Last week, Irvine Congresswoman Katie Porter‘s angry text chains once again got her unwelcome news attention. It was fun last year reading her texts bashing the Irvine PD and scolding Irvine Mayor Farrah Khan mercilessly. But now after watching her berate a staffer, an abjectly apologizing staffer hired as a “wounded warrior” who had contracted Covid and possibly passed it on to Katie…. Katie just sounds like a mean person. And just days before she announces she’s running for Dianne Feinstein’s old Senate seat too. Maybe Katie should stop texting, or be more careful with what she texts. Wouldn’t hurt to be a little nicer while she’s at it.
Of course I can say all that, I’m a totally independent blogger. But it doesn’t seem appropriate when the DPOC’s Executive Director Ajay Mohan, who also seems to be close with Melahat and Farrah, jumps on the bash-Katie train. We know that Farrah and Melahat hate Katie more than they hate Republicans, we know that Ajay is close to Farrah, and we continue to wonder how much power Melahat still wields down-low in the Party. And we’re not the only ones concerned…
Also we know, from last fall, that Farrah’s hatred and ambition are such that she doesn’t care if she brings down the Party and the nation with her. But, if she’d like Katie to run for Senate so she can take her place in Congress (which seems likely) why bash Katie now? Maybe it’s just the case, simply, that EVERYONE IS A DICK. One good bet is still out there, that Wounded-Warrior Covid-Catching Staffer Sasha Georgiades will soon be on Farrah’s staff.
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I began this post, this morning, this year, as a Barbara Lee For Senate man. My late brother Crab and I have been great admirers of her since the 9/11 days when she was clearly the most brave and honest person in the whole Congress; and when she gave the keynote speech at the DPOC’s Truman Dinner recently she was just as good and inspiring. And Barbara has put in her time, Katie is just getting started.
Katie is for sure a great Congresswoman, and she would surely be a fabulous Senator, but here’s the thing – we can’t afford to lose a single Congressional seat, Katie barely beat Scott Baugh last November, and what other Democrats are there down there who could beat Scott Baugh? I have been having nightmares about a Farrah-Baugh race, on which MANY good people would feel compelled to turn their backs.
But then, today, Dan C brought up Harley Rouda, and it’s true – this new district does include Harley’s Laguna Beach. IS HARLEY INTERESTED? Everything would hinge on that. HE could beat Scott Baugh, in fact they’d have good debates – Baugh wouldn’t chicken out like Michelle Steel always did. If Harley will run for her seat, we MIGHT be able to support Katie for Senate as we’ll explain below. But first there’s this song, from back when Harley was clobbering Dana Rohrabacher. It might have to be re-done with Baugh verses:
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How Bad is Adam Schiff?
Because it appears he is the front runner in the coming race to replace Doddering DiFi. Katie’s a celebrity but Adam’s an even bigger celebrity, mainly because Nancy Pelosi anointed him Chief Warrior against Donald Trump, who returned the favor by trashing him nonstop, making Adam a hero to most Americans. Even now Kevin McCarthy at the urging of bat-turds like Marjorie Taylor Greene is raising Adam’s pedestal even higher, by removing him from all committees.
But Adam is not a progressive, he is a Blue Dog “deeply enmeshed in corporatism and militarism.” (Click that link, and there’s plenty more.) Maybe a fine senator for, say, some other state. But, just as our deep-blue central OC deserves more progressive representation than Correa, Daly Valencia and Umberg, deep-blue California should have PROGRESSIVE FIGHTERS in the upper chamber. And that could be Porter, or Lee, or as far as I know Kounalakis or Ro Khanna, not Adam.
But (as I’m starting to realize over the course of the day) it’ll come down to which of these progressives has the best chance of beating Schiff – making the top two in the primary, and then clobbering Adam in November like Cain clobbered Abel. Seeing the earliness and SPIRIT of her campaign launch this week, that probably WOULD be Katie. So okay I’m in. On one condition.
Harley? The other shoe?
Sidebar: Sowing a Loyal ADEM army
Every two years I’m irritated when the local Democratic elected leaders “endorse” a slate of folks running for ADEM. It’s wrong because ADEMS should be grassroots and these leaders already have plenty of power, as well as the ability to name a few people onto that board themselves. But it’s becoming clear this year exactly why they do that.
Down in AD 73 State Senator Dave Min and Congresswoman Porter got together and endorsed 14 ADEM contenders, and actually they’re mostly pretty good choices. Then I started to realize, Dave will be running in ’24 against another Democrat incumbent senator – my good friend Josh Newman – and Dave’s likely got himself 14 loyal Minions with this endorsement move. I did appreciate Dave coming out a few times to help my pal Hari Lal in his Anaheim Hills Council run (and this came after years of Min avoiding yours truly) – but now I see, that Hari and other folks in THAT area are also going to feel obligated to support Dave against Josh in ’24. Sigh…
Just so, Katie can probably expect loyalty from most of the ADEM folks SHE endorsed, as she goes up against other powerful Democrats for Senate. Hey, I wonder if this means Sharon Quirk-Silva is planning to go for higher office when she’s termed out of Assembly – her husband Jesus created an “SQS Unity Slate” the only criterion of which is that you support Sharon (which no Democrat actually doesn’t.)
