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“Go for it,” Vern the Proprietor told me in the context of our speaking earlier this week about my joining the motley crew of stringers here at Orange Juice. “You can write about whatever you want.”
Those aren’t verbatim quotes. (Neither is this quote from Vern: “You can even put things in quotes that people didn’t actually say,” which he also didn’t actually say.) But, I’m taking the “write about whatever you want” sentiment to heart, and I’m testing my boundaries. Here goes:
Art Pedroza!!! WTF???!!!
As I write this, at the top of the box at the right-hand corner of the screen, which links to stories from “New Santa Ana,” current blog of OJ’s former proprietor, is found a link to the following story: “Will Solorio endorse Daly for a job at the Clerk-Recorder’s office?”
I was intrigued by this, so I followed the link. Tom Daly already has a job at the Clerk-Recorder’s office — as Clerk-Recorder — so I couldn’t figure out why he’d need anyone’s endorsement, let alone Assemblyman Jose Solorio’s, for a job he already had. But that’s not what the story was about.
Here’s the gist of it: As reported here yesterday, Jose Solorio has second-billing (after Bill Lockyer) on the list of guests/endorsers at Tom Daly’s campaign kickoff event for AD-69 in two weeks, despite the fact that he already had top-billing as Michele Martinez’s guest/endorser at her campaign kick-off event last month. This apparently turned Art livid — vivid livid, as he’s spending much of his time on the blog promoting Martinez as the proper and inevitable victor in AD-69 — and he went after Daly and all associated with him with hammer, tongs, and a few surgical instruments that I don’t recognize. [See my personal disclosures re AD-69 at the bottom of this post.]
I’ll summarize the points in Art’s fulmination. (By the way, the “WTF?” above stands for “Wherefore Thy Fulmination?” What can I say, I like Shakespeare.) Art states that:
- Solorio is only doing this because he wants a job for the time between when he is termed out and when he (thinks he is going to) succeed Sen. Lou Correa in the new SD-34
- Solorio hired Daly’s wife to work in his office
- Solorio wants Daly to beat Martinez
- Daly’s replacement at the County will be his External Affairs Director, Jordan Brandman
(n.b., Pedroza selects a shot of Brandman here that depicts him in a pose and clothing befitting a cover model for I Am So Gay That Charles Busch Is Afraid To Write Plays About Me magazine — which proves nothing) - Solorio wants Brandman to hire him as his External Affairs Director, a job with which Solorio had experience at OCTA
- Daly expects to beat Martinez in a district that is majority Santa Ana and majority Latino because … he is in league with Julio Pérez
- The arrangement is that Pérez will attack Martinez and give Daly a free pass
- Daly will then hire Pérez as his Political Director — the job that Perez has held with the Orange County Labor Federation
- Pérez is not on the ballot to win, but just to split the vote
- Daly wastes public money
… I think I’ll save #11 until I get through with #s 1-10
I rate the above assertions as follows:
- True so far as I know: #2
- Fair prediction for whenever it happens: #4 (not including picture)
- Conceivable but unsupported here: #10
- Speculative: #1, 3, 5
- Wildly speculative: #6, 7, 8
- Just wrong, wrong, wrongity wrong-wrong-wrong: #9
Beyond that, in AD-69 and a top-two primary world, the scenario makes no sense! These three Dems aren’t competing for a Democratic Party nomination, but against a minor league conservative Republican who will only take votes from Daly to the extent that he is successful at all! And … the Latino vote is the majority here. So play this out: only one or two Democrats (depending on how the Republican does), Pérez is out to divide the Latino vote with Martinez, trying to drag her down with him, and then when Daly and Martinez make the runoff he’s going to spend the following five months slagging her so that the district elects a relatively conservative Anglo — and he can leave a job promoting political positions that he clearly for one where he’d be continually frustrated by his boss’s relative conservatism? No fever burns hot enough for that addled dream to make sense.
If Pérez has a problem, it’s that he shares a hometown base (Anaheim) with Daly and an ethnic base (Latinos) with Martinez. If there were a tacit agreement in place to apportion both spots in a top-2 primary, it would presumably be to hammer away at Pérez from both sides. (And, in fact, Solorio — who seems to dislike Pérez — has endorsed to achieve that end.) But, Solorio’s grudges aside, I don’t know that there is such an arrangement — and I’m not going to assert it as a fact, or even a strong suspicion. Bloggers get to speculate; we don’t get to lie.
Look, folks: we have exactly 13 months between today and Election Day, Nov. 6, 2012. I suggest some ground rules for those covering OC politics in the blogs (and in the less freewheeling media as well).
