5/20/08

At the 5/19/08 meeting of the Central Committee for the Democratic Party of Orange County, individuals endearingly called DPOC hitmen or DPOC character assassins tried to take out two Demcoratic candidates by attempting to  revoke the endorsement of the only Democrat in one race and to officially reprimand the Democrat in another race.  Both attempts were in violation of the DPOC's bylaws, but that didn't stop the attempted character assassinations.  Enough members of sound mind were present to soundly defeat the attempts by the " "DPOC character assassins" to take out the two candidates.  

After learning of the incident, the Creative Youth News Team contacted individuals present and found that last night's actions were merely the tip of the iceberg at what appears to be Rovian-style political corruption.  The following information is based on interviews and information supplied registered Democrats connected with the DPOC.

At the meeting, DPOC Chairman Frank Barbaro dispensed with Robert's Rules of Order and allowed two attackers to go on at length against two candidates the party had endorsed.  The allegations against the candidates were extreme and seemed like insane ravings to listeners, who couldn't understand why the DPOC leadership had targeted Democrats instead of Republicans.  Claudio Gallegos and Marti Shrank, two Democrats with a history of targeting Democrats, were allowed unlimited floor time to attack the candidates in a seemingly slanderous manner.  They, also, were allowed to attack, at length, anyone defending the candidates. Candidates had to stand and watch in silence.    At some times, the rantings reportedly approached science fiction and fantasy.    A motion to postpone to a time certain that was seconded and that should have received priority under Robert's Rules of Order was dismissed by Barbaro.  Barbaro limited any comments in support of the candidates.  One voice of sanity was that of DPOC secretary,bylaws chairman and former 40th Congressional District Candidate Attorney Florice Hoffman who pointed out that the actions being sought were in violation of the bylaws.  Central Committee members angrily stopped the character assassins cold in their attempt to revoke the endorsement of the first Demcorat. Angry about losing on the the character assassination of the first candidate, the hitsquad,, without any bylaw provision to support their actions and in complete violation of Robert's Rules of Order,  put the reprimand of the second to a vote and lost in flames.  Central Committee members were fed up with these last two in a long line of character assassinations of Democrats from the DPOC hitmen.

One word that went around the meeting was that the DPOC leadership was backing the Republicans in the races where the Democrats were attacked.  The DPOC leadership has a long history of backing Republican candidates and sabotaging the chances of Democrats in Orange County.  According to one of the more honest high level officials in the DPOC, the chairmen of the DPOC and Republican Party of Orange County are best friends.

The word is that, after the meeting,  some of those who supported the candidates were insulted and treated like hoodlums.  The hitsquad brought people who ranted at the opponents of the political hits with wild, incoherent remarks about guns and violence.

DPOC character assassins, who have tried to disenfranchise Democrats over the years, have worked behind the scenes to defeat Democratic assembly candidates, Democratic state senate candidates,Democratic Congressional candidates, Democratic Gubernotorial candidates and Democratic Presidential candidates.   Sadly for Democratic Presidsential candidates, some of the character assassins are going to the Democratic National Convention in Denver.

Future parts of this story will discuss a history of interesting activity, including giant slush funds from which workers were paid in cash and ordered to keep silent.  It will discuss various high profile OC Democrats caught committing FEC violations.  It will talk about attempts to disenfranchise Democrats, under-the-table funding of candidates,  and the alleged embezzlement of thousands by major players in the DPOC.  Certain names will appear again and again in some parts of the follow-up portions of this story.  Current and former Demcorats are talking and the DPOC leaders won't like what many of them have to say.  Democrats want to clean up their party and they are fed up with corrupt business as usual.

The CYNT has an additional note before wrapping up this part of the story. One of the DPOC hitmen tried to physically assault a member of this news team at a prior DPOC meeting.  Perhaps it's time the DPOC enacted rules against slanderous character assassinations and violence at the central committee meetings.