OC Blog News Roundup -- May 13, 2006

Today's top stories and commentary from behind the Orange Curtain:

LAT on the OC's answer to Harold Stassen: O.C. Candidate Believes His 6th Try Will Succeed.

OCR: Crews rip into runway at El Toro.  Our last best chance to be a world-class destination.

Gilchrist in Washington (OCR): Immigration rallies clash in D.C.

Goofball judge screws the pooch: Setback for exit exam.  One more excuse for the no-account unions.  Orange Punch's Seiler wanted him impeached yesterday: Impeach judge who just voided California exit exam.

OCR: Judge upholds decision Angels can exclude "Anaheim" in marketing.  Lead,

Orange County Superior Court Judge Peter Polos reiterated in a court hearing Friday that the Angels can exclude "Anaheim" when marketing the team, but must continue to keep the hometown in the official team name.

OCR: District agrees to pay boy $9 million in bus accident.

Cassie DeNimby can still send nastygrams (OCR/Wisckol): Panel allows campaign mailer.  Lead,

County supervisorial candidate Cassie DeYoung can resume use of controversial campaign materials attacking opponent Pat Bates, the 4th District Court of Appeals ruled Friday.  DeYoung was given a temporary restraining order Wednesday, forcing her to stop use of the materials. Friday's decision allows her to continue their use until a hearing Tuesday.  "The First Amendment is alive and well in Orange County," said DeYoung, who is now mayor of Laguna Niguel.  However, Bates consultant Dave Gilliard said he is confident that Tuesday's hearing will result in a permanent ban on the materials.

There goes the neighborhood (OCR): Ingram Micro is cutting 45 jobs in Santa Ana.

Comments

[Goodbye El Toro]

The airport saga is finally over.

And guess what? OC will still be a world class destination.

The deciding factor for my opposition was the pro airport forces could never convince me what the effects would be without an airport at El Toro. That was always the fatal flaw. Cynthia Coad tried to tell me (and others) that OC would dry up and blow away like the towns that were next to Route 66 when they were bypassed by I40. After the group (in North County) I was sitting with stopped laughing she left the room in disgust. With her 6th Supervisor hubby in tow.

[1st Ammendment]

I'm no attorney. But isn't Bates frivolous lawsuit a 1st Ammendment issue? Unless she owns the rights to her name in persona I see her TRO as a political ploy and desperate act in a campaign she thought would be a walk in the park.

[KSA]

I haven't read judge decision yet on the exit exam but I rather skeptical that there is any reason to believe that said decision will be upheld on appeal. Given the high passage rate(~90%) it is difficult to argue that students lacked the resources to pass the exam. The majority of those students who failed the exit exam probably wouldn't have graduated anyway.

[Hanna]

Fewer and fewer state Democrats - Dan Walters

http://www.signonsandiego.com/uniontrib/20060513/news_lz1e13walters.html

Do we see a pattern here? Democratic politicians may comfort themselves with the fact that during that 12-year period, the party has maintained strong majorities in the congressional delegation and the Legislature, and won both U.S. Senate seats and nearly all other statewide offices – but that stems largely from Republicans' self-destructive tendency to field right-wing candidates unacceptable to independent voters. The fact remains that the Democrats' share of the electorate has skidded downward from 57-plus percent three decades ago to scarcely 40 percent today, and continues to shrink.

=====

Nothing new for most of us... except for the residents of this blog including the political consultants.

Or, rather, they really don't are. The more right-wing the candidae is, the better.

[DTS Voter]

I know several dts voters who were former dems. They tell me they vote for the most whacked GOP in the primary thereby ensuring a Dem victory in the General. I'd be interested to know the voting habits of dts's. Walter's column almost sends out false hope to GOP's and their supporters.