Clearing the Air on the DPOC and SD-37

March 19, 2015 Uncategorized 35

DPOC_Logo_-_new-Image

If you spend any amount of time reading Greg Diamond’s take on SD-37 and the DPOC, he laments the abject failure of the Party not to find a candidate to run against Don Wagner and John Moorlach and then credits himself and Nick Anas, the former executive director of the party who left for the private sector, as being the only ones who would make certain the party offered a candidate.

That’s a lot of back slapping for a former party vice chair who was booted for lending so much editorial support to conservative Republicans while generally being a roadblock to moving the party forward.  But I’ve had a number of party leaders contact me over the past few days to tell me what I already know — Greg is wrong about the party’s efforts to recruit a candidate (because he’s wrong about quite a bit).

Leaders of the DPOC spoke with several people — including Louise Stewardson — prior to the filing. One unnamed potential candidates was told by a union leader that they were supporting Wagner in the race and not to bother running. There are some in the party who were irritated with Louse for deciding to run after she declined to run when first approached, leaving no Democrat on the ballot.  She could have been trashed, but the party instead made lemonade and there’s an expectation we’ll see Louise on the ballot again.  Complicating matters, we understand Democratic senate leaders told the DPOC they wouldn’t help cover a filing fee for a Democrat in this special election — and in honesty, I don’t blame them.

Democrats in this part of the county have almost impossible odds to run for assembly or state senate with an expectation of winning.  With labor unions throwing support to Wagner because they can’t stand Moorlach, there goes a rich source of funds and feet on the street.

As Diamond can speak from experience, being a political martyr isn’t cheap. And Democrats in this county have a hard enough time voting in mid-term elections and primaries let along special elections.  It also takes a lot of money to run an effective campaign; money that wasn’t going to match Wagner’s war chest.  And then consider the very large disparity of Democrats to Republicans when it comes to voter registration; frankly it would make more sense for candidates even considering the race to pray for a Wagner win so they could run for his old assembly seat  — a much more winnable race.

There’s a time to fish and a time to cut bait.  There will be a time when this seat is competitive, but that time isn’t now.  To call out the DPOC for not fielding a candidate doesn’t tell the full story of the recruitment efforts they made to field a candidate.  Because the Party did recruit.  Don’t let Diamond tell you otherwise.

35 Comments

  1. Could it be that party members (not just those intimately involved) can’t make sense of three articles in as many days totaling 10,000 words! I mean if this guy Greg Diamonds writing is in anyway indicative of his behavior in a social/professional setting it stands to reason he would be outcast.

    I work at a major institution and Greg Diamonds writings would be dismissed by most here as “unreadable”, “rambling” and so intricate they might not earn a passing grade.

    Sounds like the local party members are a good judge of character.

  2. For such a “powerful journalistic” outlet, I can’t help but recognize that between Vern, Greg and David Zenger my teenager works more hours at a high school job than the three of them combined.

    These are gladflies to the extreme. The internet provides them an outlet. So they call themselves bloggers. The rest of the world calls them: LOSERS.

    How does a guy with an advanced degree struggle to make ends meet? I’ll tell you how: Become so F’d up in the head that your self importance trumps family needs, the ability to hold down a job, an insationable desire to be heard.

    Greg is done in the DPOC. Unfortunately he took his well meaning but ewually offensive brother in law with him.

    See you in the GREEN PARTY.

    • The OJ blog is promoting sales of Zenger’s painting. The guy has lots of time of his hands other than commenting on blogs. Dogs Playing Poker on black velvet has more artistic value. Zenger is as good an artist as Diamond is a lawyer

  3. Chum,

    First, Vern tells me that you spiked a comment that referred to my wife as a prostitute or some such, so thank you for that. That’s really “above and beyond the call of duty” on your part.

    Second, yes, Nick and I (sometimes working together, something not, and sometimes directly with state party officials) did both work countywide on candidate recruitment in both 2012 and 2014 (as well as special elections during that time.) I’m not sure why you seem incredulous.

