Another Reason to Go to the Surf City Fourth of July Parade

I've heard that one of the candidates looking to challenge Dirty Gary Miller will be a part of the parade. Hmmm, I wonder what this means. Well, there's only one way to find out. Go to Huntington Beach on Wednesday and find out what all the buzz is about! : )

March With the Democrats at the Surf City Fourth of July Parade!

(Cross-posted at Ditch Crazy Dana and Obama OC)

What do you think of when you think "Fourth of July"? The American flag, perhaps? Fireworks? Independence? Apple pie? Ice cream? The beach? A parade? Well, what if I told you that you can experience all of that AND MORE on Wednesday?!

Yes, my friends, this Wednesday is July 4th. And yes, this means it's time for the Huntington Beach Fourth of July Parade, THE LARGEST INDEPENDENCE DAY PARADE WEST OF THE MISSISSIPPI RIVER! And guess what? The Democratic Party of Orange County will once again have a fantastic float in the parade! Oh yes, and our fabulous Congresswoman Loretta Sanchez will be marching with us! Oh yes, and we need more people to march with us in the parade. Come on now, don't YOU want to be a part of the parade?

So would YOU like to be a part of this world-famous All-American celebration? Follow me down below for more...

For the past 28 years, OC Democrats have been a part of this VERY OC tradition. We've had local elected officials like Former State Senator Joe Dunn and current State Senator Lou Correa join us in the parade. We always have the Young Democrats dancing on the float. Oh yes, and how about that float? Live music. Festive decorations. The American Spirit. What more could you possibly want?

So why NOT go? Join in on the fun. Just remember to COME EARLY TO FIND PARKING. Here are some details on what will be happening, courtesy of The Liberal OC:

The parade begins at 10:00 A.M. and ends at 12:30 P.M. Democrats begin gathering at 7:30 A.M. to march. We will have shuttle cars to take you to the staging area or to the handicap cheering section.

Shuttle Starts: 7:00 A.M.
Last Shuttle: 9:00 A.M.

Please come early, the traffic gets very busy and we cannot transport everyone at the last minute.

For parking and shuttling, drive to Seacliff Village, located at Goldenwest and Yorktown. Look for the Del Taco fast food restaurant. Then look for the signs saying “Democratic Parking.”

Oh yes, and before I forget, we should all remember that all marchers with the Democratic Party of Orange County entry must wear red T-shirts or polo shirts and blue jean or dark/navy blue shorts or pants. Get it? Got it? Good.

Well, I'm picking out my red shirt and blue jean shorts. How about you? The Fourth of July Parade may only be once a year, but it's something that give us great memories to last us all year long. Why not be a part of these great memories?

To participate, simply show up!

If you have any questions, please contact Caren Bolinger at 310-293-8320 or email her at carenbolinger@yahoo.com

: )

"Ask a Mexican" at Canyon Democrats!

OK, how many of you know "The Mexican"? Well, do you want a chance to meet one of the greatest writers to ever emerge from "Behind the Orange Curtain"? Then go to Canyon Democrats on Tuesday to see him!

The speaker for this meeting will be The Mexican himself, Gustavo Arellano.

Though best known for his syndicated weekly "Ask a Mexican" column appearing in the OC Weekly, Arellano also writes investigative articles and restaurant reviews for the OC Weekly and opinion pieces for the Los Angeles Times and other publications. An Orange County native, he is a frequent guest on KCRW's "Which Way LA?" and has appeared on the Colbert Report, Nightline, and other television programs.

Arellano will be signing copies of his new book of "Ask a Mexican" essays.

Come on, now! You know you want to see "The Mexican"! You know you want all your "spicy questions" answered. Go to Canyon Democrats on Tuesday, get local, and have a little fun while doing it! ; )

Missed Us on the Radio? Catch the Podcast, And Tune in Next Week!

Were you able to listen to the premiere of "Red, White, & Burke" yesterday? Did you have a chance to call into the show? Did you get to listen to the person who may be challenging Dirty Gary Miller next year?

Well, you can still listen to the show! Yesterday's show is now in the online archives. Go ahead and listen now, or download the podcast and play it in whatever you use to play mp3 files later.

So would you like a little sneak peek as to what we talked about on the air yesterday? And would you like to know who will be coming on to Ken Burke's radio show soon? Well then, follow me down below for more...

(Cross-posted at Calitics)

So what did we talk about yesterday? Well, we talked about some of things that have been happening here at Trash Dirty Gary. We talked about the infamous Monrovia land deal. We talked about Gary Miller's rather special relationship with the Lewis Group.

Oh yes, and we talked with that special candidate who may be challenging Gary Miller next year. And what did he say? Well, you'll have to listen to the program to find that out! ; )

But wait, it gets better! If you thought the premiere week was good, then you'll just have to keep listening to the show! Next week, none other than Congressional Candidate Steve Young will be appearing on the program! Steve ran in Orange County's 48th District last year, and he'll likely be giving John Campbell another run for his money next year. He'll be talking about our need to bring our troops home from Bush's occupation of Iraq soon, and of our need to care for the troops once they're home.

Oh yes, and I'm sure he'll also be talking about that Victory Politics Institute.

And yes, I'm sure there will be plenty more good guests to come. Keep on listening to the show. Keep on calling, and telling Ken Burke what's on your mind. And I'll keep you in the know on who will be on the show soon. : )

Are Republicans Having Enough of the Scandal?

