In watching the battle between Van Tran and Janet Nguyen over the past year, I have often asked myself… Self, how low do you think Van Tran and Mike Schroeder will stoop to reclaim their lost power in central Orange County?
In my wildest nightmares, Paul Lucas never came to mind. But Tran and Schroeder went there. The first hint of their desperation came in March when Paul Lucas, without any reasonable explanation, plunked down a more than $1,400 filing fee and pulled papers to challenge Janet Nguyen in the First District Supervisor’s race. Paul had not talked to a soul in Democratic circles before making his decision and speculation ran rampant that he had been convinced to run by Dina Nguyen. Paul professed his innocence and claimed that he decided to run because there were no “good†Democrats running. He implied, to multiple individuals, that he was talking one for the team. Paul has made it clear to me on more than one occasion that he never used those exact words, but his meaning was quite clear.
Then on April 8th, at the meeting of the OC GOP Endorsement Committee, Mike Schroeder allegedly got up and invoked Paul Lucas as the reason why the GOP should not endorse Janet Nguyen. He claimed that Paul Lucas had told him personally that Janet Nguyen had given him opposition research against Van Tran during the 2006 68th Assembly race where Lucas and Tran were opponents.
Then we have Van Tran and his minions distributing a letter on Monday night, signed by Lucas under his ex-officio title of “Member of the Democratic Party of Orange County,†attesting to the same accusation. Don’t take my word for it, here is the letter. One other thing about this letter that you may want to take note of is the date. The letter is dated the day of the OC GOP Central Committee meeting April 21, 2008. Unless Paul is dumb enough to sign his name on a blank piece of paper he had to have signed it between April 8th and April 21st.
Well, we asked Paul about this and it appears that he did indeed sign the letter. He claims that he did not write the letter though. The part about not writing the letter is the only thing about Paul’s response I actually believe. He may not have written it, but he had to know what he was signing, why he was signing it, and what the people he gave it back to would use it for. What I cannot quite figure out is what Van Tran, his puppet Dina Nguyen, and Mike Schroeder promised him in return. What on earth would make a good Democrat crawl into bed with the likes of Van Tran and Mike Schroeder? What could these devils possibly offer that would compel him to allow himself to become such a tool?
When you sleep with the Devil you sell your soul. That is what Paul has done here. It is going to be very hard for Paul to redeem himself. Yes, I’m pretty sure he was used, but stupidity is not an excuse for being stupid. Stupidity should be painful. In this case it will undoubtedly be painful for Paul and his political future as a Democrat. Something tells me this won’t bode well for his Garden Grove City Council campaign.
What is more interesting to me though is the lengths to which Van Tran and Mike Schroeder appear to be willing to go to reclaim their power as King makers. Think about it, how desperate do you have to be for power to stoop to Paul Lucas to get it back?
There have been questions about whether or not Hoa Van Tran is really a stealth candidate being run as a Democrat by Van Tran for the purpose of draining votes from Janet Nguyen. Thus far, while there have been rumors, little has come to light to confirm those speculations one way or another. This is where the law of unintended consequences comes into play. Mike Schroeder and Van Tran clearly want to force Janet Nguyen into a runoff in November. The challenge for them is how to get there. This is where the old playbook of running stealth Democratic candidates jumps off the shelf.
In 1995, the Republicans ran a recall campaign against Republican Assembly Speaker Doris Allen. Because of the risk that a Democrat might get the most votes in the recall election, Republican Party insiders ran a stealth democratic candidate siphon votes away from the real Democrat in the race. The plan did unravel, but by the time it did the mission was accomplished.
It seems that there may be a similar scenario to 1995 playing out in the First District contest. The fact that Mike Schroeder and Van Tran would stoop to use Lucas in an attempt to pull an endorsement from Janet Nguyen got me thinking, and digging. From that digging I have learned that the linkage between Hoa Van Tran and Dina Nguyen goes much deeper than them previously working in the same office. Dina and Hoa have met on several occasions in Hoa’s campaign office. One time in particular was when Janet Nguyen was planning on holding a press event in the same complex as Hoa’s office. Prior to the event, Dina Nguyen met with Hoa in his office where she asked if her campaign could use his office as a base to monitor the event. Campaign staff was subsequently told to not come in on the day of the event by campaign manager Edgardo Reynoso.
