Democratic Party

Sen. Barack Obama lived up to his "rock star" billing at a private fundraiser in a Newport Coast family's home Monday morning. About 100 Obama supporters paid between $1,000 to $4,600 to meet the Illinois senator at Michael and Shohleh Chegini's home. The $1,000 tickets were the price to get in, but donors who paid $4,600 got a chance to meet Obama personally and take pictures with him. "The energy was amazing; people from all different walks of life wanting to support this man," said Kimchi Nguyen, an intern for the Democratic Party of Orange County who was at the fundraiser.

The Democratic Party of Orange County painted a mural Saturday for the Orange County Fair, and sure enough, it featured a donkey. But the most prominent animal in the picture was the cow in the swimsuit. Each of the last three years, the local Democrats have painted a mural to display above their booth at the fair and based the image on the fair's theme. This year's fair, which plans to include a cattle run, has the theme of "Herefords, Surfers and Sand" — so when the grass-roots political group assembled Saturday to begin painting a beach scene, they included a bovine in a bikini.

A story that appeared in Tuesday's Daily Pilot, "Newport lawyer eyes Cox's seat," reported some incorrect information about the candidate. Newport Attorney Steve Young is a lifelong Democrat and has been active in politics since age 18. He switched to the GOP several years ago in order to support a friend's congressional campaign. His return to the Democratic Party was not solely based on the war in Iraq but also Bush administration policies. In Friday's From the Editor column by Tony Dodero, "New Mormon temple welcomes visitors," a line that read "We started the tour on the grounds of the temple, which are punctuated with a pair of sparkling fountains and some 54,000," should have read as follows: "We started the tour on the grounds of the temple, which are punctuated with a pair of sparkling fountains and some 54,000 plants."

Rep. John Campbell’s comments on the nomination of Sarah Palin were very enlightening. Campbell said, “Palin has held elected office longer than Democratic presidential nominee Barack Obama and has executive experience Obama doesn’t.” Campbell apparently equates time spent in various offices equally, without any consideration of the nature of the office or the challenges faced there. Campbell served in the California state legislature from 2000 to 2005 and was elected to Congress in a special election in December 2005, giving him fewer than eight years in government.

Richard Taylor Reading the recent caustic comments by Frank Barbaro, the head of the Democratic Party in Orange County, as well as vice-presidential candidate John Edward's referring to Newport Beach as the "other America" for the wealthy, gave me pause for some serious reflection ("A candidate comes to town," Sunday). Pandering for big-donor dollars at the Balboa Bay Club, they both besmirch the very affluence that allows them to live and campaign in the lap of luxury.

Congressman Dana Rohrabacher, you and I don't always see eye to eye. I'm chairman of the Democratic Party of Orange County, and you're a controversial Republican congressman. From environmental protection to global warming, stem-cell research to our healthcare system, we have some legitimate differences. That being said, I hope there are certain values we share. For one, treating people with dignity and respect, even when they disagree with us. That is why I was so disappointed in you during a recent House Foreign Affairs subcommittee hearing.

I hope the public pays attention to the differences highlighted in Orange County Democratic Party Chairman Frank Barbaro's May 14 commentary ("An open letter to Rohrabacher"). This controversy emerged from an April 17 Congressional hearing where Democrats praised a European Parliament report that called for the jailing of 26 Americans, including CIA agents, for engaging in anti-terrorism operations. During that hearing, I suggested that those who demand that terrorists be given due process rights put American lives at risk.

Prominent Democrats in the Newport-Mesa area expressed sadness Wednesday over the death of Sen. Edward Kennedy, who died Tuesday at 77. “It’s a great loss for our country,” said Costa Mesa City Councilwoman Katrina Foley. “He’s definitely an American patriot and somebody who worked tirelessly for the working class and for those who are less fortunate in our communities.” Foley added that Kennedy, who served in the Senate from 1962 until his death, was “someone I wish I could have met in life.

When Democratic candidate Steve Young officially kicks off his campaign for the 48th Congressional District seat today in Irvine, he'll probably be grinning -- and with good reason. Wednesday night, Young, a 51-year-old Newport Beach attorney, handily won the endorsement of state Democratic Party delegates, and his campaign is being run by an energetic team that recently carried an Ohio Democrat close to an upset victory in a heavily Republican district.