    Third, I’ll bet you that no one called the obvious candidate who would be very likely to run if no one else did: Christina Avalos, who has run in that area many times. (Many in the party disparage her as being “loony left” and the like, but she’s a smart, congenial woman and would have been a perfectly good “name on the ballot” to “show the flag”.) I would have been in regular phone contact with her, making sure that she was ready if needed; I’ve done that before with her and with others. This is the sort of behind-the-scenes stuff that party officials are supposed to do. It’s like you think I’m making that sort of thing up.

    Fourth, was I “booted for lending so much editorial support to conservative Republicans” now? You have to get your story straight. First I was being booted for pissing off the building trades, then I was supposedly booted for making people stay late at meetings, then I got the ACTUAL bill of charges against me literally less than ten minutes before I was to defend myself against them in kangaroo court — and now this. You can say that I was booted for “obstructing” Henry only if you think that trying to get a Chair to follow the Bylaws and rules of procedure is “obstruction.” Ironically, Henry’s biggest defenders include those who rose up against Frank Barbaro for exactly the same deficiency.

    Fifth, I’m actually shocked by this: “There are some in the party who were irritated with Louse for deciding to run after she declined to run when first approached, leaving no Democrat on the ballot.” In that case, “some in the party” — you evidently know who they are, but of course won’t say — are dolts. That sort of sniping from anonymous armchair critics, abetting much of the time by you, is one of DPOC’s biggest problems: people kvetch but don’t do.

    There’s no shame in not wanting to run when asked; it wasn’t Louise’s responsibility to run; these unnamed party figures have zero basis for irritation. It would have been better had she not run because then we’d have been free to hijack Namazi’s candidacy — and pretty much assure a runoff — but that’s not Louise’s responsibility not her problem. Her heart was pure in all of this. And if she didn’t want to pay the fee to run (and others didn’t want to pay it for her, although THIS WOULD HAVE BEEN AN EXCELLENT FUNDRAISING OPPORTUNITY FOR A SPECIFIC CAUSE, WHICH IS UNLIKE “GIVE US MONEY TO DO NOTHING” IS THE SORT OF APPEAL THAT CAN WORK), I can’t blame her. Unlike your sources, I give her credit for doing the most she felt she could do.

    Best regards to your anonymous commenters (including the one who used to call you the “Northwood Night Stalker” and whose IP Address you once so desperately wanted.) By the way: who the hell is David Vasquez and what has he ever done for OC Democratic politics? He seems to be, like Mike Tardif, one of your biggest fans.

    • Greg —
      I refer to you as Greg or Diamond; afford me the same respect. Responses paragraph by paragraph.
      1. You’re welcome, I think. It was something I did instinctively unlike the nasty comments left on your blog about my kids that only come down if I see them.

      2. You are not the only person doing candidate recruitment; neither was Nick. There are several people involved in this process. But you’re taking credit for work others do without referencing the effort.
      3. I’m not at liberty to say who was contacted to and urged to run. But there was significant behind the scenes work being done that you refuse to acknowledge because no one told you because no one wants you involved; but it say it didn’t happen and scream “incompetence” is bull.
      4. You were booted for a lot of reasons…I don’t need to review every charge against you; it’s one thing to be a stickler for following the rules except of course when you (and your surrogates) offered solutions to save your bacon which would have violated the rules…its called being a hypocrite.
      5. You’re shocked? She was asked, said no and changed her mind. And yes, it irritated some — including you if you read what you write.
      6. The vote totals for Nazmani and Louise plus Wagner still don’t equal 50%; bad bad bad turnout too. You really think Dems would have come out to vote in an all-Republican special election? You are delusional. And please don’t talk about fundraising when you have no funds to give. Its hypocritical of you to bitch and moan about people who have money and call them every sort of evil and then expect people to pay for your political folly. Money does matter in elections.
      7. Well I’ve checked IP addresses and they are all new ones; I believe the person who used to call me the Northwood Night Stalker actually blogged for you guys so you probably know who it is who is insulting you. Take it up with Vern. My Northwood Nights are spent helping my kids with their activities, and walking my dog around the neighborhood. Pretty tame. I don’t know who David Vasquez is or what he’s done for OC Democratic Politics, but I do you that all you do is damage our brand. Mike Tardif is a friend. We don’t always see eye to eye but we’re always honest with each other. And unlike you and you merry band of losers, he has a pair and a spine.

