Domestic Policy

UCI Immigration Rally Happening TODAY!

On Tuesday, May 14, the ASUCI DREAMer community and other concerned UCI Anteaters will hold an immigration rally at UCI's Student Center Terrace at noon. The Student Center Terrace will serve as a platform for students, professors, and activists to voice their reasonable angst over the inaction tow ... More >>

[Exene Says...] The Way Celebrities Portray Rural White Men With Guns is Really Mature

Have you viewed Jim Carrey's recent video Cold Dead Hand? Clocking in just under six minutes, the video is a satire with a bull's eye painted on gun advocacy, Charleton Heston and Hee-Haw. Basically everything a rural white guy from the '70s is supposed to hold dear. Released four months after a cel ... More >>

In Which A Teacher Writes Back to His Congressman, Gently Correcting His Writing and Thinking Errors

I am this Sunday morning postponing my terrific and much-anticipated (by me, at least!) reviews of a first novel by OC's own Peggy Hesketh, the new short story collection by Gary Amdahl of Redlands, and Gold Line-chapbook award winner Alisa Slaughter's short stories to offer--completely unsolicited- ... More >>

Happiness is a Warm Book About Guns: Intellectual Self-Defense

I began writing this on Friday, hours after NRA loon-in-chief Wayne LaPierre offered his predictably over-the-top defense of gun nuts, pimps and apologists for the weapons industry. Hard to imagine the cognitive dissonance required of somebody who can stick to his, yes, guns in the face of ... More >>

WWJD? Who Would Jesus Deport? Evangelical Leaders, Including a Santa Ana Preacher, Weigh In With Political Statement

More than 150 evangelical leaders, including one of our very own right here in Orange County, have signed on to a statement calling for what they say is a righteous solution to immigration reform. The "Evangelical Statement of Principles for Immigration Reform" calls for a bipartisan policy that " ... More >>

Mitt Romney Abandoned for Newt Gingrich by Hispanic Leaders including OC's Miguel Orozco

​A Hispanic business and community leader in Santa Ana has joined other Hispanics around the country in signing an open letter to Mitt Romney that essentially accuses the GOP presidential candidate of hypocritically running away from his Mexican heritage. "Our purpose here is to advise you that t ... More >>

[UPDATED with Judge's Ruling:] Justice Dept. Must Pay for Lying in Suit Against FBI by OC Muslims

​UPDATE, NOV. 18, 10:57 A.M.: "The Court must impose monetary sanctions to deter the Government from deceiving the Court again," Judge Cormac Carney of the U.S. District Court in Santa Ana writes in his Islamic Shura Council v. FBI ruling. He gave the council 14 days to come up with ... More >>

Port of Long Beach Pact Allowing Truckers to Police Clean Trucks Program Draws Judge's Rebuke

​The Long Beach Harbor Commission illegally violated state environmental law when it weakened its truck cleanup program without first performing the required environmental review, a federal judge has ruled. Finding in favor of the Sierra Club and Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC), which ... More >>

Legalize Pot, Say Geniuses at Global Commission on Drug Policy

​The Los Angeles Times, and just about every other newspaper that covers world news, is reporting today that the Global Commission on Drug Policy, an influential think-tank made up of world leaders, has just issued a report calling the war on drugs "a costly failure" and calling on the United Stat ... More >>

California DREAM Act Passes State Assembly

​It's a little confusing, but no less a victory for illegal immigrant college students. While the national DREAM Act, an immigration bill aimed at providing a path to citizenship for young people, died in the U.S. Senate--and possibly forever--last year, the California DREAM Act is very much alive ... More >>

Loretta Sanchez Defends Obama Attack on GOP Budget Plan

Obama finally gets Sanchez backing​Appearing this afternoon on MSNBC, Orange County Congresswoman Loretta Sanchez defended President Barack Obama's morning speech declaring that he will not allow Republicans to continue to force the poor and middle class to pay for massive tax cuts for the rich.In ... More >>

Loretta Sanchez Asked to Speak About DREAM Act at Pomona College, Talks About Herself Instead

​Here at your favorite infernal rag, we have long criticized Congresswoman Loretta Sanchez for not having the, um, ovaries to support the DREAM Act, waiting until the tragic death of a DREAMer to co-sponsor the bill in Congress. Of course, we always hear it from Loretta apologists aghast that we c ... More >>

Return to Sender

What would comprehensive immigration reform look like if the Feds got off their duffs?