Paul Clinton Rep. Nancy Pelosi's appointment to the Democrats' top leadership post in the House should lead to a more polarized political atmosphere in Washington, D.C., Newport Beach's congressman said. Pelosi, who took over as House Minority Leader from Rep. Dick Gephardt on Thursday, was one of the few federal lawmakers to oppose the creation of a homeland security agency and war with Iraq. Her appointment, by a 177 to 29 vote, represents a shift from the more conservative Gephardt to the liberal Pelosi, who represents most of San Francisco.

Just months prior to the state primary, and with no established political platform or built-in fundraising base, West Newport activist Bob Rush jumped into the 74th District Assembly race. "Despite it being late, I think I could do really well," Rush said Wednesday, a day after filing his candidacy papers to challenge Assemblyman Allan Mansoor (R-Costa Mesa). "My not being a slick politician I think is to my advantage. I think I'm viewed as a strong community advocate. " Rush, 55, is the first Democrat to get into the race and offers an alternative to what was a essentially a two-horse race between two Republicans, Mansoor: Costa Mesa's former mayor, and Newport Beach Councilwoman Leslie Daigle.

On the floor of the U.S. Senate, at the desk of the clerk of the Democratic Party, is a sheet of paper that is prepared before each vote. The paper lists the day's pending votes and tells senators whether to vote yea or nay. The Republican Party does the same. In fact, all over the country, every day, party leaders are telling elected representatives how to vote. It is standard operating procedure so that each party can ensure its agenda moves forward. The practice is institutionalized via the party "whip," whose primary responsibility is to ensure that members vote the party line.

Prominent Democrats in the Newport-Mesa area expressed sadness Wednesday over the death of Sen. Edward Kennedy, who died Tuesday at 77. “It’s a great loss for our country,” said Costa Mesa City Councilwoman Katrina Foley. “He’s definitely an American patriot and somebody who worked tirelessly for the working class and for those who are less fortunate in our communities.” Foley added that Kennedy, who served in the Senate from 1962 until his death, was “someone I wish I could have met in life.

Conservatives in Orange County like to brag that it’s the most Republican county in the country. Or at least the second most, depending on whom you talk to. Republicans hold a 13% edge in registered voters countywide, and Orange County Republicans provide serious financial support for conservative candidates all over the country. Locally there are 34% more Republicans than Democrats in Costa Mesa and almost three times more Republicans than Democrats in Newport Beach. It’s not a stretch to say that neither city is a likely pickup for any Democratic hopeful, no matter what the year.

When it comes to serious funding from the two major political parties at work in the Costa Mesa City Council race, there are the haves and have-nots. Although city council races are considered nonpartisan throughout the state, according to the state’s election code, thousands of dollars of party money have financed mailers, fliers and other advocacy on behalf of Costa Mesa council candidates. Five of the nine candidates don’t have a dime of discernible money from the Republicans or Democrats, while the other four have varying degrees of support.

Scott Baugh worries about his party’s “brand.” Frank Barbaro’s starting to get the feeling things are nearing those heady days post-Watergate for Orange County Democrats. But both of the county party chairmen know the reality is that Republicans still rule Orange County. About 496,000 Democrats vs. 706,000 Republicans. But the Democrats are catching up and making things a bit more competitive this election cycle. In the last 15 months, 32,000 new Democrats have registered while the GOP has lost 12,000 voters, according to Barbaro.

Despite never having served on the California Legislature, Attorney Mike Glover, a Democrat challenging Assemblyman Chuck DeVore in November, is no stranger to state government. Glover has spent twice as many years as DeVore as a stage legislator — just not here. Before moving to California in the 1980s, Glover served four two-year terms as a Democratic assemblyman in a heavily Republican area in Kansas. He hopes to repeat that feat this year, as he takes on DeVore for the second straight election in a district where more than 60% of the electorate is registered Republican.

Rep. John Campbell’s comments on the nomination of Sarah Palin were very enlightening. Campbell said, “Palin has held elected office longer than Democratic presidential nominee Barack Obama and has executive experience Obama doesn’t.” Campbell apparently equates time spent in various offices equally, without any consideration of the nature of the office or the challenges faced there. Campbell served in the California state legislature from 2000 to 2005 and was elected to Congress in a special election in December 2005, giving him fewer than eight years in government.

In all the decades I’ve used professional baseball as my personal shrink, I’ve never been so relieved to see it start as I am this year. I’ll tell you how relieved. Because I couldn’t wait for the first official game, I spent last Saturday night at Anaheim Stadium watching a dreadful exhibition in which the Angels stomped the San Diego Padres, 11-3, — on a football-weather night against an alleged major league team that committed three errors that were charged and a dozen or so that weren’t.