Bustamante submits to Alvarez at council meeting

The OC Register’s Total Buzz blog is reporting that the OC GOP leadership is going to meet with the Republican candidates for the First Supervisorial District over the weekend, and ask them to narrow the field down to one candidate. That is fine – but they better not settle on Santa Ana Councilman Carlos Bustamante.

Bustamante showed us all what he is about at this week’s Santa Ana Council Meeting. He was an abject embarrassment. Councilwoman Claudia Alvarez had to step in and run the meeting after Santa Ana Mayor Miguel Pulido left abruptly, ostensibly to attend some kind of night court. Mayor Pro Tem Bustamante was flailing away, utterly ignorant as to how to run the meeting, when Alvarez took the lead and showed him how it should be done.The Santa Ana City Council, at the inauguration of their new members, on November 29, selected Bustamante as the new Mayor Pro Tem, over Alvarez. Bet they are sorry about that vote now!

Bustamante was a Democrat just two years ago. He changed parties when he ran for the City Council. He has since become a Pulido puppet. He has voted for eminent domain deals that served to enrich millionaire car dealers. He went along with budget cuts that canceled our bookmobiles. I don’t know that he has ever done anything useful as a council member.

Bustamante also, famously, compared himself to Forrest Gump, at a fundraiser. Everyone in attendance was shocked. Gump however always came out on top. I guarantee you that Bustamante will be a big loser if he is the sole Republican candidate for the First District.

Already we know that Alvarez intends to run against him. She will take a lot of Latino and Santa Ana votes away from him. Former Santa Ana Mayor Pro Tem Brett Franklin is also in, and he too figures to take away Santa Ana votes from Bustamante.

I agree that some of the GOP candidates need to go away. Chief amongst them are Bustamante, and Garden Grove School Board member Trung Nguyen. He is the guy who lost two elections this year – he lost in June when he tried to get a seat on the OC GOP Central Committee, and he lost a water board election in November.

Franklin is his own man, but I would love to see him endorse Garden Grove City Councilwoman Janet Nguyen. She is the leading Republican in the race, with over $200,000 in campaign contributions. She is also the only conservative in the race.

My sources indicate that former Assemblyman Tom Umberg will announce his campaign next Wednesday. He lost in June to Lou Correa, in their primary contest for the 34th Senate District. He is also a carpetbagger – he lives in Villa Park. He also lied to voters and to his wife when he cheated on her during his last Assembly campaign. Lastly, I don’t think a trial lawyer will represent the interest of the blue collar constituents of the First Supervisorial District. No se puede Tom!

Plus Garden Grove Councilman Mark Rosen says he is staying in the race. He will bleed away voted from his fellow Democrat, Umberg.

OC Supervisor John Moorlach will need a strong conservative in the First Supervisorial District, to help him take on the OC Deputy Sheriff’s union. That won’t be Bustamante, who is being backed by union-squish Bill Campbell. Janet Nguyen is his only hope. I am fairly well assured that Rosen and Umberg will lay down for the unions. I don’t think we can say that about Janet Nguyen.

This weekend, OC GOP Chairman Scott Baugh needs to ask Trung Nguyen, Carlos Bustamante and Brett Franklin to step aside. Our only hope for taking the First District away from the Democrats is Janet Nguyen. Otherwise we face four years of liberal extremism from Umberg. No thanks!

About Admin

"Admin" is just editors Vern Nelson, Greg Diamond, or Ryan Cantor sharing something that they mostly didn't write themselves, but think you should see. Before December 2010, "Admin" may have been former blog owner Art Pedroza.