I thought I’d do some research and take a look at the extent of Orange County Dream Team’s perplexing efforts to get a co-sponsorship out of Congresswoman Loretta Sanchez. Surprisingly, there was little to find. I did however run across quite-a-bit of not so nice Facebook comments from the fired up activists. Another, perhaps unsettling discovery was the apparent coordinated effort by some OC Bloggers to stoke and rile these fired-up activists against Loretta, in what can only be described as these bloggers using the Dream Team as proxies in their personal vendettas against Loretta Sanchez. For some, the motive was to try to siphon off Latino/Hispanic voters off of Loretta and onto the Ceci “Skeletor” Iglesias (with the intended goal of helping out Van Tran). For others (ie Gustavo Arellano) the purpose remains unclear. Perhaps it lies with bitterness over denied interview requests?
In any case, enjoy skimming over a tiny portion of the many, many comments left about Loretta on her facebook page, her campaign’s facebook page, and the Dream Team’s Facebook page made specifically to ‘encourage’ Loretta to co-sponsor the Dream Act. (Interestingly, no such page was created for the other 5 OC Congress members who have yet to announce co-sponsorship or even support. (Apparently it’s pointless because they’re Republicans. The idiocy!)
From supporter leaving nice excuses on her canvassing event page…
To disgruntled supporter leaving this on her main facebook page…
To really agitated activist. I wonder who he wanted to send letters/petitions too? Queen Bee’s Mom? This trend of supporters turning vitriol towards Loretta was pretty common.
This one was left on OC Dream Team’s Anti-Loretta page. This person appears to have connections to upper leadership of the movement.
If 5 people tell 5 people who tell 5 people… 15 people will not care. (she meant if they each tell 5 people… making it 125 people not supporting Loretta, but she forgot that key word (each). Perhaps it was lack of attention to detail that made Tish lose her Santa Ana City Council run… didn’t Art P support her in that endeavor? Didn’t Loretta?
Here’s a creative one! Left on the Anti-Loretta page. A poem in Spanish…Translates into something about Latino’s today not washing dishes, and then rhymes that with a question prompting Loretta about who cleans her shoes…
Dream Team Agitator #1 Art Pedroza
This was left on OC Dream Team’s Anti-Loretta FB page.
Just check out OrangeJuiceBlog.com and tell me Art isn’t Ceci’s biggest promoter online…
Dream Team Agitator   #2 Vern Nelson
This was also left on OC Dream Team’s Anti-Loretta page. Vern commented there many more times than Art… interestingly enough, he felt very comfortable interacting with/talking like the many collage age young people on the site.
Here, Vern’s mentioning and mocking my ‘ridiculous’ assertion that if passage of the Dream Act is the DT’s ultimate goal, they should use their resources to turn No’s into Yes’s instead of Yes’s into Co-Sponsorships. For those that are unfamiliar with co-sponsorships, (which I’m assuming includes most of the Dream Team) they don’t get you “extra votes” it is a purely ceremonial gesture, as only a bill’s primary sponsor signs the bill. You can even sponsor a bill only to vote against it later. Members routinely sponsor bills for their fellow house members when one is ill and can’t make it to the chamber.
Dream Team Agitator   #3 Gustavo Arellano
Gustavo has so many comments about Loretta floating around, everything from accusing her of being a skin color racist/elitist? to calling her petty names... What’s his real deal? He’s shown this accomplished and effective legislator nothing but frothing vitriol.
So… Loretta has the courage to do what Gustavo does not, boycott the UCLA Commencement address, and yet he still feels the need to lash out at her? No character points for you, Gustavo!
Let me reiterate how many comments like this are on facebook, OJ Blog, and on most news stories covering Loretta from DT members and ‘DT Agitators’. This was a tiny snippet, tip of the iceberg of them, I can’t stress that enough.
There will be more on this topic soon.
Steve,
Thanks for the heads up re this post.
My only motivation was to convince Sanchez to back the Dream Act. Now that she has done that I see no reason to oppose her.
I do wish she was more progressive and I find it funny that she panders to Viet voters but not to Latino voters, but that aside we really need to make sure Van Tran loses.
I hope that clears things up for you.
This is silly, Steven. Just like when everyone was upset with us anti-war protesters back in ’07 for convincing Loretta to stop funding the war. Still, thanks for the “heads up” that you wrote about me here. I don’t get over here much.
This is silly? Silly is allowing posts by Art, “Zorro” and “admin” when they are all the same person. Steve’s done a nice job documenting this post.
The Dream Act is a good deal for the innocent children who have grown up in the USA, but were born in another country to non USA citizens.
It is not so good for those who want a general amnesty in immigration reform.
Coupled with a “guest worker†program for the unskilled, the only undocumented immigrates left are the criminals.
God forbid a group of motivated voters who make up a good portion of a congresswoman’s base make their opinion known to the person who is supposed to represent them
I would rather grass root campaigns like this be a driving force behind political decisions than the thousands/millions of dollars donated by the captains of industry to enact legislation favorable to them.
Lenny: Word!
Hm, interesting. Gabriel obviously feels very comfortable interacting with/talking like “collage age young people.” That’s just.. very ineresting.
Lenny: Word.
It is by holding our representatives publicly accountable that we can make change in this country. The OCDT campaign is a clear example of how democracy should look like. From the bottom Up.
Steve, thanks for exposing the proof that it was the youth activists that made it happen. There is still some in OC that believe that her co-sponsorship did not come by the pressure from the students, but from other leaders. Thanks!!!
eh, so what you’ve proven here is that you’re out of touch and angry about it. one of the purposes of journalism is to hold politicians accountable, and that’s clearly what Gustavo and friends have done (and worked!).
meanwhile you’re a limp-liberal apologist. nice work.
Hey, the LibOC has to take a tough stand here, otherwise Loretta might find some other fawning outlet to republish her press releases!