- Ground rule 1: Don’t do this sort of thing.
- Ground rule 2: Speculate as much as you want. Label it as such. Avoid declarative statements that are fuhhhreaky!
- Ground rule 3: Go ahead and write about why you think that a particular candidate may be in trouble. I did it just yesterday, regarding Martinez. But don’t just wildly make up facts to justify your assertion.
[ED Note: Originally there was a Photoshop here of Art in drag with Matt Drudge, inspired by an offensive paragraph Art had written in his post. Now Art has deleted that paragraph, so, per my agreement, that Photoshop is gone. It was pretty wild though!]
Now all that, by itself, would not have been enough for me to stop operating on a heart patient and crank out a blog post in the middle of the day. Unfortunately, this dial goes to 11. Here’s what Pedroza wrote:
[ED Note: Art deleted the offending paragraph in question, so the description of it below is also now deleted…]
Memo to Art: you write some good stuff sometimes. You seem to cherish your role as the Matt Drudge of OC. You may not think that this is beneath you. I hope that you’ll pretend that it is, though, because it makes me want to never read another … You can do better than this, Art. One hopes so, anyway.
Memo to Michelle Martinez: this hit piece was done to help promote your candidacy. That means that it falls upon you to denounce at least the use of insinuations in point #11 — and as much of the rest as you see fit. This sort of crap only stops if decent people, among whom I count you, treat it as crap. So, please let Art know that this is not what you want. I have faith that you’ll do just that — and when you have, please let us know that you did.
[DISCLOSURES:
(1) I support Julio Pérez in the AD-69 race; I am not affiliated with his campaign. I do so because I got to know a lot of people in OC politics while I served as Jerry Brown’s County Coordinator (later Co-Coordinator) last year, and no one exceeded Julio in terms of knowledge, perspicacity, industriousness — and honesty. As you may know, union groups — like the OC Labor Federation, where Julio is on leave as Political Director — aren’t supposed to coordinate with candidate campaigns. As you may suspect, this is sometimes treated with a wink and a nod. Julio made it clear to me that there were some union activities that he couldn’t talk to me about after a certain date — and some that he couldn’t talk to me about at all. And he stuck to it. That’s the kind of person I want to see in Sacramento.
(2) I have no animus towards Michele Martinez, Pedroza’s actions aside. I’d be happy to see her do well in her career and for that career to eventually include legislative office. She’d be fine, but we can do better than fine.
(3) I wouldn’t support Daly solely because he’s more conservative than I prefer and than I think this district warrants (and I wish he hadn’t run because I think that the most Latino district in the state ought to be represented by a Latino), but I have no current reason to believe any of the attacks against him. I’ve never met him. I would have supported him for Supervisor had he ran. I know and like his Dad Bill, who’s active in North OC politics.
(4) When I moved back to OC from New York via a brief Campaign Management stint in Nevada, I started attending Drinking Liberally events in Santa Ana, where I met and occasionally talked to Art Pedroza, Michele Martinez, and many of the liberals in the area whom Art appears to hate — including The Liberal OC’s Chris Prevatt, whom I consider a “political friend.” After a while, I stopped attending — largely because I didn’t like the personal vindictiveness of the politics I saw many practicing, of which Art’s post reminds me. Now you know.]
Great post, Greg. I appreciate you calling out the uncalled for re: Art’s sometimes banal banter and juvenile machinations. Thanks for an informative and fun read.
Memo to Art: “If an injury has to be done to a man it should be so severe that his vengeance need not be feared. ”
― Niccolò Machiavelli
Memo to Michelle Martinez: “I’m not interested in preserving the status quo; I want to overthrow it.”
― Niccolò Machiavelli
Memo to precious Stone from Encino: You are moron mongoloid.
― Stanislav Fiala
Pray elucidate the meaning of your memo to Art, counsel.
Again, Encino? It’s like my saying that you’re from Belarus. (Assuming that you aren’t.)
Study “The Prince” Encino Man!
Already done, Counsel. There was no call to smack down Art harder than this. I wasn’t out for vengeance.
If done, don’t ask moronic questions, Encino Man
Oh, I get the “Encino” references now. You’re a Pauly Shore fan!
Do you?
Don’t I? There’s something else besides your admiration of Pauly Shore?
Why do libs turn on their friends so fast?
Perhaps liberals are not hypocrites and chastise behavior that is wrong no matter the party line. Most moral people find this a particularly refreshing characteristic.