Then there is the occasion where Reynoso directed a campaign staffer to call Paul Lucas to let him know that a Janet Nguyen operative had been spotted by campaign volunteers messing with one of Dina Nguyen’s campaign signs. The message was communicated to Lucas, and then mysteriously Westminster Councilman Andy Quach called Hoa Tran’s campaign office to indicate that he had the entire episode on video. I wonder, what prompted him to call Hoa Van Tran with that information?
Then we have Westminster School Board member Andy Nguyen, and old school chum of Hoa’s, who has been sited numerous times at Hoa Tran’s campaign office. This really wouldn’t raise much concern unless you add in the fact that Andy Nguyen has endorsed Dina Nguyen.
So, with my tin-foil hat firmly in place I’ve got to wonder; is it really too much of a stretch to imagine, suppose, speculate, or wonder if Van Tran and Mike Schroeder would stoop so low as to run two democrats as stealth candidates to drain votes from Janet Nguyen? I really don’t know for certain, yet.
But what I do know is that I wouldn’t put it past them and I wouldn’t have been nearly as curious had Van Tran, Dina Nguyen, and Mike Schroeder not used Paul Lucas as a pawn in their little chess game of power.
Mike Schroeder reminds me of Gollum from the movie the Lord of the Rings in his quest to regain his precious ring of power. Van Tran just reminds me of the Devil. Now I’m just waiting for Paul Lucas to exclaim “The Devil made me do it!â€Â
Robert,
I commend you for stating your work with Chris. For the record, I never stated that Chris did not walk precincts for Lou Correa. That was another poster. The crux of the thread above seem to reflect a relationship that I have developed with Dina Nguyen and by extension, I am now the lead Tranny in OC. Will you guys also try to censure Andrew Nguyen or Tammy Tran when they are on the Central Committee for having a relationship with Dina Nguyen? Will you seek censure and tar and feathering of Katrina Foley for running her Republican handpicked candidate against DPOC endorsed candidate Mirna Burciaga? In fact the DPOC recently hosted a fundraiser for Katrina Foley. Will you seek censure and drumming out of town of Bruce Broadwater for having a public and open relationship with Van Tran? How about Mark Rosen who recently changed sides to support Janet Nguyen? Your criticism of me holds no merit. How about all local elected officials who endorsed Mike Carona and Tony Rachaucus, including Loretta Sanchez who you guys are so afraid that Van Tran will take out next election cycle.
I did not endorse a candidate in the BOS race other than Hoa Van Tran. I did not aid Van Tran or Janet Nguyen. In fact it seems to have had a serious negative effect on Van Tran. That is not my doing but it is the result. So why are you guys so mad?
I see Van Tran on numerous occasions in the district every month. It’s unavoidable. We attend many of the same community events. As a result, I have taken the idea that it is of no benefit to anyone let alone myself to hold any bitter feelings toward Tran and to treat him as a pariah. It’s just simply not m style to be like that.
I and Dina have worked closely together on several occasions to bring a skate park to the City of Garden Grove. This resulted after Mayor Dalton and Democrat and Janet Nguyen endorser Mark Rosen banned skateboarding in the city and imposed a 500 dollar fine on any kids caught skating.
I will not apologize for working on behalf kids to gain a new skate park and avoid a 500 dollar fine which their parents would have to pay. In a working class community like GG, 500 dollars is a lot of money.
Because of that, and apparently I hurt some peoples feelings by not including them in my daily life, I am a tranny under the spell of Mike Schroeder. As far as censure at the Central Committee is concerned, you may very well try to do that. However, you will have to site some by laws that were broken. No by laws were broken. I did not endorse Dina over Hoa Tran or Janet Nguyen In fact the net effect of the recent episode at the OC GOP seems to have backfired on Van Tran and caused him serious trouble to him in his own Party.
So my question is, how does that hurt any Democrats? Several people have said that I should be attacking Van Tran and trying to hurt him. Well, it seems to me that he has done that himself. I was only a catalyst.
So where is the damage to the Democratic Party or any other Democrats? The fact is that this dust up is doing damage to Democrats by your own hands. Democrats eating their own. Nothing new. I urge you to really seek out the logic in your anger and find out if you may need to reasess your point of view.
Paul, do yourself a favor and keep quiet. You are only making it worse for yourself.
Paul,
Your story keeps changing. Now you are helping bring down Van Tran!? Nice spin Paul. Um, I think this post was what suggested the negative effect on Van Tran. You really want us to believe that you planned this with your devious cleverlesness?
