Total Buzz

Doing the ‘Willie Horton’ to Obama

MARTIN WISCKOL — Fri, 09 May 2008 23:33:31 +0000

Floyd Brown set a milestone in political attack ads with his 1988 “Willie Horton” TV spot, which may have been the straw that broke the back of Michael Dukakis’ presidential bid. You may recall that Dukakis once supported a weekend inmate release plan that allowed convicted murderer Horton a few hours of freedom, during which Horton raped a woman.

Brown has been at it ever since. He held court in a backroom at Irvine’s Il Fornaio restaurant on Friday to raise money to fund his latest attacks on Barack Obama. It was a last-minute event with just eight people on hand, including me. Brown said he’d never had a reporter at such a meeting before.

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The nine finalists for sheriff

MARTIN WISCKOL — Fri, 09 May 2008 21:58:24 +0000

The nine finalists for sheriff, as recommended by the county’s headhunter, will be discuss at Tuesday’s supervisors’ meeting. Here’s the agenda item.

They are Glendale Police Chief Randy Adams, OC Acting Sheriff Jack Anderson, Salt Lake County Undersheriff Beau Babka, San Bernardino County Undersheriff Richard Beemer, retired OC Sheriff’s Lt. Bill Hunt, Anaheim PD Deputy Chief Craig Hunter, retired LA County Sheriff’s Division Chief Sandra Hutchens, LA Sheriff’s Commander Ralph Martin, and Santa Ana Police Chief Paul Walters.

Larry Dick’s growing memory

MARTIN WISCKOL — Fri, 09 May 2008 17:37:40 +0000

Assembly candidate Larry Dick on aging:

“My memory is getting better,” he said. “These days, I can remember things that never happened.”

Dick was joking, I think, but if true he’s got plenty of politicians for company.

Here’s my story surveying the 60th Assembly District primary on the Republican side, where Dick is facing Chino Hills Mayor Curt Hagman. The story is tentatively scheduled to run in the newspaper tomorrow, but is online now.

Umberg gets a gig with Manatt, Phelps & Phillips

MARTIN WISCKOL — Fri, 09 May 2008 17:03:26 +0000

Tom Umberg, who represented central Orange County in the Assembly for two separate stints, has landed a gig with the law firm of Manatt, Phelps & Phillips. Click here for the firm’s press release.

Complaint filed against Hoa Van Tran

MARTIN WISCKOL — Fri, 09 May 2008 00:53:22 +0000

TheLiberalOC and Red County have both been banging on Democratic supervisorial candidate Hoa Van Tran for a couple weeks, letting him and the world know that he needs to amend his last campaign disclosure so that it details the $8,000-plus in expenditures he’s made but not accounted for. Even county Democratic Party Chairman Frank Barbaro has urged Tran to comply with the law, according to TheLiberalOC’s Chris Prevatt, who unfurled this bit of investigative reporting today on Tran’s apparent transgressions.

Matt “Jubal” Cunningham at Red County responded to Prevatt’s report by filing a complaint against Tran with District Attorney Tony Rackauckas, which he documents here.

It’s refreshing to see bloggers left and right unite for justice, especially when it’s for such a blatant, easy-to-fix violation.

Camp gets his money from Janet Nguyen

MARTIN WISCKOL — Thu, 08 May 2008 21:20:37 +0000

Remember this item yesterday, about consultant Jimmy Camp suing Supervisor Janet Nguyen over $2,500 he claims he is still owed from working on her campaign recount last year?

I just talked to Camp, and he says he’s been promised his money by Janet’s consultant, Dave Gilliard.

“Apparently there was a misunderstanding with Janet and they’re cutting me a check,” Camp said.

Feinstein sticking with Clinton

DENA BUNIS, Washington Bureau Chief — Thu, 08 May 2008 21:10:40 +0000

Sen. Dianne Feinstein did have her conversation with Hillary Rodham Clinton about the New York senator continuing on with her presidential race.

I didn’t talk to Feinstein about it myself, but her communications director Scott Gerber gave me a transcript of the senior senator’s answers to some questions reporters asked her outside the Senate chamber today.

Bottom line is Feinstein isn’t about to publicly ask Clinton to pull the plug yet. And she’s satisfied that Clinton’s continuing on won’t hurt the Democratic party.

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Inmate’s mother says deputies ordered killing

PEGGY LOWE — Thu, 08 May 2008 20:09:38 +0000

The Reg’s Rachanee Srisavasdi is en fuego over at the Crime Scene blog today…she just posted an item on her interview with the mother of one of the inmates accused of killing John Chamberlain at the Theo Lacy jail.

Master Yi is back in the news

PEGGY LOWE — Thu, 08 May 2008 17:37:33 +0000

You remember him, right? Former Sheriff Mike Carona’s pal and martial arts instructor? Check out the Reg’s Crime Scene blog.

Grand jury: Board should approve restaurant ratings

PEGGY LOWE — Thu, 08 May 2008 17:16:16 +0000

The Orange County Grand Jury is joining in the call for the county to issue health ratings for restaurants. In a report out today, the panel says Orange County is the only local area that doesn’t have the A-B-C reviews that are helpful to diners in other SoCal counties and the Board of Supervisors should take heed.

“It is time for our board to stand up on the side of the public,” the report says.

The findings come on the heels of a Register report about the county’s current system, which can be found here.

Read the grand jury’s extensive report here.