrespect Dr. Choi showed to Speaker Pelosi in Irvine (I will remind you Pat, Beth Krom greeted President Bush warmly in Irvine and was a credit to the city in the process).

    Why don’t you have Dr. Choi send me an invite to his housewarming party in Woodbridge if he wins the election. As it stands now, Amante and Wagner ought to send me flowers.

  4. Before everyone gets their panties in a bunch, claims Choi has made about Amante are true. And things Amante has written about Choi and Pedroiza on Red County are also true. The buggest beneficiary from all this is the only candidate who’s run a positive campaign – and that is Melissa Fox

  5. If the “Flowers from Wagner” commenter could repost, I inadvertently deleted the comment while trtying to approve it on my Blackberry.

    Since I won’t comment on Orange Juice, I want Art Pedroza to know how offended I am at his insult about quiche eaters. That tasty egg and cheese dish is simply to die for and the thought of Art equating quiche with some fancy pants restaurant shows he has no class.

    Art — it’s not a frivolous lawsuit not matter how badly you want to think it is. You are also in no position to call anyone corrupt when it’s clear you are rotten to the core. But thanks for wrapping Dr. Choi in the same NAMBLA blanket you find yourself in. And no matter how badly you want to think we’re in league with Jerry Amante, we aren’t. But your endorsements of anyone have the opposite affect of what you intend Art.

    Did Choi offer to pay off one of your credit cards?

    And yes, Melissa Fox is the best candidate for assembly.

  6. For Sean Mill —
    Sean, hey thanks for posting my contribution to Melissa Fox’s campaign on OJ, but I guess that’s not stalking is it since you’re doing it? I have also made contributions to Lorri Galloway, Gila Jones, John Hannah and Loretta Sanchez in the past six months to save you some time. I’ve contributed mre to candidates I believe in than Art does to credit card companies he owes money too.

    Glad to see your posting to blogs on your own time and not your employers time Sean.

    Will you be sending any more emails to the entire County Board of Supervisors regarding your man-crush for Chris Prevatt? Just wondering.

  7. My best pal was written up today in the OC Register but forgot to inform Kristine Guerra that in addition to being a safety consultant that he also promotes sex between grwon men and young children on websites he own as well as putting gay porn on his website so that minor children might accidently see it. His promotion of NAMBLA is even getting him sued. He also neglected to tell Kristine Guerra that his home is in foreclosure and hes being sued for credit card fraud. http://www.ocregister.com/news/workers-253791-pedroza-latino.html?cb=1277225468

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