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Political news & views for independent-minded voters

Political news & views for independent-minded voters

Tag Archives: Frank Barbaro

Former O.C. Democratic Party Chairman, Barbaro, endorses Correa for Congress

Posted on by Posted in 2016 Elections, Democratic Party, Frank Barbaro, Lou Correa, Santa Ana Leave a comment

For Immediate Release: June 1, 2016

Contact: Dave Jacobson, (818) 943-2348, Shallman Communications

PAST OC DEM PARTY CHAIR ENDORSES LOU CORREA FOR CONGRESS

Frank Barbaro, Former Chair of the Orange County Democratic Party, Backs Correa in CA-46

SANTA ANA, CA — Days before the June 7th primary election former State Senator Lou Correa lined up a milestone endorsement from the past Chair of the Orange County Democratic Party, Frank Barbaro, in his campaign to represent California’s 46th Congressional District seat.

Barbaro served as Chair of the OC Democratic Party for eight years in the 1970’s and early 1980’s as well as from 2000- 2012. Continue reading→

Progressive Democrats invading Santa Ana on Oct. 21, at Barbaro’s house

Posted on by Posted in Democratic Party, Frank Barbaro, Larry Agran, Liberals, Orange County Leave a comment

John Nichols and Robert McChesney

The Progressive Democrats of America, a liberal grassroots organization, are invading Santa Ana on Monday, Oct. 21, 2013, from 6 pm to 8 pm, at the home of Sara Chesters and Frank Barbaro (the former Chairman of the Democratic Party of Orange County).

Their guest speakers include John Nichols, Robert McChesney, Mimi Kennedy, Tom Hayden and Tim Carpenter. Nichols and McChesney are going to “explain how American democracy is declining as the range of debate is increasingly controlled by big-money campaign contributions, wall-to-wall lobbying, and media more inclined to repeat spin than to dig for the truth.”

That message is rather ironic as the Host Committee for this event, besides Barbaro, includes Larry Agran, who like Barbaro is infamous for winning with the help of thousands of dollars of Independent Expenditures put up by all sorts of shady Political Action Committees (PACs). Continue reading→

Arellano makes a strong case for LeTourneau to head up the DPOC

Posted on by Posted in 2013 Elections, Democratic Party, Frank Barbaro, Gustavo Arellano, Henry Vandermeir, Jeff LeTourneau 2 Comments

Jeff LeTourneau with Darrell Steinberg

Folks forget sometimes that the OC Weekly’s editor, Gustavo Arellano, has been around for a long time.  Long enough to have gotten to know Jeff LeTourneau, one of two candidates vying to take over for Frank Barbaro as the new Chairman of the Democratic Party of Orange County.  The other candidate is paid consultant Henry Vandermeir, who also serves as the Executive Director of the Democratic Foundation (a conflict of interest obvious to everyone except Henry).

So Arellano knew damn well what he was saying when he wrote in an OC Weekly article posted online today that “If Jeff LeTourneau decided to retire from politics today, his place in Orange County progressive history would not only be secure, but he’d also be one of its titans.”

In fact Arellano proceeded to lay out LeTourneau’s legacy – and it really marks him as the top candidate to become the new DPOC Chairman.  Here are a few of my favorite excerpts from Arellano’s article: Continue reading→

The DPOC should choose Jeff Le Tourneau to be their next party chairman

Posted on by Posted in Democratic Party, Frank Barbaro, Henry Vandermeir, Jeff LeTourneau, John Perez 1 Comment
Jeff LeTourneau and Speaker John Perez

Assembly Speaker John Perez and Jeff LeTourneau

The race to see who will replace Frank Barbaro as the new Chair of the Democratic Party of Orange County (DPOC) is down to two candidates – longtime activist Jeff LeTourneau and paid consultant Henry Vandermeir. 

The DPOC is at a crossroads – Orange County is less red than ever.  The Democrats picked up another legislative seat this November when Sharon Quirk-Silva won in the 65th Assembly District, with capable help from Vandermeir’s wife Lois, who is also a paid consultant.

There is nothing wrong with being a paid political consultant.  I do some of that work too.  But should paid consultants be heading up political party organizations?  I don’t think so. Continue reading→

Who should replace retiring DPOC Chairman Frank Barbaro?

Posted on by Posted in Democratic Party, Frank Barbaro, Orange County 1 Comment

“Tired of infighting in his organization, Orange County Democratic Party Chairman Frank Barbaro said Tuesday he would step down,” according to the Mission Viejo Patch.

“There’s a lot of infighting,” Barbaro said. “The day after the election, the problems were over. But leading up to the election was a nightmare. It was Democrat versus Democrat and the whole thing was just overwhelming.”

Barbaro cited the intra-party squabbling over Santa Ana Mayor Miguel Pulido’s supporters and his challenger David Benavides as one example. Continue reading→

Edgar attacks Allen’s family to distract us from looking at his record

Posted on by Posted in 2012 Elections, Democratic Party, Frank Barbaro, Los Alamitos, Republican Party, Travis Allen, Troy Edgar Leave a comment

Tax and fee increases? What are you talking about?

An anonymous blogger at the OC Political blog has ripped into Travis Allen, one of two Republicans facing off in November for the 72nd Assembly District, on the grounds that Allen is “too squishy for the Assembly.”

Many in the media, including this blog, reported early on in the primary election that Allen had donated to a few Democrats over the years.  He is not contesting that.

Apparently one of Allen’s uncles is Frank Barbaro, the longtime Chairman of the Democratic Party of Orange County.  It was Barbaro that asked Allen to make the donations in question. Continue reading→