DREAM Act Supporters Keep Fighting

From Santa Ana to Texas to Capitol Hill, OC residents prove among the most prominent advocates of the DREAM Act

Mexican Macroeconomics

Do undocumented migrants steal jobs from American workers?

FAIR-y Tales In the Immigration Debate

Anti-immigrant think tanks are aiming their dubious statistics at the 14th Amendment

Prop. 19: More Than a Nickel Bag of Opinions

Six leading OC medical-marijuana and pot-legalization advocates leave no turn unstoned in examining the ballot initiative

The Super Rich Aren't Like You and Me ... They're Whinier

​A letter to the Wall Street Journal by a Newport Beach real estate executive who believes it would be unfair if the Bush tax cuts were not extended for those who make over $250,000-a-year certainly set off McSweeney's writer Edward Murray. "The Poor Top 2 Percent" on the Huffington Post is Murray ... More >>

Seized

Inside the brutal world of America's kidnapping capital

Isaac Robert Longo, the Face of Marijuana Manslaughter?

​Don't be surprised if Isaac Robert Longo becomes a poster child for the evils of driving while high by forces girding to defeat marijuana legalization in California this November.After all, the 33-year-old Placentia man smoked pot before causing a five-car pileup on the 55 freeway in November 200 ... More >>

[UPDATED:] Saint Margaret Ranch, er, Rancho Santa Margarita Backs Arizona's SB 1070

​UPDATE: As expected, the Rancho Santa Margarita City Council passed a resolution last night supporting the controversial Arizona immigration-reform law SB 1070. In adopting the thing, one panelist revealed he does not believe in immigration reform (see end of post) . . .Aw hell, Rancho, go all t ... More >>

Legalization Could Cut Costs, Increase Consumption of Marijuana: RAND Study

​A new study shows legalization and distribution of marijuana in California could cut the price of cannabis by up to 80 percent and increase consumption.Findings by the RAND Corp. also show revenues from taxing legal pot could be significantly higher or lower than the $1 billion estimated by the s ... More >>

Obama's Oil Drilling Pipe Dream Harshes Surfrider's Mellow

oceanswavesbeaches.blogspot.com​The Surfrider Foundation released a statement today, expressing their disapproval of Obama's proposal to open areas of the Gulf of Mexico, Atlantic coastline and Arctic coastline to oil drilling and exploration. They are not stoked.

State Assembly Panel Weighs Legalizing Weed

SFWeekly.comAmmiano​The Weekly just published Dave Ferrell's cover story about the creep toward marijuana legalization. The California Cannabis Initiative appears destined for the November ballot. Meanwhile, pressure to legalize it is still being applied in the state Assembly.The Assembly's Public ... More >>

Today, Medical Marijuana. Tomorrow, Legalize It!

As FCC Weighs Net Neutrality, McCain Tosses in Monkey Wrench

​As the Federal Communications Commission meets today to develop some "rules of the road" for the Internet, U.S. Sen. John McCain (R-Sarah Palin) has thrown up a roadblock.The bitter, defeated presidential nominee today introduced legislation that would block the FCC from creating new "net neutral ... More >>

The Other Side of the Health-Care Debate Strikes Back

The other side of the health-care debate (think opposite of Fox News' town hall criers) has come out swinging of late.California Nurses Association/National Nurses Organizing Committee just issued a statement with the provocative title, "California's Real Death Panels: Insurers Deny 21% of Claims." ... More >>

Orange County Clergy Goes Hollywood for Obamacare

Yes, the people popping up everywhere to disrupt explanations of Obamacare by congress people and administration folk seldom get covered these days. A favorite was two days ago on CNN, when the anchorwoman cut to such a town hall where a U.S. senator was detailing the plan. Without ha ... More >>

Reefer Madness

Maverick Theater

John and Ken Go After Red County Blog (Again)

*Originally posted on March 13; moved up by Gustavo 'cause the conversation is HOT!The hosts of KFI-AM 640 The John and Ken Show are ripping Orange County's right-tilted Red County blog once again. (You can listen here.) What set off the anti-tax crusaders--whose recent live Tax Revolt 2009 broadcas ... More >>