Paul,
STOP BLAMING OTHERS FOR YOUR MISTAKES!
No Chris, I never insinuated that I planned this all along (petting a cat and twisting my handlebar mustache) I simply pointed out the simple fact that this event had the effect of harming Van Tran. So your anger towards me seems very unfounded.
Okay Paul. If you say so.
Paul, I’m a hard-core Democrat in Garden Grove. I hate Bush with a passion, Schwarzenegger is a buffoon, and Janet is a dingbat. But, I have to admit, that I can no longer be supportive of your candidacy for council.
You, working with Dina, Van, Mike, whoever is no longer a concern. The fact is you talked with them, you did what you did, and now you’re going to pay the price.
You have lost a lot of support within the Democratic Party whether you think so or not and your political career in Orange County is finished with. If you want to run somewhere, pack your things and move to the Bay Area.
Well Chris, I do say so. You seem to most angry about the fact that I have come to know on a casual level some elected officials of the opposite party and you seem to take serious umbrage with that fact. In that you seem to want to have control over my freedom of association. That is not a Democratic principle.
I met Mike Schroeder at the Home of my beloved Rebecca, Commie Girl. She hosted a party at her home for the then departing OC Weekly Editor Will Swaim. At that party were also Susan Schroeder, Rick Reif, Frank Mickadiet, Steve Greenhut, and a host of other OC Weekly and Right Wing Media authors. Are you going to call Rebecca a Tranny now? I bring this up because you write in this post criticizing me for even knowing Mike Schroeder and Dina Nguyen. Thus attempting to dictate my freedom of association. I have a working relationship with Dina Nguyen. I am not sleeping with her as so many people have postulated. You of all people should know that if I was sleeping with Dina Nguyen, I would post video of it on you tube and mass email blast the link to it.
Your post borders on the paranoid. Why would you take offense to two people fighting the incumbent Republican sharing information that would be harmful to that incumbent Republican? Especially if that incumbents agents are out stealing and tearing down campaign signs?
Hoa Tran and Dina are friends. Dina is also friends with Trung Ta, the leader of the Vietnamese Democratic Club. He is also a Central Committee member. Are you going to call him a Tranny?
The enemy of my enemy is my friend. I am not as you say “In bed with the devil.” I’m sorry Chris but I am afraid you are way off the mark in this post.
I am sorry I took you to task and pasted my activism and tried to belittle yours in comparison. But I feel that you truly went way off base in this post. The best thing we can do for the County is at least attempt to show a united front. This type of public cannibalism serves the party and us no good. I hope that we can come together as friends again soon.
Paul
I’ve been reading through all the comments and I haven’t seen Paul Lucas explain one important thing: The contradiction between what Mr. Lucas wrote in the letter and what he told Scott Baugh. Nor did Mr. Lucas claim that Scott Baugh’s recollection of his conversation was wrong.
Maybe Mr. Lucas can clarify.
Bolsavik,
One true fact is Janet in 2006 provided ammo to Paul to hit back Van Tran for the latter’s non-committal to her short-lived Assembly run. Another true fact is Paul signed the letter. There is no contradiction.
Paul,
I am not angrey that you may have casual relationships with republican insiders. I do as well. That is the nature of non-partisan politics.
It just don’t help them by using the good will I have established as a Democrat to assist them in their internal battles.
You pulled papers and plunked down $1,400 to ultimitely not run for Supervisor, clearly at their behest. You have been a communications intermediary between Hoa and DIna’s campaigns, You have been seen making out with Dina on a street corner in Garden Grove. You have signed your name to letters that are unclear in their truthiness. You have explained all of these actions through a variety of conflicting and/or unbelievable denials. Your stories have varied from individual to individual by so much that it seems I am reading from multiple books with the same plot but totally differend dialogue.
Dude, you’ve been caught. Get over it. Stupidity is painful, and it will hurt for a while. Bite your toung and take those consequenses like an adult.
I gotta agree with Paul on one fact: what’s so wrong with getting opposition information from the opposition? Political opponents do that all the time–and reporters always get calls from people trying to undercut their supposed allies. Oh, the stories I can tell you Dems about you Dems…
Everything else in this post went down the rabbit hole a long time ago–entertaining, but sad…
“You of all people should know that if I was sleeping with Dina Nguyen, I would post video of it on you tube and mass email blast the link to it.”