Oh well. No big deal. Except that it makes kind of a joke out of the ADEM process. I just gave money to Katie Porter, to be our next Senator. Can somebody contact Harley, before Farrah gets too excited?
PS now that I’ve watched that video… the first 1:15 of it is much better than I expected – she doesn’t introduce herself so much as she GRABS THE SENATE BY THE BALLS. Then the next 30 seconds was frustrating – she as much as says that she aspires to be PERFORMATIVE. Let that not be true, but it shouldn’t even be suggested.
I also support Katie Porter for Senate. I’m not sure Rouda can beat Scott Bough. I personally like Dave Min better. He is ten times more likeable and he is pretty good on progressive policies.
By the way, this paragraph is 100 percent true and pure gold:
“Of course I can say all that, I’m a totally independent blogger. But it doesn’t seem appropriate when the DPOC’s Executive Director Ajay Mohan, who also seems to be close with Melahat and Farrah, jumps on the bash-Katie train. We know that Farrah and Melahat hate Katie more than they hate Republicans, we know that Ajay is close to Farrah, and we continue to wonder how much power Melahat still wields down-low in the Party. And we’re not the only ones concerned…”
Dave can and should run for Congress.
Withholding support for Katie because you want her to be in the House makes no sense for a lot of reasons–most importantly that since she is running for the Senate now, she won’t be running for the House anymore. So get over it.
Who do you think would be more likely to beat Baugh — Harley or Min? By far most of Min’s Senate district is not in the Congressional District.
Most of the Senate district to which Min was elected in 2020 is in the Congressional District. Irvine (the most important part of the CD) and Costa Mesa (the 2nd most important city for a Democrat in the CD) are all in Min’s old district, where he won election in 2020 (when Harley lost). His old district (which I think he can still send Franked mail into, especially in light of the AG’s opinion on the Katrina Foley issue) also includes Newport Beach, Laguna Beach, and part of Huntington Beach. That there is less overlap with the District that Min has not yet run in matters much less.
Min’s been fostering a fundraising network for the last two years (six, really), whereas Harley has gone quiet since sort of petulantly getting out of the Congressional race in Katie’s favor.
Yeah, I think Min has the better chance.
What Vern thinks (or what I think) might (or might not) matter to the candidates when they decide whether to run or not. That Vern (and many others) have raised an argument against Katie’s candidacy that we “need” her to run for re-election to the House is pointless. She’s running for the Senate, so the only question is do you prefer her to Schiff, Lee, etc.?
If you read on a bit, you can see that I do prefer her to Schiff (easy) and I think she has a better chance beating Schiff than Lee does.
And now I’m happy that Harley is taking over her seat. (Or Dave, if he runs and prevails in the primary.)
I doubt that Min franking into his old district would fall within the ambit of the AG decision about Foley, who was shuffled around twice, the last time her being targeted for hostile reasons. But I’m sure you could make a case for it.
You should read the decision. It basically says as much, and relies on Senate redistricting to get there.
I did back when it came out, and I thought it was pretty fact-dependent. Or maybe I’m misremembering what it “basically” says. Please post a link and I’ll try to up the level of any argument between us.
Here’s a question for you in the meantime: do you think that Katie has a deal with Min that if she loses the Senate race, he’ll have to give the seat back to her in two years? I remember how deep the animosity was between these two — reportedly reaching back to their time on the hill, representing pro- and anti-Warren views — and I find all this surprising.
I can’t reply to your later comment, but the AG opinion is on the AG’s site.
There’s no reason to think that such a deal is in place. No one would make such a deal, and no one would hold to such a deal. The two have long-since reconciled, and both realize that Dave is the better choice with the better chance to hold the seat.
Said like somebody who read only the first couple paragraphs or so
Happy Day….. Vern told everyone you died….???
He did not. He told everyone Diamond died.
And not to split hairs but that was my research assistant Miss Info Asperger.
AND THE OTHER SHOE DROPS, HARLEY IS IN! I guess some other GMTA…
https://thehill.com/homenews/campaign/3809165-rouda-launches-bid-for-porters-california-house-seat/
So! What about Senator Min? Will he try to beat Harley in the Congress primary, or run against Senator Newman for his current seat? I’m glad I don’t have to decide for him.
Meanwhile Katie has been rocking and rolling in her Senate run – pulling in $1.3 million on her first day, and conducting an internal poll where she’d beat Schiff (those are the two likely primary winners) by 37% to 26% in the general. https://drive.google.com/file/d/13OxF76-VpalgTUne6FtNElA7oeyVOyXR/view
Of course, Lee Fink points out that what I think doesn’t matter.
Dave Min has announced this morning for Congress, and there’s rumors that Ada’s new bestie Dom Jones from HB will be running as well.
This leaves the Senate race free for our friend Josh!
I see Katie has already endorsed Dave already. Bad for Harley, and the Dom thing is probably just a rumor. Something feels long-ago planned-out about all this.
Wonder if this also dashes some Farrah hopes.
We printed this morning’s press release here:
https://www.orangejuiceblog.com/2023/01/state-senator-dave-min-will-run-for-congress-with-katie-porters-backing/