Free Republic

Tran on national GOP radar in his bid to unseat Sanchez July 29th, 2009 Washington Bureau Chief Van Tran is officially “On the Radar,’’ of the National Republican Congressional Committee in his bid to unseat Rep. Loretta Sanchez next year. The state Assemblyman – who was recruited by the NRCC to challenge the 12-year incumbent Democrat - is one of 13 GOP contenders who the campaign committee said today has reached the On the Radar level of their Young Guns recruiting program. Tran, who had $250,000 in his campaign account as of June 30, has reached the first of three...

Seven House Democrats have written Attorney General Eric Holder invoking a list of grievances from radical Islamist groups and asking that Holder meet with representatives from those groups to hear their concerns, the Investigative Project on Terrorism has learned. The grievances include the use of convicted felons as informants in mosques, alleged religious profiling of Somali Muslims in Minnesota and elsewhere and allegations that the FBI is working with foreign governments to question American citizens who are terror suspects. In the letter, the representatives said: "These concerns raise legitimate questions about due process, justice, and equal treatment under the law....

WASHINGTON -- A former executive assistant to California Rep. Loretta Sanchez has pleaded guilty to stealing from office funds. Caroline Valdez admitted in federal court Monday that she used Sanchez's House credit card to buy airline tickets for herself and a family member and get pizza and groceries delivered.

Setting the stage for what is expected to be one of the nation’s hottest Congressional races of 2010, Assemblyman Van Tran announced today that he will challenge seven-term Democratic Rep. Loretta Sanchez. Tran had been recruited heavily by Washington GOP leaders, who consider central Orange County’s 47th Congressional District one of their best chances for gaining a seat next year. “Both sides will be pouring resources into this,” Tran said in anticipation of a heavily funded drive. Democrats have a 12.4 percentage point advantage in the central county district and Sanchez is popular there, winning by 44 percentage points in...

Virtually every member of Congress- including Orange County’s six House members and California’s two senators – have shared in $40 million that an embattled Washington lobbying firm and its clients have contributed to lawmakers since 1998. And the biggest O.C. winner in this sweepstakes is Rep. Loretta Sanchez. The firm is the PMA Group, which is the latest Beltway lobbying firm to reportedly be under investigation by the FBI for violating campaign finance laws. The firm’s bread and butter are getting federal earmarks for its clients. According to a tally by the Center for Responsive Politics, a campaign cash watchdog,...

On January 9, the U.S. Supreme Court will hear arguments for one of the biggest election law cases in years. This case might decide who becomes president of the United States in a close election, and shape the future of the country. The Court will hear arguments in the consolidated cases of Crawford v. Marion County and Indiana Democratic Party v. Rokita. At issue in the case is Indiana’s new voter ID law. This law requires people showing up on Election Day to show government-issued picture identification. It only applies to people voting in person. It does not apply to...

An attempted coup against the chairman of the Congressional Hispanic Caucus - instigated in part by local lawmakers - appears to have run out of steam. Rep. Joe Baca, D-Rialto, who heads the group of Latino lawmakers, emerged unscathed from an hour-long meeting of caucus members this week in a basement room of the Capitol building. Rep. Loretta Sanchez, D-Garden Grove, accused Baca last month of disparaging her by allegedly calling her a "whore" in a conversation with California Latino lawmakers last summer. Sanchez left the caucus, saying she would not return unless Baca apologized and major reforms were made...

California Congresswoman Loretta Sanchez has quit the Congressional Hispanic Caucus, accusing its chairman, fellow Democrat Joe Baca, of calling her a "whore.” Sanchez was insulted when she found out that Baca had made the disparaging remark about her to California Assembly Speaker Fabian Nunez and other lawmakers last year, Rep. Sanchez told The Politico. Nunez "is a friend of mine,” an angry Sanchez said. "Did he think he wouldn’t tell me?” Sanchez also cited concerns regarding the legality of Baca’s election to the chairman post in November, and about his attitude toward female legislators. Earlier this month, four female lawmakers...

WASHINGTON - Rep. Loretta Sanchez said Wednesday she is quitting the Congressional Hispanic Caucus, citing opposition to the chairmanship of fellow California Democratic Rep. Joe BacaIt was the latest development in a long-running dispute that has pitted Sanchez and other, mostly female, caucus members against Baca and his supporters. Sanchez released a statement alleging a "violation of election rules" when Baca was picked as chairman in November. "Today, I resign from the Congressional Hispanic Caucus, chaired by Mr. Baca," her statement said. "I will continue to be a strong and vocal advocate for the Hispanic community." Baca disputed Sanchez's allegation....

LOS ANGELES - GOP Rep. Richard Pombo, the powerful chairman of the House Resources Committee, plunged to stunning defeat at the hands of an almost unknown Democrat, Jerry McNerney, as Democrats wrested control of the House from the GOP. GOP Rep. John Doolittle beat down a strong challenge from Democrat Charlie Brown in Tuesday's midterm election, surviving a boisterous campaign that focused on the incumbent's ties to a congressional corruption investigation. San Francisco Democrat Nancy Pelosi was in line to be the first female House speaker ever as Democrats captured more than two dozen GOP-controlled seats around the country. McNerney,...

