Friday, February 5, 2010

Don Wagner's Dough plus Don under Attack by "Atheist Professors" (Rebel Girl)

As we all know, trustee and board president Don Wagner is running in the Republican primary for the state assembly for the seat vacated by Chuck DeVore.

Two days ago in his blog Total Buzz, OC Register reporter Martin Wisckol reported that the "money is flowing in the race for the 70th Assembly."

excerpt:
"A lot of dough is being laid on the table by the three Republicans vying for the Assembly seat being vacated by Chuck DeVore, R-Irvine. And most of it is from the candidates (sic) own pockets. Bottom line? It looks like it’s anybody’s race at this point, and a lot of campaign money could be spent before it’s over.

Irvine attorney Don Wagner, who sits on the South Orange County Community College Board, raised the most through the end of 2009, according to campaign finance reports due Monday. He raised $142,000 - including $100,000 he loaned his campaign - and had $113,000 remaining in his account."
The other two candidates, Steven Choi and Jerry Amante, raised $105,000 and $115,000, respectively.

In the comments section, Wisckol directs his readers to the links for the campaign disclosure statements for each candidate.

Now Rebel Girl is a curious gal, so she clicked over and ran through the names of the people who are bankrolling Wagner's bid for office. She wanted to see who had ponied up, who supported Wagner's ultra-right platform and was willing to put money down to see it promoted in Sacramento.

Needless to say, she recognized quite a few donors. Some were the usual suspects and others were surprises. Wagner scores some bucks from his fellow trustees, from the two college presidents and even Raghu. (College presidents write bigger checks than chancellors.) Lots of lawyers. And a few college professors. It all adds up. Ka-ching.

Emilee Tello, by the way, (yes, that Tello) is identified as "treasurer" on page 4. You might remember her last stint as a campaign treasurer for disgraced congressional candidate Tan Nguyen, he of the infamous "emigrado" letter and the unforgettable song sensation, Stand by Our Tan. The case against Nguyen (he faces obstruction of justice charges) is still moving through the courts. Good times.

To see the list of contributors for yourself, click here.

You'll need to scroll down to page four.

To remind yourself what Wagner stands for, just visit his campaign website by clicking here.


You'll find a link to Don's "issues" - the typical dirty laundry list: jobs (he's for them), crime (he's against it), taxes (no, no, no), families ("the bedrock of our civilization," "defend marriage"), etc. No surprises.

BUT check out the issue front and center on his home page: "We need more faith in public places," declares Don. Readers are encouraged to: "Help defend Don from the attacks."

Who is attacking Don?

"Atheist college professors" and "anonymous students."

excerpt:
"Don Wagner is no stranger to the fight for religious freedom – but today, Don is the target of the misguided efforts of the left-wing Americans United for the Separation of Church and State and needs your help.

Westphal v. Wagner, filed in 2009 by Americans United on behalf of a group of atheist college professors and anonymous students, targets Wagner, as president of the South Orange County Community College Board of Trustees, for opening district commencement ceremonies, awards ceremonies, and other events with invocations. These well-educated adult plaintiffs argue that they are “offended” and “uncomfortable” listening to a simple invocation before a college ceremony.

It has long been the aim of Americans United for the Separation of Church and State to drive any mention of God from public life, failing to recognize that the U.S. Constitution does not require open hostility to religion. Americans United suffered a major setback to its efforts when Wagner filed a motion to dismiss the lawsuit on the grounds that it was legally untenable and should be thrown out in its entirety – and the atheists’ attorneys actually agreed! But then, unwilling to accept the reality of the law, nor the role that God plays in American society, Americans United has rewritten the complaint and filed it again."
Now, Rebel Girl has read parts of the lawsuit. It's worth noting that not all the plaintiffs identify as atheists.

Professor Karla Westpahl declares herself an atheist but Professor Allanah Rosenberg identifies herself a a "devout Jew." Professor Margot Lovett testifies that she "was raised Jewish." Professors Claire Cesareo-Silva and Roy Bauer identify as agnostic. By Rebel Girl's reckoning, that's one atheist, two Jews and two agnostics - plus a self-identified "deist" student. But who's counting? Not Don. (Read the lawsuit here.)

Of course, for candidate Don Wagner's purposes, the "college professors" are all "atheist," - perhaps because their gods, their beliefs are not his...and his? Well, his are the only ones that count.

Or maybe he just wants the money, you know, the bucks he'll get to hold himself up as the defender of the one true faith.

For the rest of Wisckol's post, click here.
*

23 comments:

Anonymous said...

That's some list of contributors.

What are the ethics of people whose jobs are dependent on a candidate's votes giving a grand to the guys' campaign?

Anonymous said...

from reading his webpage it sounds like Don was the commentator on the blog yesterday razzing Roy...

Anonymous said...

Can we assume that many of the lawyers who contributed are those who seem to always get the huge billable hour contracts when the district and/or its board members need legal representation (and the taxpayers get to pay the bills)?

Like Raghu's legal bills of $25,000.00 for negotiating his withdrawal (it must have taken at least a day or two to come to terms).

Anonymous said...

I guess Raghu gave before the Great Unpleasantness.

Anonymous said...

Everyone knows that if you're not Christian you're an Atheist.

Anonymous said...

People donate $$$ because they want power for themselves - they don't care about Don's platform, they just care about themselves. Pretty effin cynical. Let Don screw the poor and demonize the gays and the immigrants - as long as he does what they want him to.

Anonymous said...

It's politics, babe.

Anonymous said...

If I give Don $100.00 can I get my own building too?

Anonymous said...

Those awful atheists, making life so hard for the poor powerless Christians.

Anonymous said...

$100 only gets you a hug. For a building, it's $500.

Anonymous said...

You're underestimating the horror, the pain, of knowing that atheists are among us, walking around freely, associating freely, and speaking their minds with impunity. Oh, the tears! The gnashing of teeth! Their pain counts too, you know, you godless, homosexual, Marxist, intellectual creep.

Anonymous said...

How about $250? What do I get for $250?

Anonymous said...

For $250 bucks you get to help crush other people's civil rights at the expense of your own petty agenda!

Anonymous said...

I may be a godless Marxist intellectual creep but at least I'm not a peter puffing little fairy. I do have standards, you know.

Anonymous said...

Family Action PAC gave Wagner $1,000.

Check them out here:

http://www.familyactionpac.com/

Whew.

Anonymous said...

Bill Hewitt - $1,000? I wonder what that's all about?

How come Glenn's not listed as a Defendant? Considering everyone else at that admin level is.

Something fishy here...

Anonymous said...

What's the max you can give?

Anonymous said...

Are you calling Don Wagner a liar?

Anonymous said...

The report is from July to December - which covers Don's big fundraiser at the Balboa Bay Club - but I thought the attendees there also contributed to his cmapiagn - some names seem to be missing.

ALSO Fuentes is still listed as endorsing Don - is that still true?

Anonymous said...

She's not calling Don a liar.

She is just pointing out the difference between what Don said and what the legal record reveals.

She's letting YOU call Don a liar.

Anonymous said...

That "Stand by Our Tan" is still such a strange relic of Orange County politics.

Thanks for the link.

Anonymous said...

Looks like John Williams endorsed Wagner's opponent Jerry Amante - even though he gave Wagner money.

Anonymous said...

Adam Probolsky is on Amantes' list too.

Roy's obituary in LA Times and Register: "we were lucky to have you while we did"

  This ran in the Sunday December 24, 2023 edition of the Los Angeles Times and the Orange County Register : July 14, 1955 - November 20, 2...