CA-42: The Campaign Manager Reveals Himself

I am so honored to present something VERY special here at The Liberal OC. A friend of mine from that Big Orange place, Major Danby, has a important announcement that he'd like to share with all of us at The Liberal OC... He will be managing the historic netroots-grassroots campaign against Dirty Gary Miller in the 42nd Congressional District! Wow, is that amazing or what??!!

So without further adieu, here's Major Danby, making his BIG announcement at Daily Kos. : )

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! : )

Are We Just Engaging in "Political Harassment"?

Allan Hoffenblum, co-publisher of the nonpartisan California Target Book, said the early effort from Democrats amounts to little more than "political harassment," considering the electoral makeup of Miller's district.

As an example, Hoffenblum said Republican long-shot Richard Mountjoy beat Sen. Dianne Feinstein by 11 points in the 42nd District. Feinstein, a Democrat, won the statewide vote by 24 points.

"They are wasting their time," Hoffenblum said. "The only way (Democrats are) going to beat Miller is if he has handcuffs behind his back and is being taken to the federal pen, which I don't think is very likely."

So did Hoffenblum tell The San Bernardino Sun the real truth? Is the DCCC just "wasting time"? Is Gary Miller truly unbeatable, even after this?

Miller used IRS Code 1033, which allows individuals to shelter proceeds from a forced sale, to avoid paying millions of dollars in capital-gains tax after he sold the land to the city in 2002.

Federal agents have since obtained the 2000 council video from Monrovia officials as part of their investigation into the congressman's land dealings.

Miller's spokesman, Scott Toussaint, dismissed the ad as a cheap political stunt and said the congressman is unconcerned about the Democrats' early efforts against him.

So I guess it's a "cheap political stunt" to reveal Gary Miller's true record of service to developers (including himself) and disservice to the voters of the 42nd District. Oh, how I want to shed tears of sorrow for poor little Gary (NOT)!

And oh yes, the DCCC is not stupid. And no, I don't think they're really interested in "wasting their time". They only commit resources to races they think are winnable. And obviusly, they're starting to sense that this race is winnable.

DCCC officials said Miller is vulnerable, citing the federal investigation and his vote totals in 2006, when he ran unopposed, as evidence that they can win the heavily Republican district. Miller got about 130,000 votes last November, in a district with about 347,000 registered voters.

"We are actively recruiting to have someone run against Miller" in 2008, said Fernando Cuevas, western regional press secretary for the DCCC, adding that Sen. John Kerry, a Democrat, got more than 40 percent of the presidential vote in the district in 2004. He declined to say how much the committee has spent on the ads, which have only run on the Internet.

Cuevas said it was too early to name any potential Democratic candidates in the district, where Republicans make up about 50 percent of registered voters versus the Democrats' 29 percent, according to the California Secretary of State's Web site.

Cuevas said the DCCC is not naive about the numbers but that last year's elections were evidence of a change in the political landscape that can benefit the Democrats.

"The 2006 election showed that Democrats can win Republican districts that are represented by members plagued with ethics problems," he said. "Gary Miller certainly fits that bill - the FBI is investigating him."

Neither Democrats, nor Republicans, nor Independents, appreciate a member of Congress who is being investigated by the FBI for his questionable land deals. Voters do not like someone who misuses his position of power to enrich himself while ignoring the best interest of the people in the district. Simply put, the more the people here find out about Gary Miller and his very dirty ways, the less they can tolerate it.

This is not political harassment. And it's not wasting time. It's democracy. And it's about time that Gary Miller and his pals realize that.