Judging from letters to the editor and the fiery exchanges between supporters of Liberate Laguna and Laguna Village, certain issues really enflamed people’s passion this election season. There was, of course, Measure P, questions about future development, parking, design review, and what to do with the homeless, among others. Future city council meetings promise to be very interesting.
But for me, these issues paled in comparison to who would be elected to represent our congressional district in the House of Representatives. For 30 years, Dana Rohrabacher has been the congressman for various parts of Orange County. Lately, his district has included our fair town. No longer. Finally, thankfully, his reign of error has come to an end. It took several days after the election for the count to be finished, but Saturday night the Associated Press declared a winner. Harley Rouda will now represent the 48th District of California.
Goodbye Dana, and thanks for the memories. You told some real whoppers and managed to keep a straight face. Man-made global warming is a “fraud” you said. Ninety-seven percent of climate scientists say otherwise. As a person who represented a costal region, one would think you might be a little more concerned about this. You said that the ice caps were actually increasing in size. They aren’t. You said polar bears are not endangered. They are.
Now that you have more time on your hands, perhaps you can study the issue a little more closely.
Another Rohrabacher classic was his description of the Charlottesville violence caused by neo-Nazis. He said it was a “hoax” orchestrated by Clinton and Sanders supporters. Oh, I forgot, there were “fine people on both sides,” especially those guys with the tiki torches shouting “Jews will not replace us.”
Then there is the elephant in the room: Congressmen Rohrabacher’s bromance with Putin. Believing that a better relationship with a murderous thug who wants to revive the Russian Empire is in our interests, our congressman took the “see no evil” approach. Putin murders opponents, meddles in our elections, and does his best to destabilize Europe and the NATO alliance. Yet, after Russia’s actions in Ukraine, Rohrabacher was one of only a handful in the House to vote against sanctions. By the way, the vote in the Senate was 98 to 2.
So friendly was Rohrabacher with Russia, that, in 2012, the FBI warned him Russia regarded him as an intelligence source. Rohrabacher laughed that one off.
In June 2016, Republican Majority Leader of the House, Kevin McCarthy, was caught on tape saying, “There are two people I think Putin pays: Trump and Rohrabacher.” When the tape became public, the Majority Leader said he was just joking. Nevertheless, I think this sheds a little light on what many in his own party think of Rohrabacher’s relationship with this former KGB agent.
I realize a large number of people in the 48th will lament the passing of the “surfing congressman.” They will miss his 93 percent rating from the NRA, his zero percent rating from NARAL, and his vote against the reauthorization of the Violence Against Women Act.
Some may bemoan the fact that Congress has lost a member who believed homeowners should not have to sell to gay people. Good grief, how far back in time do we want to go?
If you thought Congressman Rohrabacher was an effective representative, ask yourself a few questions. How many of his bills became law? How often did he miss votes? In 30 years, how many committees did he chair?
My grandfather was a congressman from 1952 to 1970, and his district included Laguna Beach. He had some pretty extreme views. Dana Rohrabacher was cut from the same cloth. Finally, a change has come.
Welcome Congressman-elect Harley Rouda. In him, we in the 48th will have a representative who will fight for the interests of the middle class, protect those with pre-existing medical conditions, help to act as a check on our president, and will not be a shill for Putin. Happy days are here again.
James Utt is the author of “Laguna Tales and Boomer Wails.” He is extremely happy to see a patch of blue over our city.
Hurray for Harley! It’s a new day in Orange County.
Could it be that Orange County will be represented in congress by Democrats?! It looks like all the congressional districts now have elected Democrats to represent them. I don’t know what will happen with our new Orange County representatives, but I do know that there will be a dramatic change in Washington D.C. My only caution to Mr. Utt is that he be prepared to take to task any Democrat who begins to go off the deep end like Rohrabacher.
“Reign of error” is the perfect description! The “surfing Congressman” was such a joke. No bonafide surfer would ever consider running a toll road next to one of the greatest surf spots in the worlds, Trestles. Yet, that’s what Dana and his friends in the TCA tried to do before grassroots organizations united and won that battle. Good riddance, Dana. You will not be missed.