by the Left Coast Rebel

Yesterday’s post, “It’s the People of Congressional District 47’s Seat, Stupid” pointed the shocking revelation made by Democratic Rep. Loretta Sanchez to Spanish-only Univision.

Think of it as a modern era, Paul Revere-esque, “The British are Coming,” except in the case of Loretta Sanchez, a racist, “The Vietnamese and Republicans are Coming.”


A refresher:

Loretta Sanchez’ opponent in California’s 47th Congressional district is Van Tran, a Vietnamese American born in South Saigon in 1964.

One can connect-the-dots and easily assume that Loretta Sanchez was directly referring to Van Tran, his family, friends and local Vietnamese in Orange County, California.

Late last night, Van Tran‘s campaign manager, George Andrews was kind enough to offer a statement on Loretta Sanchez’s “Vietnamese and Republicans” quote revealed yesterday.

George Andrews writes :

“At a time when our state faces an unemployment rate above 12%, Loretta Sanchez resorts to insensitive racist attacks against her own constituents. Her attack against immigrants and the Vietnamese community on national television is shocking.
The 47^th congressional district belongs to the people and not an individual ethnicity. This is one of many incidents demonstrating that Loretta Sanchez is disconnected with the values of central Orange County. In fact, she has attended more parties at the Playboy Mansion than bills passed in Congress. Her record is abysmal and so all she has to run on is personal attacks.”

That’s a great response and shows a very mature campaign, in my opinion. At this point, the Van Tran campaign seems to be simply allowing Loretta Sanchez fall on her sword, so to speak.

This will certainly shape up to be an interesting race! Visit Van Tran’s site here.

Updated: Chip Hanlon at Red County requested a response from Loretta Sanchez on the Vietnamese comment. He got one (kind of) from the Sanchez campaign manager Jessica Mejia:

I received the response from team Sanchez. I’ll reproduce here, but read below it for some last thoughts from me on this for clarification:

“During the interview, the Congresswoman was referencing those in the Vietnamese community who are supporting her opponent.

“Ultimately this election is about moving Orange County forward – not backward. And Congresswoman Sanchez is focused on continuing to fight for good-paying jobs, better schools, safe neighborhoods, quality and affordable health care, and human rights. These are critical issues for all families in California’s 47th Congressional District, including those in the Vietnamese community.”

Jessica Mejia
Campaign Manager

Further, I asked Sanchez’s spokesperson if the congresswoman would ever repeat such a thing in front of an English-speaking audience. Heres the verbatim reply:

“Congresswoman Sanchez’s message throughout her community is the same – she is focused on how we can work together to rebuild our economy and get people back to work, strengthen our schools, and make sure everyone has access to quality, affordable health care. Though her district is diverse, her constituents share the same priorities. And she is committed to doing all she can to help them.”

Chip Hanlon thinks the above is a non-response at best — so do I.

Interestingly, Chip Hanlon narrowed in more on Loretta Sanchez saying that Van Tran was “anti-Hispanic” in Spanish, in the video above rather than “the Vietnamese and Republicans are trying to take away this seat.”

I believe the latter and not the former is far more inflammatory. Apparently so does Van Tran critic, OC Weekly‘s Gustavo Arellano who actually broke the entire “Vietnamese are coming” story in the first place:

Besides, I’m shocked that the Trannies didn’t jump on Loretta’s race-baiting against Vietnamese voters in her disaster of an interview.

In the same answer, Sanchez tells Ramos in pocha Spanish that Democrats might not come out to vote, thereby sealing a comeback for the GOP. It’s especially worrisome for her, she says, because “the Vietnamese and the Republicans are–with an intensity (emphasis hers)–trying to take away this seat, this seat that we [Democrats] have done so much for our community, take away this seat from us and give it to this Van Tran, who’s very anti-immigrant and very anti-Latino.”

I won’t dispute Loretta’s characterization of Tran, but seriously, Loretta: “Vietnamese” are trying to take your seat? Whither Phu Nguyen? Whither Bao Nguyen? Whither the Vietnamese you try to court by wearing ill-fitting ao dais at a Paris by Night production? GREAT sound bite to recruit more Viets for your campaign. ¡Tan pendeja que eres!

Gustavo Arellano is ‘shocked’ because the Van Tran camp initially seized upon an Obama quote from Sanchez during her Univision appearance. Gustavo is hostile to the Van Tran candidacy and supporters (calls them a ‘teabagger’ equivalent – ‘trannies’) yet he obviously is disgusted by Loretta Sanchez’s racist comment about the Vietnamese. Interesting….

You should really read the comments at his article too.