This is yet another reason why you are no longer viable as a candidate for a political office. Pack your bags Paul… you’re done.
Chris,
You make an innuendo by saying “Paul is making out with Councilwoman Dina Nguyen at a corner in Garden Grove. ” You are no longer a credible author. So sad you are lowering yourself because of personal animosity against Paul and Trannies.
Chris,
Your interpretations are all wrong. You cal me a “communications intermediary” between Hoa and Dina’s campaign? Honestly Chris, you need to reexamine yourself. That is total paranoia talking. You could be accused of such spy tactics yourself by your own admition when you are in the middle of passing notes with Janet Nguyen and her agents on that answer non answer fiasco regarding Janet’s view on the protestors.
And you claim I have been seen “making out with Dina on Main Street”. Honestly Chris, do you truly believe that I was making out with Dina on Main Street? That’s paranoid and inflammatory. You should know better.
You keep claiming that I am caught. Caught doing what Chris? I mean seriously. The end result of this event caused serious pain and grief to the Van Tran Machine. So I just don’t understand why you are mad. You still haven’t addressed the fact that Frank Barbaro the Chair of DPOC sent out a letter to plead Democrats to vote for Cassie DeYoung. So I am till very unsure why it is you are so angry.
Please take a minute and ask another person outside of the blogosphere to read your post. It is full of conjecture, and paranoid reaching that smacks of Sara Michelle Spinosa and Art Pedrosa. Read your own post Chris. It is very disturbing. It is not the type of journalism that a reporter would submit to his editor. It s true tin foil hat material.
Chris, you and I hv been friends for years. I dont understand the anger you are experiencing towards me in this event. It just doesnt make sense. I hope that in a short period of time you calm down and look at this situation logically. You may then decide that I m not the devil you claim I am.
Happy Birthday my friend.
Paul
Everyone-
Can we all PLEASE calm down & stop with the personal stuff? I think we all know how much Chris Prevatt has done for the Democratic Party. I have no reason to believe Paul Lucas is a dishonorable person. I just don’t like all these personal attacks.
Can we all just remember to stop, breathe, & think before posting? Thanks.
Gustavo, you are right that nothing is wrong with Paul taking information from Janet and using it against Van Tran in 06. However, it is pretty sleazy to turn on her and work for Dina, Van’s pick, in order to get a GG Council seat. This whole saga that Paul has created gets slimier by the moment. It shows he has no character or morals…
If Sean can quit making baseless attacks with no factual backup, then we’d all be fine. But, I agree with the poster above, Paul is done.
Paul,
How’s this sound?
Perennial Democratic challenger works with sitting Republican Assemblymember’s trannies to discredit a sitting Republican Supervisor.
Perennial Democratic challenger writes a letter naming the reep supervisor as his source of damaging facts about assemblymember.
Perennial Democratic challenger retracts allegations when pressed by OC Republican party chair.
Perennial Democratic challenger has endorsed Democrat supervisor candidate, but is privately meeting with Republican challenger who is also a friend/or whatever.
Oh yeah, and said Perennial Democratic challenger spent his own money to pull papers to run in the same supervisor race, then didn’t go through with it. To most it appeared the Perennial Democratic challenger was put up to it by trannie operatives.
Now Perennial Democratic challenger says no harm, that the powerful Assemblymember was damaged by all these actions so we should all calm down and give him a pass on this.
Oh, and his defense? Mea Culpa? No, everybody else does bad things or is not as good a democrat as the Perennial Democratic challenger is so just let it go.
Would you vote for this Perennial Democratic challenger for anything? Who could endorse such a candidate for office?
…and I wouldn’t have brought this up but you opened the door by typing about the tough economic times. I have to ask, did someone else give you the money to pull papers for the office of supervisor?
“If Sean can quit making baseless attacks with no factual backup, then we’d all be fine.”
Please point to anything that can back up your ridiculous claim. You must have some real issues “Sophia”. I’d love to see you offer something useful and credible just once. But I realize that is just too much to ask of you “Sophia”.
LOL!!!! What a joke!!!
Did Janet talk to Paul Lucas during the 2006 Assembly race? Yes.
Did Janet give damaging materials to Paul Lucas to attack Van Tran? Yes
Did Paul Lucas confirm these facts on his letter? Yes.
What else don’t you understand?
Due to the increasingly unseemly nature of the comments on this thread, comments have been closed.