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Poor Loretta, she was left with nothing to do but apologize. "I used a poor choice of words that some people have taken as offensive," she said at a news conference Friday afternoon. "I apologize for those remarks." But she didn't apologize for calling him "very anti-immigrant and very anti-Hispanic.'' "She directly attacked me, slandered me," Tran said on Friday, demanding an apology. A lawyer who with his family left Saigon shortly before South Vietnam fell to the communists in 1975, Tran accused her of going on "a racial rampage" on Spanish-language TV. We throw those words around too loosely,...

SANTA ANA – Democratic Congresswoman Loretta Sanchez said Friday that her now-famous remark about "Vietnamese" trying to take her seat had been misinterpreted but apologized if it caused any offense. She did not, however, apologize for calling her Republican challenger Van Tran – himself an immigrant from Vietnam – anti-immigrant. Instead, she accused him of using her words to "take a cheap political shot."Sanchez told an interviewer earlier this month on Spanish-language television that "the Vietnamese and the Republicans" were trying to wrest control of her seat in Congress. She described Tran in the same interview as "very anti-immigrant and...

SANTA ANA, Calif. (AP) -- Democratic Congresswoman Loretta Sanchez says she didn't intend to offend anyone when she told a reporter that "the Vietnamese" and Republicans were trying to take her seat representing California's Orange County. Sanchez said Friday she "used a poor choice of words that some people have taken as offensive" in a Spanish-language interview with Jorge Ramos on Univision's Sunday morning show, "Al Punto."

She's running against Van Tran, who is Vietnamese and her Republican challenger, and apparently she's nervous enough about Tran to say stupid race-baiting stuff like this:

. NEVER FORGET . Help support VAN TRAN— he’s running to replace Congresswoman LORETTA SANCHEZ for Southern California's 47th Congressional District. The Democrats are doing everything they can to keep her in this seat—the only Democrat congressional seat in Orange County. She’s been a loyal supporter of the Democrat agenda—Obamacare, the stimulus, the auto bailout, the unions, and more. VAN has a record of supporting pro-business legislation and fighting against big government in Sacramento. Assemblyman VAN TRAN can stand up to SANCHEZ and defeat her in the this election. He’s 2 points behind in the latest polls and has nationwide...

It might be time for the Washington prognosticators to move CD47 from "leans Democratic" to "toss up." A new poll of 400 likely voters in CD47 by the American Action Forum has Assemblyman Van Tran with 43% to 45% for Rep.Loretta Sanchez -- well within the 4.9% margin of error. It remains close even when you factor out the "leaners": Sanchez 42%, Van 40%. There isn't a lot of good news for Sanchez in this poll. For example, in response to the question, "Do you think Loretta Sanchez deserves reelection as congresswoman, or do you think it is time to...

Rep. Loretta Sanchez shifts funds for a 2014 election -- Is Rep. Loretta Sanchez gearing up a future gubernatorial run?The Anaheim Democrat has filed paperwork with the secretary of state to raise cash for a 2014 bid.

. NEVER FORGETJust for the LOVE of FREEDOM =Support Conservative Republican VAN TRAN in his battle to REPLACE LORETTA SANCHEZ, representing California's 47th Congressional District in Orange County (Anaheim, Garden Grove, Santa Ana).A Vietnam War refugee RESTORES FREEDOM to America.. NEVER FORGET

RIVERSIDE -- Congresswoman Loretta Sanchez says she's cancelled plans to give a graduation speech at UC Riverside next month to show her support for a union-organized protest. The Democrat from Garden Grove notified UCR administrators Thursday that she would be pulling out of the June 12 commencement ceremony to join a speakers' boycott called by the American Federation of State, County & Municipal Employees, Local 3299. The union says the action is necessary to spotlight the hardships workers have endured because of state budget cuts. "My family roots are in organized labor and, in good conscience, I cannot and will...

House Democrats passed the 2,032-page Pelosicare bill on a near party-line vote Saturday night 220-215 (roll call here). The only Republican voting in favor of the measure was New Orleans-based Joseph Cao who has long ago proven to be a tax and spend (and spend and spend) liberal. After a week of intense arm twisting, threats and promises from party leaders, more than half of the 52 so-called conservative Blue Dog Democrats voted in favor of the over $1.3 trillion measure. These are the 28 Blue Dogs voting in favor of Pelosicare (who apparently fear the wrath of House Speaker...

A document from the House ethics committee lists an examination into whether the chamber's rules were violated when Rep. Linda T. Sanchez put three legislative aides to her fellow-congresswoman sister on her payroll after an embezzlement scheme had left Rep. Loretta Sanchez's office short of funds. The document, a July tracking report obtained by The Washington Post, says that the sisters, both California Democrats, "shared transferred staff from one office to another after embezzlement," and that a meeting between lawyers for the ethics committee and the congresswomen had taken place June 1. The document also says that lawyers for the...

Rep. Loretta Sanchez Among Lawmakers In Spotlight For Taxpayer-Funded Trips The Garden Grove congresswoman has made 20 overseas excursions since 2006, touching down on every continent. Critics say more transparency is needed on government-sponsored travel. By Richard Simon September 13, 2009 Reporting from Washington - At a time when congressional travel is coming under new scrutiny, Rep. Loretta Sanchez (D-Garden Grove) has the distinction of taking more trips at taxpayer expense than anyone else in the California delegation. In the last 3 1/2 years, she visited the South Pole, snorkeled at Australia's Great Barrier Reef and joined world leaders at...

Just the latest attempt by a Democratic Congressman/woman to shut down vocal dissent by hiding behind scenarios that would be unpleasant for opponents of ObamaCare. First we had a town hall held at a children’s hospital, now we have Loretta Sanchez holding a town hall disguised as a “prayer vigil”. Because, really, who would interrupt a “prayer vigil” with shouts of opposition? That wouldn’t be pleasant. Hence the request for restrictions in the interest of “reverence”. Classy.

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...