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“Human trafficking … zzz … human trafficking … zzz …”
Just so you don’t get confused: Democratic Congressional candidate Ken Arnold is NOT running against Republican Congressional candidate Van Tran. You’re thinking of 2008 when “Yes We Ken” Arnold challenged “Boss Tran” for his longtime Assembly seat in the 68th AD (and did surprisingly well.) THIS year Ken Arnold is challenging longtime incumbent Congressman Dana Rohrabacher in the 46th District, while Van Tran is challenging longtime incumbent Congresswoman Loretta Sanchez in the 47th. Boss Tran, termed out of his Assembly seat, will be replaced by either Minuteman Mayor Allan Mansoor or charismatic Democrat businessman Phu Nguyen, who… oh, never mind.
In any case I received an e-mail yesterday from Mr. Tran which appeared different from his usual chatty newsletter “Tran’s Tidbits,” in which the eight-year incumbent generally fills us in on his latest ribbon-cutting, award ceremony, or Schwarzenegger sighting, along with clips from articles he enjoys. This latest release, which you can read here, boasts of “co-sponsoring” a bill on human trafficking. This makes sense, I thought. He just realized that the achievement he is best remembered for is his bill allowing unscrupulous Little Saigon shopkeepers to sell New Year Pastries long past their safe date, and he would like to have something weightier under his belt as he challenges the beloved Loretta. And human trafficking is not only something we can all despise, but also immigration-related and thus trendy. Even if it’s only something he’s “co-sponsoring” along with who knows how many other politicians.
Well, damned if Ken Arnold wasn’t out within minutes, with a proper fisking of the Van Tran release:
Human trafficking is very serious and needs far more real attention than it gets.
However, Mr. Tran neglects to mention that he just recently became one of 14 co-authors of this bill that originated in the State Senate in February of 2009. Typically claiming undue credit.
While this bill is significant and helpful, it lacks a lot of real new impact on the problem. It does not provide any more money for enforcement, and any property actually taken from major rings is likely to be rented and will be returned to the true owners (if you owned commercial or residential real estate would you use it for an ongoing crime if you could use a rental property that could be hidden under someone else’s name – rented/leased under a fictitious name.) Even in the cases of individuals involved, generally the ‘nuisance’ would have been “abated” by the arrest of the perpetrator(s) and the property returned.
And knowing Tran’s cohorts in the OC Republican Party, he should not have said that “the victims will be protected” but rather that “the victims will be deported” as that is what most of them would prefer.
Oooh, SNAP! Pero, Ken. What about your opponent, Crazy Dana Rohrabacher? He’s been doing nothing as well – but in the manner of a crazed, rabid Tyrannosaurus Rex.
Feeling that his hour has come at last – with Mexican-bashing, his longtime metier, the “new black,” but also painfully aware of his own utter impotence and dotage, he runs amok on Catalina Island getting in the face of the Mexican consul for doing his job, and pathetically threatens Santa Ana College with loss of government funding for the effrontery of setting up their own private Dream Act scholarship. – Surely Dana’s most fevered activity since showing up in drag to hector Sirhan Sirhan in his prison cell three years ago!
Meanwhile, flush in the bloom of his second or third childhood, the original surfing “West Coast Libertarian Troubador” has pulled out the old guitar again, surprising and baffling the guests at Monday’s OCGOP Flag Day event with his original “patriotic invocation number” (hat tip Brother Larry.) What will he perform at his June 27 birthday bash with Jon Voight – numbers from Midnight Cowboy and Deliverance? Can we find out?
I rather liked his invocation.
Really, you thought it was good, David? Tell us more about it. I was just assuming it would be crazy like the stuff he does and says. I tried hard to get him to give me a copy of his old West Coast Libertarian Troubador stuff a few years ago, but no go!
It was a simple benediction song accompanied by DR strumming his six-string. A bit schmaltzy, but it was heart-felt and not kooky.
I even complimented him on it later.
Ever so much better than the typical padre fare: “Heavenly Father, look down upon us…..
Vern,
You better be careful about criticizing the pistol-packing boss of Little Saigon. Next thing you know every radio station in Saigon will be talking about what a communist you are, and you won’t know what they are saying. You just don’t the waiters will spitting in your Pho and your banh mi to include meat that is even more mysterious in its origins.
Great post Vern! And thanks to Ken for popping Tan’s balloon!