Mimi Walters Formally Enters Congressional Race - She Should Be Looking for a Larger Irvine Apartment

Mimi Walters, circled in yellow, at a special birthday
celebration for her chief-of-staff, standing above her.

As you may know, a career politician, State Senator Mimi Walters has announced that she is a candidate for the Congressional seat currently held by Rep. John Campbell. Rep. Campbell, as far as I can tell, was forced into retirement by those of us in the district disgusted by his RINO status and his relative disinterest in actually meeting with and talking to his constituents. In the picture above, you can see Mimi Walters celebrating the birthday of her chief-of-staff - the fellow who is bending over her in the picture. Below, Walters declines to answer a question about her residency in a video published by the Sacramento Bee on March 28, 2014.

Walters ran poorly in her recent race for state Treasurer. She is termed out of her current office. Her family business is in trouble with the state of California and with its former employees who now assert she has not been paying them on-time for their work. Sadly, she still received endorsements from Representatives Ed Royce, Supervisors Pat Bates, Shawn Nelson and Janet Nguyen and Assemblywoman Diane Harkey. I guess not paying your employees and living largely off money you earn from the State of California is not a big sin in some circles. (The Harkey family also has questionable business practices.)

Personally, I have found Walters to be one of Orange County’s least friendly public servants. I guess, in this sense, she will be a representative much along the lines established by John Campbell

Mimi possesses a B.A. degree from UCLA. She has a minor background in business, finance and local government. Her professional career only lasted for seven years when she served as an investment executive. Her credentials seem less than spectacular and she strikes me as something of an affirmative action candidate.

Ironically, she has won all three awards that are issued by the Orange County Republican Party, being named Local Elected Official of the Year in 1997, Volunteer of the Year in 1998 and Legislator of the Year in 2005. Of course, this is the same group that fought hard to promote Sheriff Carona despite the fact that he was cheating on his wife or supported Rep. Campbell despite his vote for TARP and his bizarre support for gays in the military. Most recently, Walters was in the news for claiming that she lived in Irvine in a one bedroom apartment that lacks a dishwasher. As a recent lawsuit noted: 

The suit goes on to say that from 2008 until earlier this year, Walters' official State Senate website said, "She and her husband, David, live in Laguna Niguel with their four children." In May 2012, the suit says the site was changed to say, "She and her husband, David, live in Irvine with their four children."

"If the present language on the website is truthful," the suit says, "5 adults and 1 child reside in (a) 570 square foot studio apartment. If the present language on the website is truthful, David Walters voted illegally when he cast a ballot in the latest election using the Laguna Niguel Residence as his place of residence."

Personally, I find this sort of lying to be deeply offensive. It is not the sort of behavior that reflects well on Republicans in our community. Sadly, it looks to me like telling the truth, the whole truth and nothing but the truth is not a Walters family value.  

John C. Drew, Ph.D. is an award-winning political scientist. He applies his skills as a grant writing consultant in the Southern Calfornia area. His website is at the following link: http://drdrewguaranteedgrants.com/about-us/

Breaking News from Dr. Drew: Obama's Worst Nightmare to Run for John Campbell's Congressional Seat

I just heard that Rep. John Campbell is not going to be running for re-election to the U.S. House of Representatives. I am extremely happy to hear this news. I was part of a small, but loyal group of Tea Party folks who fought awfully hard to throw Campbell out during the primary last time out. I was a big supporter of John Webb. We outworked Campbell and denied him the nomination of the local OCGOP.

It looks like I do not have any choice except to throw my hat in the ring as a candidate for this office. I think the district could use a new representatives who listens to the people and who knows what he is talking about in general when it comes to our nation's future.

My agenda will be short and sweet:

1. Use all the power of Congress to stop Obamacare.
2. Use all the power of Congress to open up opportunities for job growth and prosperity.
3. Leverage my take on young Obama's ideological extremism to help clarify why Obama's agenda has been so costly to our nation and remains such a threat to our future. 

I expect that Campbell is leaving, in part, because he knows he would face another bruising primary and because he does not expect to exercise any more power or influence in a new, more conservative House of Representatives. He was already too liberal for the district and seemed to have little interest in doing the normal things expected of members of Congress - like being nice to his constituents.

Something tells me that all of us will be better off when he is out of this Congressional office.

Meanwhile, I suspect it will be good for our country to have Barack Obama know that his worst nightmare is now running for John Campbell's old congressional seat. I live close to one of the IRS offices that discriminated against Tea Party groups. I think it will be significant to make my formal campaign announcement in front of the local IRS building.

John C. Drew, Ph.D. is an award-winning political scientist. He applies his skills as a grant writing consultant in the Southern Calfornia area. His website is at the following link: http://drdrewguaranteedgrants.com/about-us/

Republican Challenger John Webb Scores Big Victory Over Congressman John Campbell

I just witnessed a remarkable political event.  This evening, the Orange County Republican Central Committee (OCGOP) denied its endorsement of a Republican incumbent, Rep. John Campbell.  To win the local GOP endorsement Campbell needed a 2/3 majority of the elected central committee members.  His effort fell short by just one vote. 

The evening began with roll call, recognition for elected officials and extraordinary volunteers.  Out of all the endorsements given out this evening, Campbell was the only incumbent facing a challenger - Republican candidate John Webb. 

As you may know, John Webb is new to politics.  He served in the United States Marine Corps and has been a California highway patrolman, and a police officer. In the private sector, John was a corporate executive with State Farm Insurance Company and currently owns and operates a successful insurance brokerage.  Locally, John has become a favorite among Tea Party activists.  I was honored, for example, when he asked me to be the keynote speaker at his upcoming fundraising event this Thursday evening. 

Rep. Campbell spoke first.  He stressed his role in warning about California's budget crisis and the significant role he played nationally in fighting against earmarks.  Campbell looked nervous and a little hyper-active with his edgy, scruffy beard.  Next, John Webb spoke.  Webb came across as calm, friendly, self-deprecating in his humility and honesty.  It quickly became obvious, however, that the most vocal members of the crowd were rooting for Webb to stop Campbell's effort to win the endorsement of the local Republican party. 

Webb, in particular, contrasted his views with Campbells saying that he would have voted against TARP and against allowing gays to serve openly in the military.  Graciously, Webb said that he did not want to attack Campbell.  He merely said that he offered a different "skill set" that was more appropriate to the new conditions faced by the Republican party and warned that voters would lose faith in the Republicans if we did not offer candidates who held tightly to strong conservative ideology. 

In the end, the OCGOP appeared divided over endorsing Campbell.  A number of speakers, for example, expressed unhappiness that Rep. Cambell had not spent more time in the district and had only conducted one townhall event.  Campbell sort of made things worse by suggesting that since he had more time to focus on issues as a member of Congress that he was the recipient of better and higher quality information than those in the audience who doubted the wisdom of his decisions. 

(I sort of took it as a personal attack when Campbell suggested that Webb was "pandering" to people in the district.  I really don't think that Webb's welcoming of my message was anything but a straightforward recognition that I'm telling the truth about young Obama's radical extremist ideology.  I don't see Webb pandering to me or to all the others who see Obama as a significant threat to the fundamental tenets of American culture and traditional economic success.)

In the end, OCGOP Chairman Scott Baugh asked the elected central committee members stand to record their votes and Campbell fell short of securing the endorsement.  Campbell got 41 votes for his endorsement, but needed 42 of the 63 total votes cast.  I have no doubt this will be big news around the nation tomorrow and that it will send a signal that plenty of people back home in Orange County are unhappy with Rep. Campbell's performance in office. 

John C. Drew, Ph.D. is an award-winning political scientist.