Read Curt Pringle's Lips: He'll Take New Taxpayer Dollars

Anaheim Mayor Curt Pringle has long been the golden boy among Orange County Republicans. He got elected to the party's Central Committee in 1986, and two years later became the GOP nominee for the Garden Grove area state Assembly seat. The party, under the leadership of then-Chairman Tom Fuentes ... More >>

Barbara Coe Upset Sarah Palin Doesn't Acknowledge Her

On Sept. 15, California Coalition for Immigration Reform head Barbara Coe sent off a questionnaire to Republican vice-presidential candidate Sarah Palin. "The California Coalition for Immigration Reform (CCIR) is a nationally recognized nonpartisan grassroots organization representing thousands of p ... More >>

[¡Ask a Mexican!®] Cherry-Picking César Chávez

Letters

'And when I say "you," I am referring to white America. I purposely left that "white" uncapitalized'

MLK Day and the Bush administration

One of the things that fuels the belief of some people in some sort of government conspiracy in the assassination of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. is the fact that Army Intelligence (along with the usual suspects, the FBI, etc.) was monitoring Dr. King. And now, just in time this year's MLK day comes ... More >>

Arnold's New Era Begins

In his inaugural address last Friday, Governor Schwarzenegger announced the beginning of a new chapter in California history, the "post-partisan" era, explaining, "The question is not what are the needs of Republicans or Democrats? The real question is what are the needs of our people?… Post- ... More >>

Osama's Gun

How to not build bin Ladens AK-47 without even trying

Speaking of congressional races ...

Check out this little ray of sunshine from Bloomberg (the news service, not the mayor): Candidates Ignore $1.35 Trillion Minimum Tax `Bomb' By Ryan J. Donmoyer Oct. 31 (Bloomberg) -- Congressional candidates this fall are furiously debating Iraq, Medicare and extending tax cuts. Most are staying qu ... More >>

The OC GOP Way: extending taxes is NOT raising taxes

Besides spam for our riches locked in a Nigerian prince's bank vault, a better head of hair and just plain better head, Clockwork's virtual mailbox has been filling lately with messages from the Committee to Renew Measure M. Now, normally when PR maven Meg Waters, Congressman John Campbell (R-Newpor ... More >>

Can You Hear Me Now?

In this case, the President has acted, undisputedly, as FISA [Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act] forbids. FISA is the expressed statutory policy of our Congress. The presidential power, therefore, was exercised at its lowest ebb and cannot be sustained. --from Federal District Court Judge Anna D ... More >>

The Quota System (Friendly Skies Edition)

Everyone's heard stories, always officially denied, that you're more likely to get a traffic ticket near the end of month because the cops have a set quota of tickets they need to write each month. According to KMGH, the ABC affiliate in Denver, your traffic misery may be following you into the skie ... More >>

Ed Royce Makes a Run for the Border

The San Diego Union-Tribune, whose editorials typically lean solidly to the right, has come out firmly against mixing illegal immigration with the war on terror--and with "The Wrong Mix," they more specifically chide OC's own Rep. Ed Royce (R-Fullerton) for chairing an Imperial Beach congressional h ... More >>

Love That Dirty Water

Troubling news from American Rivers, the 75,000-member strong nonprofit that is trying to save and restore our nation's rivers: The Supreme Court of the United States today handed down a divided decision in the Rapanos and Carabell cases that will lead to confusion on the ground and grave risk for t ... More >>

Gracias, OC!

'Gustavo Arellano: youre a race-card-playing punk!'

Bang, Bang, Shoot, Shoot

It's always entertaining reading the Fullerton-based California Rifle and Pistol Association newsletter, The Firing Line. The best section, naturally, is On Target -- the letters to the editor. The March 2006 issue does not disappoint, with letters branding U.S. Senator Dianne Feinstein "a loser" (h ... More >>

!Ask a Mexican!

The year in Mexican-bashing

Why Does Daystar Hate Jesus?

The religious broadcaster fighting for KOCE is already under federal investigation for abuse of the airwaves

Letters

Green With Anger

One mans campaign to save a wetland

A Higher Fire Power

Carona puts his faith in more guns after ambush of deputy