Without intention, there come poetic images in life that strike to the heart of things. Driving in Anaheim the other day, this most recently happened with jornaleros in search of work hanging around “Lou Correa for State Senate” yard signs along the grassy side walk of the neighborhood Home Depot. The out of touch politician could serve well to lend his name and stature towards the development of a much needed workers’ center there, but he’s too busy endorsing Republicans for the city council race. News of the State Senator’s latest move came courtesy of the always reliable Liberal Press Release OC. Correa, as it reads, has lent his political blessings to OCEA-backed Republican John Leos for the November election.
Should this come as a surprise? Of course not. Senator Correa’s website describes himself as an “old-fashioned” Democrat. Wikipedia calls him a “moderate.” I say he plays bass for los Dinos! With that, the posting went on to tackle graffiti politics in Anaheim noting that Correa is a “tireless opponent of graffiti, blight, and the gang element it attracts and nurtures.” What nurtures gangs is a much more complex sociological question, but that didn’t stop Correa from congratulating himself and Leos for the work they have done in Anaheim – even if the city has extremely short-sighted anti-graffiti policies in place. Tagging, and my home has been bombed on more than once or twice, asks us to, in effect, read the writing on the wall. Meditate on that for awhile…
Aside from that initial point of confluence between the two politicians, this endorsement is just bad politics all around. Correa, a Democrat, has now given a heads up to a second Republican – the first being Gail Eastman – in an election for two open seats. Perhaps this is part of the reason why OC remains Nixonlandia and Anaheim is entrapped in a conservatism it has outgrown demographically for years now. Leos is a longtime resident of the city, like Correa, and even has roots in Mexico (which threw me off with his Greek last name!) Politicians are free to endorse whoever they like, but this move by Correa just doesn’t stir the Kool-Aid. There are plenty of party Democrats running for city council to kick down an endorsement to.
One of which, Bill Dalati, represents a Republican defection and the turning of the political tide of the city’s Arab-American community. Not only that, Dalati is simultaneously calling Allan Mansoor a sell-out in his assistance of fellow Democrat Phu Nguyen’s race against the Republican self-hater (A two for one deal!) Instead of recognizing shifting trends that could help the party increase its base and influence, Correa goes on and gives two Republicans the political equivalent of a Facebook “like!” No bueno…
Yeah I noticed that too, Gabo. i feel like us Dems are getting ditched by a lot of our leaders around now. And the Liberal OC will just paste it right up, whatever gets handed to them.
At this point it’s almost like we’re more of a Democratic site than them.
I know Lou’s a really nice guy, who brings a lot of money back to the OC, and is a pretty reliable vote for labor and for the budget making him better than having a Reep in there, so I don’t usually say much about all his Republican votes, because they usually don’t kill the bill in question. And maybe it makes good political sense for him to endorse Republican Leos – Maybe he is in that much danger from Kring and this’ll help him get Anaheim Republican votes, maybe he really thinks Leos IS all that, or that Dalati and Santoianni are unelectable or otherwise unqualified. (Although for him to kill a bill the other day to protect the working class families in his districts from outrageous and arbitrary health insurance hikes was …. inexcusable.)
But the weird thing here is how Chris at the LOC just put up this press release with no attribution or commentary, as though he had written it.
http://www.theliberaloc.com/2010/09/01/senator-lou-correa-endorses-anaheim-city-council-candidate-john-leos/
He does that all the time, and you have to scratch your head and say “Did Chris write it, or did it come from somewhere else? And if so, where did it come from?” I can’t tell if it came from Correa or Leos. It focuses mainly on anti-graffiti and pension reform which sound like more Republican concerns.
I think Chris should at least say where these things come from. And also if I were he I’d be more curious about why Lou was endorsing a Republican, maybe try to find out, comment on if you agree with him or not, etc.
I think these guys should work harder on their blog. I’ve never met Dan C, but we have mutual friends, and they tell me they get SICK of him always talking talking talking about Art and the lawsuit. They just tune him out. I wonder if this whole thing is taking even more of a psychological toll on Dan and Chris than it is on Art. Funny how those things work.
You raise good points. I find this endorsement and his recent actions on health insurance to be reprehensible.
Correa has been in Leos’ camp since the kickoff. No press release on either politician’s website mentions the endorsement. It’s odd. If Prevatt did write it, it reads as blandly as a press release. If that’s the case, he’s supportive. If it’s not, he’s unwilling to engage in any analysis or criticism whatsoever. Either way, a weak contribution to the dialogue of democracy is the result.
OCEA probably spends a great deal of money on Correa’s elections and no doubt since Leos sits on the Board of Directors (at least he did just prior to his candidacy) I assume they will be backing him as well. Even more so since the City of Anaheim employees are represented by OCEA.
Correa’s a lying liar who lied. He broke his tax pledge. Creep.
This endorsement is just gross. I don’t know what Lou is thinking.
Besides Dalati, there is a very good progressive in the race named John Santoianni.
Will Dems in Anaheim still vote for Lou in November after this betrayal?
Of course they will. Who are they going to vote for? Lucille “Pop the Cork” Kring? This is why Correa can act like a Demopublican. There’s no fear of consequence within his own party. The Liberal OC blog is mute and will not engage the point, not even in the comments section.
I just re-read the press release, and I think I’ve figured out what it is.
http://www.theliberaloc.com/2010/09/01/senator-lou-correa-endorses-anaheim-city-council-candidate-john-leos/
It’s a release from John Leos to his Republican followers, boasting of Lou’s endorsement, and telling them what a good guy Lou is and they should vote for him even though he’s a Democract – because, look, he’s good on pension reform and stopping graffiti. Probably smart for Lou to have him do this, it’ll take some GOP votes away from Kring.
But it makes it even weirder and more pointless for the Liberal OC to post it for their supposedly liberal readers. You rightwingers are correct, it’s probably the OCEA connection.