I can’t even understand her point, so I’m glad that you can. Perhaps she was talking about Art’s position on Solorio.
Of course you don’t Mr. Diamond…YOU are a liberal!
Well, I try not to turn my friends on, fast or otherwise, since I got married.
As to 0 (sic) I have all sorts of evidence. Go to FFFF and do a Daly search. I don’t know if his opponents have the wherewithal to smack him with it but he’s got some real issues.
(I don’t know why “10” was rendered as “l 0” above by the software’s automatic “list” function. It does look kind of sic-ly.)
As I said, I’m not part of the Perez campaign, so I won’t go sifting for evidence re Daly. I have other fish to fry. But if it’s out there, someone will find it, and if it’s good, someone will probably use it.
As for what is and what is not Art, of course opinions differ. (At least neither you nor I are fans of Warhol.) Pearls can be borrowed, you know.
And just in case the “girlfriend in Canada” cultural reference is lost on you: http://youtu.be/5g196vURUDo.
P.S. that is NOT Art! Art does not own a string of pearls.
Asking Art Pedroza to stop speculating so much is like asking clouds to stop producing rain.
I don’t mind the speculation, labeled as such. I mind the insinuation. And I mind the reporting of speculation as fact. Here’s from today’s follow-up there, a flop-sweat-smelling attack on Julio Perez:
I’m still waiting for an explanation of how, in a top-two primary in a majority-Latino district, “splitting the Latino vote” allows Daly to prevail against Martinez. Discounting the Republican — and let’s! — one of two things happens if Daly is the top vote-getter: he faces a runoff against Martinez or he faces a runoff against Perez.
If Daly faces a runoff against Martinez, than the supposed nefarious vote-splitting plan from Art’s fever dream FAILS.
If Daly faces a runoff against Perez, then Perez will have gotten into the runoff by beating Martinez, which in political races is not exactly underhanded.
This raises the question in my mind: does Art know that we’ve moved to a top-two primary system, making splitting the vote against an ineffectual Republican really difficult? Could someone whose comments he’s willing to publish go there and tell him? Does he realize that in effect he’s arguing that both Martinez and Perez are going to underperform Robert Hammond?
(And hey, if Hammond is a real “threat,” all they have to do is put another Republican on the ballot to split that vote. What’s Ceci Iglesias up to these days?)
Substitute the word “insinuating” for “speculating” and my observation still works.
Thanks, Chris. Hey, by the way, my comment didn’t appear on Art’s blog — do you think that it was a technical malfunction?
Mayor Pro Tem has yet to declare.
Yeah, keep holding your breath on that one.
So why did NewSantaAna remove the link to OJ
You do not know?
Moron mongoloids tripping all over themselves to congratulate each other on their own drivel.
You are lucky Privattski that comatose Nelson, who recognize only right and left no IQ, lets you post here your moronic opinion since your retardation does not allow you to do same for others.
I just calling it as you see it.
I do not think I have ever seen a commenter anywhere write more than you do about disturbed brain function. For similar reasons, I’m starting to suspect that Mitey Quinn is actually Mexican.
Heh. And this is not going to turn into a Bash-Pedroza site either. All you jerkwads who are sending in your cheap little personal attacks on Art are gonna keep going into the spam.
This post, despite the over-the-top photoshop, was a very substantive attack on SOMETHING ART WROTE. And for you lazy people who may not have read far enough to know why that photoshop is there, it’s Greg’s reaction to the insinuations in Art’s piece about Jordan Brandman, combined with Art’s choice of Brandman photo.
The Liberal OC should expect to be attacked as often as we usually do.
“Over the top photoshop”? Man, I learned that sort of thing from reading Pedroza!
Art can do good stuff when he wants to. But he has to want to. I’m sorry if this opened the floodgates of people writing in to bash Art; I didn’t intend to solicit that. I’m happy to criticize what’s bad and compliment what’s good. It’s one way to get less of the bad and more of the good.
I like Chris and his stuff too — but this site has more howling and splatter on the walls, just like home. If I’m not going to have fifth-rate thinkers call me a “moron mongoloid from Encino” (and can someone explain that reference to me? I presume that it’s racist but I’m not sure how or why?) then what’s the point of blogging at all?
I see that Art is now retaliating against Greg Diamond on his blog.
Apparently Art feels that only hispanic (unless you agree with Art 100%) Santa Ana residents should comment on SA politics ( and FORGET all of HIS posts on Irvine’s politics).
Art just can’t ignore a slight, real or (mostly) perceived, he’s really the Sarah Palin of the blogosphere, I think Greg/Vern you should add a Bumpit to Art’s photo.