"When your seat is so safe that you're not concerned about perception, you become too wedded to Washington and you lose touch with your constituency, and you lose touch with your real purpose."

Want to guess who said that? Believe it or not, that was Karen Hanretty, a Republican strategist and former California Republican Party spokeswoman. And she was talking to the AP (via The Guardian [UK]) about the lovely Republican Congresscritters like John Doolittle and Gary Miller who
have been caught up in some naughty behavior lately. So what's happening? Are even Republicans starting to desert these crooked cons?

Follow me down below for more...

(Cross-posted at Calitics)

So what's happening? Are the Republicans finally waking up and smelling the strychnine? Is the culture of corruption finally too much for them?

The ethics cloud is discouraging the party faithful who've already watched the GOP shrink to minority status in California. And they add to the dilemmas of Republican strategists aiming to retake Congress next year following election losses blamed partly on GOP ethics problems.

``There is a sort of feeling among Republican activists who work hard to elect Republicans of, 'What the heck is going on here?''' said Los Angeles GOP analyst Allan Hoffenblum.

So I guess they're finally asking the questions that we've been asking all along. What the heck is going on here?

Why has Gary Miller been mixing his personal real estate business with his duty as a member of Congress to serve his constituents? Why has he put the desires of a developer in Upland over the needs of the people in his own district? And why the heck did he lie about "eminent domain" regarding that Monrovia land deal?

But of course, Gary Miller isn't the only crooked GOPer here. We also have Jerry Lewis. And John Doolittle. And Ken Calvert. Well, you get the picture. Thanks to all the sleazebags in Congress, California Republicans are in crisis mode.

No wonder why they're such a liability. Even Mr. FlashReport has to admit it:

But their problems make them less valuable allies for Republican presidential candidates looking to compete in California's primary, newly advanced to February. And the ethics clouds discourage a GOP base already chafing at moderate Republican Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger's constant compromises with Democrats.

``This is presenting a huge distraction from the debate over ideas that really needs to happen in terms of who's going to control Congress,'' said Jon Fleischman, a GOP activist in Orange County. ``It creates a degree of cynicism that is certainly real.''

Well, I wouldn't consider it a distraction, Mr. Fleischman. If anything, it shows the true colors of these so-called "conservatives". They're more interested in conserving and expanding their personal wealth and power than they are in serving the voters in their districts. That actually plays a huge part in the debate of ideas. It just so happens that all of their "ideas" are just business deals that benefit themselves and are a rip-off to the people they're supposed to serve.

No wonder why even Republicans are starting to have enough of these crooks.

Calitics Blogger and Special Candidate (?) To Be Guests on New Radio Show

Hey, have you heard the big news? We have a new progressive radio show in Southern California! The Liberal OC reported yesterday that longtime Orange County Democratic activist Ken Burke now has his own radio show on Sundays at a local radio station in the Inland Empire.

Now today, I have some more good news for all of you. One of our very own local bloggers at Calitics and Trash Dirty Gary will be among the guests on the very first "Red, White, and Burke" show. Yes, I will be on the radio to talk about Orange County/Inland Empire Congressman Gary Miller (R-Culture of Corruption), his many scandals, and why we need new representation in the 42nd Congressional District.

But wait, that's not all! I hear that there will be another special guest on Ken's radio show at noon on Sunday. I've heard that someone who'd like to challenge Gary Miller next year will also be on the air on Sunday. This might be a chance for all of us to learn more about just how serious of a challenge Dirty Gary might get next year. I know I'm looking forward to it!

But wait, there's more! Follow me down below to find out how YOU can participate in this very special radio show on Sunday...

(Cross-posted at Calitics)

So would you like to be a part of Ken Burke's first radio show? Do you have a question that you'd like to ask this candidate looking to challenge Gary Miller should this candidate come on the air? Would you just like to say hi to me, and tell us that you just love reading the blog? Well, call into the radio show, and let Ken know that you're listening!

Call (909) 888-5222 to talk to us on the show!

And oh yes, if you're in the Inland Empire, you can listen to the show on KCAA at 1050 on the AM dial. The show is now on every Sunday from 12:00 PM to 1:00 PM. Perhaps you can even get the signal from Los Angeles or Orange County if you try.

But if you don't live in the signal area, then don't worry. You can listen to the radio show online! And if you can't listen on Sunday, then get the podcast later. This just might be a program that you won't want to miss! : )

It's a Strange, Strange World in Mission Viejo

(Cross-posted at Calitics)

Strange things happen here in the Land of the OC, behind "The Orange Curtain". I got an email from a friend today. And I just couldn't believe what was in it. Gila from The Liberal OC also got the email, and I'll let her tell you the rest as I'm still a little shocked...

“Today I saw a guy driving down the street in Mission Viejo with two bumper stickers. On the right was one for Earth First and on the left was one for Jim Gilchrist.”

That wasn’t the entire email, but the remainder can be summed up as “WTF?”

What do you think, readers? What causes these two disparate ideas to be adhered to a single OC automobile bumper? Is it the result of confusion, multiple personality disorder, or parking lot vandalism?

Yes, my dear Trash Dirty Gary readers, how can one exactly explain this? Are the far-right Minutemen fans now waking up and smelling the climate crisis? Is environmental consciousness now something that no one can really ignore? Or is this the result of confusion, multiple personality disorder, and/or vandalism, as Gila suggested?

Please help us understand! ; )