Who’s Fueling The Racial Hatred? -- Tan Nguyen speech, Oct. 28, Garden Grove California I don’t know for sure who’s behind the hysteria…who’s fueling the racial hatred…who’s dividing the community…but Ms. Sanchez’s fingerprints are all over this. I don’t know if my opponent had a hand in urging the raid on my office. But, on October 20, the O.C. Register reported that Ms. Sanchez had PRIOR KNOWLEDGE of the Attorney General’s intention to seek arrests. I don’t know for sure whether that newspaper article was correct. However, I do know that Ms. Sanchez speaks Spanish. Ms. Sanchez must have known...

A Republican congressional candidate whose campaign was linked to an intimidating letter sent to Hispanic voters said Tuesday he would not quit the race if he is charged with a crime. ADVERTISEMENT "If you're innocent and somebody charges you, would you give up? No, you've got to fight," said Tan Nguyen, who is seeking to unseat five-term Democratic Rep. Loretta Sanchez (news, bio, voting record) in California's 47th Congressional District. "Innocent people can be persecuted," he told The Associated Press. The state Department of Justice has opened a voting rights investigation into the letter sent to certain Democratic voters in...

The Tan Nguyen for Congress Campaign is organizing precinct walks every weekend until the General Election on November 7th. We will be walking the precincts starting this Saturday and Sunday at 10:00am. This is the year that Loretta CAN be beat, but we need your help in getting Tan's message out to the voters of the 47th District. If you are unable to make it this weekend, please come another weekend (only 13 weekends left) and "Lend Tan a Hand." Refreshments and T-Shirts will be provided at the campaign office 12955 Main Street, Garden Grove, CA 92840) prior to the...

Six Congressional Hispanic Caucus members have cut their ties with the group's political fundraising arm because of concerns about donations it made to some of the caucus members' relatives, including the sons of Rep. Joe Baca. In a letter dated March 1, the six lawmakers including Southern California Democrats Linda Sanchez, Loretta Sanchez and Hilda Solis asked to be removed from any materials that imply they are connected with the fundraising committee, the Building Our Leadership Diversity PAC. "After careful consideration, we have decided to withdraw our involvement from BOLDPAC effective immediately," stated the letter to BOLDPAC's chairman, Baca, D-San...

Incomes and population were underestimated by census, says a study that could make retailers and bankers take note. A study of central Santa Ana released Monday found that it is home to more people, with more money, than previously documented. It shows the neighborhoods surrounding downtown are home to 9.5 percent more people and 32 percent more household income than U.S. Census projections. Santa Ana city leaders, who requested the study, hope these findings will help it attract more retailers and banks to the area. The study was done by Social Compact, a Washington, D.C.-based nonprofit research group that gets...

I received a Christmas card in the mail from Loretta Sanchez, who is a democratic congresswoman. Pictured on the front are she and her cat, while the greeting says: “With Loretta in pink flannel and Gretzky (the cat) in his cap they’d just settled down for a long winters nap…and as they dozed off filled with delight their thoughts were of happiness mousies and VOTING RIGHTS”. Happy Holidays

WASHINGTON – Rep. Loretta Sanchez says she may run for governor – in 2010. The Democratic political diva of Orange County has created "People for Loretta 2010," a political committee that allows her to raise money for a governor's race. "I think I need to go home and fix my state," the Santa Ana Democrat said in an interview on Friday. "I'm just keeping my options open. People know I love California. I come home every weekend." Despite taking this step, Sanchez isn't saying she's definitely going to run. "It's a ways off. I'm putting a marker down," she said....

Last night, Minutemen supporters gathered privately at the Women's Civic Club of Garden Grove (in O.C.) to hear a discussion lead by James Gilchrist, the founder of the Minutemen Project. About 300 protestors, charging that the Minutemen are a racist group, gathered outside to protest the meeting. When the Minutemen supporters tried to leave the event, at least two of their cars were attacked by dozens of protestors. The protestors hit the vehicles with placards and other objects until one of the drivers gunned his car to get away from the crowd. He was arrested, though I'm not sure what...

"SILLY SOCIAL SECURITY THING"? Democrats Too Busy To Work With President To Strengthen Social Security ____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________   Democrats Have Other Priorities Than Social Security:   Rep. Loretta Sanchez (D-CA) Said She's Got "More Important Things To Ask About Than This Silly Social Security Thing." "Rep. Loretta Sanchez (D-Calif.) managed to stir up some trouble last week at the Joint Economic Committee hearing chaired by Rep. Jim Saxton (R-N.J.). Testifying before the committee was Harvey Rosen, chairman of the Council of Economic Advisers. Sanchez was evidently fed up with the contents of the hearing. 'I've more important things to ask about...

In 1995, Republican Congressman Bob Dornan, who had represented two different Southern California districts, starting in 1976, decided to run for president. He had great fun for about a year, but spent most of his campaign funds and neglected his district. This gave an opening to a Democratic financial analyst named Loretta Sanchez-Brixey, who had run for several minor offices without success. She dropped the Brixey (though not her husband) so as to appear more Hispanic and ran a clever campaign against Dornan, defeating him by the narrow margin of 984 votes. A visit by Bill Clinton and help from...