UPDATE, MAY 18, 9:05 A.M.: The following arrived in my inbox this morning:
This statement is incorrect:
“Baugh, the former state assemblyman … is currently a fan of “Calexit,” the California version of Brexit. The U.K. strategy involves pulling out of the European Union, while Calexit would break California into up to six distinct states.”
Baugh is a fan of a plan to split California up. Splitting up California is not Calexit. Calexit means leaving America. Baugh never supported our movement and we attacked him for his attempt to split CA up.
http://www.pbs.org/video/calexit-is-seceding-from-trumps-america-good-for-socal-bwviz5/
He called his idea to split CA up–“Calexit”–it is not the Calexit movement. Please print correction. Baugh never supported us. We opposed him. Calexit is not a plan to split CA up. It is a plan to secede.
Sincerely,
Marcos Ruiz Evans, President of Yes CA/ CALEXIT Campaign
ORIGINAL POST, MAY 18, 6:14 A.M.: Remember that recent Dana Watch that mentioned the progressive group raising money for a billboard of Russian stack dolls resembling Vladimir Putin, Scott Baugh and Representative Dana Rohrabacher (R-Vlady’s Hand Puppet)?
If you don’t recall, it’s right here–Dana Watch: Guys and Dolls.
That story mentioned that Blue Uprising, the PAC behind the billboard, needed many more donations to reach its $2,000 goal.
Well, bust my Starka, the goal was reached!
At noon today, BlueUprising.org is hosting Democrats, progressives and activists for an unveiling of the billboard near 15607 Beach Blvd., Westminster.
“Our goal is to show Congressional District 48 the connection between Dana Rohrabacher and Scott Baugh, highlighting their political history and relationships,” say organizers from Blue Uprising, which is taking aim not only at the 48th’s incumbent and fellow Republican challenger but the seats of representatives Scott Taylor (R-Virginia), Carlos Curbelo (R-Florida) and Darrell Issa (R-Vista), who is retiring from the district that includes Dana Point and San Clemente.
Blue Uprising’s beef has to do with the incumbents’ stands on climate change, offshore oil drilling, Marine Protected Areas, sustainable energy, single-use plastics and fishing/catching. But the billboard takes direct aim at the current controversy regarding Russian meddling in U.S. elections.
As depicited in the photo above, if you face the image of the matryoshka–or Russian wooden stacking dolls–Putin is shown as the largest figure on the left. Moving to the right, in descending sizes, are dolls of U.S. President Donald Trump, Rohrabacher, Baugh and, finally, a tiny Putin.
Trump is depicted because of the Russian collusion case being made against him. Rohrabacher is labeled “Putin’s Favorite Congressman” as the more brutal the revelations are about the current Russian regime, the more the veteran Huntington Beach-based lawmaker seems to love him some Vlady.
Baugh, the former state assemblyman and Orange County Republican Party chairman who is running the same June primary election as the congressman seeking reelection, is shown not because of Putin/Russian ties, but because he was a Rohrabacher protégé, has been a slimy campaigner and is currently a fan of “Calexit,” the California version of Brexit. The U.K. strategy involves pulling out of the European Union, while Calexit would breaking California into up to six distinct states.
Those who want to attend today’s billboard unveiling are asked to RSVP via Eventbrite or Facebook.
OC Weekly Editor-in-Chief Matt Coker has been engaging, enraging and entertaining readers of newspapers, magazines and websites for decades. He spent the first 13 years of his career in journalism at daily newspapers before “graduating” to OC Weekly in 1995 as the alternative newsweekly’s first calendar editor.