And I’ve avoided Santa Ana politics, just to avoid fights with Art & Sean … but when you get to the Assembly seat for Santa Ana & Anaheim – basically the only Democratic Assembly seat Orange County’s probably going to get – we are ALL gonna have legitimate opinions here. That’s no longer Santa Ana politics.
You know that I had my fights with Art since my first comment in 2002 and there is no question that Art is racist or what ever he believes is good for his blog, but Encino stepped over the line, his idiotic behavior is uncalled for, and it was mistake for you to bring him into OJB. I will not state reasons at this time.
You seem a bit oversensitive yourself, Camarillo. And I brought myself to OJB. But thank you for your poignant call for sensitivity.
Nah, there’s no need to escalate about the photo. I believe in proportional response and what I did was enough. His posting a head shot of me today was, of course, a war crime, but I’ll endure it stoically. My spirits were lifted in reading his hit piece today when I realized that Mini-Drudge of the SABA can’t distinguish a disco artist from a porn star.
I was interested to learn that he seems to think that Loretta’s seat is endangered for next year. Does this mean that he’s running against her?
Vern stated well the reasons that I think that anyone should feel entitled to weigh in on any state legislative race, AD-69 included; nothing to add to that.
“You seem a bit oversensitive yourself, Camarillo”……. Hmmmm
Be original Encino!
“And I brought myself to OJB”…….. Hmmmm
Obviously you are lost so some one should show you the EXIT sign.
“But thank you for your poignant call for sensitivity”…….. Hmmmm
There is no sensitivity in OJB!
This is manly blog!
No ladies here!
If you want sensitivity go to TLOC wailing to Chameleonovski
Went and read that new NSA post *sigh* what a load of hooie.
First – well, I know he’s just trying to get my goat and I shouldn’t take his bait – but how ’bout that chart of our hits he posted? As though the reason Oct and Nov 2010 were so high was because he was here, and then it went down when he left. WAS ANYTHING ELSE HAPPENING IN OCT-NOV 2010? Actually our numbers are just fine in comparison to any non-election years in the past. (This is the first time I look at them actually – it’s not an ongoing concern for me)
Then how ’bout how he puts our numbers for October just to show how we PLUMMETED as soon as Diamond joined us? Damn! He’s right! October’s numbers are barely 1/3 of September’s! Damn you, Diamond!!! Oh wait, what’s the date – Oct. 9? NEVER MIND.
Finally on the topic – When I got this blog from Art, I willingly agreed to keep a live feed to his “non-political” blog, we even included that in our contract, so for better or worse it’s still up for the forseeable future. But when it was down by accident for a couple of days (webmaster experiments) Art’s numbers went through the floor. So – biting the hand that feeds, etc. Enough on that…
Now – do white people have a right to write about the 69th AD race?
I’m not going to bother defending Chris and Dan, they’ve got their own place they can do that, and they do seem to have an unhealthy fixation with the SA City Council which is inseparable from their vendetta against Art and Sean.
But nobody HERE “attacks Santa Ana Latinos” (except our court jesters Fiala and Quinn.) To try to call someone who supports Julio over Michele a racist… well, you’d sort of have to believe that Julio is some kind of stalking horse for Tom Daly, and – … oh yeah. One person in the world DOES evidently believe that.
Finally on a practical note, to try to tell people who write about OC politics that there’s something in OC politics that they’re not allowed to write about… I don’t know … seems to me likely to have the opposite effect intended.
But nobody HERE “attacks Santa Ana Latinos” (except our court jesters Fiala and Quinn.) ……. Hmmmm
So you are Latino too?
And just to remind again, Greg wouldn’t have even bothered writing this post if he weren’t so pissed off by the insinuations about Jordan Brandman, all the teasing of him about “Where’s his GIRLFRIEND?” combined with that picture of him in a skirt.
I’d have eventually written about AD-69 anyway, because Art’s “Julio’s just trying to split the Latino vote” fantasy struck me as so off and so pre-Maldonado mischief, but the tone would have been nicer and I would not have depicted Art in pearls. I’m glad that Art sees himself as “pro-gay,” though.
I’ve been on blogs and their precursors since 1986 and often get more page views for a single essay on Daily Kos than New Santa Ana gets in a day.
I think that Art just mistook me for a defenseless newbie. Easy
mistake to make, since my online posting for the past five years has been mostly pseudonymous.
And yes, telling me not to write about something tends to backfire — unless I never wanted to write about it in the first place.