  4. Greg knows full well, the one behind all that Northwood Nightstalker” business was Paul “send me a letter in prison” Lucas.
    Greg is trying be coy.
    Ten thousand words do not make Diamond right, likable or anything else. He’s just Greg Diamond, the one nobody wants to be around.

    • First of all, go take a flying *** to this anonymous bastard who refers to Paul Lucas as a “jailbird on meth” – Paul did NOT and COULD NOT physically take meth, and also did not deserve to go to jail for what he did do, as many people do not, so go throw your sanctimonious anonymous self off a cliff.

      And no, “Northwood Night Stalker” is not a Paul Lucas coinage, but a fellow who used to blog for us who called himself Guy Fawkes, and I know who he is but am not saying, and nothing he wrote was really that vicious although he was sometimes a little unhinged.

      And my friend Greg really seems to think that all the anonymous a-holes who print cowardly poison about HIM is the guy who was formerly called “kenlaysnotdead” or “nameless”… another old tireless foe of both Chmielewski and Cunningham that THEY would love to get their hands on, and who wouldn’t be leaving IP traces here… but I don’t seem to be able to convince Greg of that so I’ve given up trying.

  5. Paul was convicted of possession of meth; other charges were dropped as part of a plea deal. Paul spent time in jail for the crime. All of that is true, but nowhere did “Jailbird on Meth” say that Paul took meth. Projection Vern?

    Ahh, there’s the rub,..you know who a coward is but won’t say; so Greg really doesn’t have a complaint about our anon commenters because he blogs with someone who enables a bomb thrower to hide behind a pseudonym. Seems to me you have little leg to stand on Vern to complain about anons too.

  6. Well who the hell are you and what have YOU done for OC DEMACRATIC POLITICS?

    Other than of course turn it in to the laughingstock that it looks to be, public puppet shows, frivialous lawsuits (based on NO solid law, I might add).
    Hey, I am just a guy who votes, just like you, I don’t brag about it, I don’t wear it on my sleeve, I don’t disparage others for their views. In fact, that’s why you are so unappealing to people like me, you are condescending, you act like a know it all, your comments above demonstrate that.
    If half of the critisisms I read about you are true, you’d be best suited to visit Manpower, Volt or some other temp agency and “re-invent” yourself, you are not doing yourself, your family and especially not the Democratic party any favors with your grandstanding.
    This is the same Greg Diamond I presume, who posted THOUSANDS of words against Anaheim Cops, Law Enforcement in general, and when a Women, yeah a Women, I fogot whom questioned him he attacked her and wondered why?

    I can’t wait to read about the ACCOMPLISHMENTS of Greg Diamond toward Democracy.

  8. You won’t do a damn thing to anyone. Neither will Greg or Paul. All hat, no cattle. Lots of anonymous bravery on your blog too and sometimes by actual bloggers who hide their identity.

  9. “Orange County’s Political Mosh Pit”
    Has become:
    “Orange County’s Political MUSH Pit”.

    With Diamond, Zenger, Nelson and Ward as the major (80%) content/comments, that blog has become unreadable.

    Note to all: there is a better way to get a job: it’s called APPLY.

    The MUSH PIT is for lazy losers. Why don’t any DPOC members openly post there?

    • So we all read the “Who the hell is David Vasquez” rant.

      I am a voter.

      But, the Whacko Greg Diamond’s baiting comment made me wonder, who in the DPOC posts at the OJB: ANSWER: NONE.

      Maybe Greg and Vern should cheerlead at tomorrows LATINO outreach event and expouse those CRAZY views. Maybe Diamond will wait till he can buy a hamburger at Gardners next event.

      I am just a guy, I vote, I think, I don’t cower to bullies like Greg Diamond.

      I support Democrats NOT idiots.

    • Well, no one is really sure. Ms. Ward had a comment on how he was working with a developer in Fullerton so perhaps Mr. Bushala is paying Mr. Zenger for something. But several of my sources at County can’t stand the guy

  11. So you knew this was gonna happen:

    Greg Diamond turning on one of his own! So in a late night blog posting, Diamond attacks fellow demacrat and Santa Ana city councilmember Vince Sarmiento. He goes on to accuse the councilman of heavy handed tactics and graft. Serious stuff.

    This is RICH, the source for these unfounded accusations: an anonymous blog commenter! Yes, ladies you read that correctly, the king of calling out anonymous “TROLLS” and “COWARDS” bases a middle of the night hit piece on someone named Ana Tansa. I could not make this stuff up.

    Greg has aparantly reinvented himself , yet again as some kind of investigative reporter of late (I guess the Prolix workers rights attorney, community activist and whole candidate thing didn’t pan out for him). Here’s the rub, like each of his other failed fantasies this one is flawed in that even the most elementary journalistic standard would require another source, or at worst, a cub reporter would have the sense and integrity to call Sarmiento and get his comment. You can always publish your piece. NOPE. not the Orange Juice Blog. If he’s going to up all night scouring the internet because he can’t sleep, he’s going to post it. Truth be damned.

    Way to go scoop Diamond, at this rate you will have alienated the entire DPOC. Like a modern day Paul Lucas (without the Meth conviction!

  12. Hopefully Vince has the sense to ignore Diamond and not take the bait. But, you can’t ever tell with this political types.

    Like a petchluant child. Diamond is best ignored.

      • The LA Times has a front page article on this very subject this morning. They let off Flores easy, never bothering to ask WHY Correa hired him after the disaster he caused with Solorio.

        Dem’s should be pissed at these two for putting this incapableperson in charge of such an important job. This wasn’t about Pizza and the “Seventeen’s” on Alexs D300.

        • Pretty damning comments in the Times story from SantaAna voters who never got a knock on the door or campaign mail. Lou and Jose had almost no presence in Little Saigon. It’s evidence that Flores either didn’t do what he was paid to do or did it poorly.

  13. I am about to suffer through HOME ALONE with my ne[hews on ABC FAMILY ( That’s a cable channel Greg, I don’t think it’s available with an VHF Attenea). But before I do, I’d like to close out the weekend by acknowledging the sh!t storm they have stirred up over at the OJB.

    It has dragged in all kinds of innocents and better yet, exposed the original poster as a disgruntled fired employee. I can not wait to read the fallout OJB caused in the coming weeks.
    Maybe by 2016 Greg will be supporting the Green Party, completely out of touch with OCDEM’S and it’s membership.
    One can only hope.

  14. First let me say , I broke my personal rule about wine on Sunday night.
    Second, Home Alone was cute TWELVE YEARS AGO, when my kids were younger. But, tonight….espite the Rioja it was as painful as a Greg Diamond blog piece.

    Good night dear friends and think of me tomorrow at Nine AM!

  15. Dan,

    As I am sure you have read the United States of America is close to a landmark treaty with Iran on curtailing nuclear arms production.

    This is great news for our country and our children. However, I am concerned it’s being rushed and a dangerous detail could be overlooked.

    What do think of the administration asking David Zenger to check their work?

    After all David knows EVERYTHING! And I am sure he could use a job. Painter planner, nuclear arms expert……..

    Heck, he could even bring Diamond home a pen from the White House gift shop.

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