MLK And Why I Want To Reform The Republican Party

By in Politics, Religion Tags: , ,

 

Martin Luther King, Jr. was murdered 50 years ago today. I don’t remember because I was a baby. As I write this I wonder if I’m doing the politically correct thing. This blog is not “part” of my campaign.

It’s just a place for me to jot down stuff that’s on my mind.

 

Today I campaigned and had meetings and was on Twitter and read the article in The Daily Beast, where I talked about how I will not be silent about my opponent, Dana Rohrabacher. He works in Congress to ease sanctions on wicked human rights abusers. He’s done this for years. Even GOP leaders have had to censure him for lobbying to help murderers.

Many people here in Orange County don’t seem to care about Russia. They care about the economy, high housing costs, healthcare. So do I. But all of these people that “don’t care”…they really do care. They are people who volunteer in soup kitchens. They give money to humanitarian causes. They go on church missions trips to India and countries in Africa. They help orphans.

So when I start telling them more about how Putin suspended the adoptions of sick Russian babies, as “retaliation” for the U.S. imposing sanctions on these murderers, they start listening.

It’s weird. The Democrats are the ones that have a reputation of caring about human rights and civil rights and social justice. Overwhelmingly they are the ones who speak out when an innocent black man gets shot by police. They are the ones who believe racism is a real problem today. They are the ones that want to see innocent Syrian refugees given hope.

It’s the Democrats that are the social activists. They are posting about MLK today.

I want to change that.

Why should one party have a monopoly on issues of human rights, civil rights, and social justice? Yesterday my opponent Rohrabacher said the shooter at the YouTube headquarters “could be” an illegal immigrant. I was so angry. I sent out a national press release. You can read it here. You should read it, especially if you find yourself bothered with this post.

I want to reform the Republican Party. I want both parties to be equally concerned with the well-being of those on the fringes of society. I’m not the only Republican who has ever felt this way. I think of people like the late Jack Kemp.

As a follower of Jesus, I want my party to have the heart mercy and compassion. Not just “law and order” — “law and order and mercy and compassion.”

Dr. King was murdered because, like Jesus, he was a threat. A threat to the status quo, the hatred, the scapegoating of people of color.

He had a dream to end bigotry and racism. People thought he was crazy when he started his campaign as a teenager. But today we have a national holiday in his memory. We have not reached the promised land, but we are far closer than we were in the early 1960’s.

Republican activists for human rights and civil rights and social justice.

Just imagine.

 

Dear Jeff: I Am The Democrats’ Best Option

By in Politics Tags:

 

(This is a letter I wrote to Jeff Pearlman, who writes the blog “www.crazydana.com.” He posted it on his site.)

Hi Jeff:

I’ve been reading your comments about the race. I don’t gloat in the predicament the Democrats find themselves in. As I told you when we met a few months ago, I’d rather see one of the Democrats than Dana.

He has no business representing our nation. He enables the worlds most dangerous dictator, Vladimir Putin — a man that imprisons, and tortures and poisons dissenters, a man that banned sick Russian orphan children from being adopted in America.

But I agree with what you and virtually every political pollster and Democrat leader have been saying: A Democrat can’t win unless a bunch of their candidates drop out. And a bunch of Democrats are not going to drop out. There will be NINE of them on the ballot.

Because of that, I believe a vote for one of the Democrats is a vote for Rohrabacher or Baugh.

Here’s why.

The 2016 primary, a Presidential primary which is always has a larger turnout than a midterm, had 71,000 Democrats and 93,000 Republicans voting, respectfully. Let’s assume 85,000 Democrats will vote in the June primary. (I’ve run this number by three well respected national consultants/polling experts, and all three, based on history and recent national turnout, think the number is too high.)

But let’s use it anyway. And let’s divide the 85,000 votes by the 7 viable Democrat candidates, perhaps giving one frontrunner 30%, which would be quite a feat. That candidate would receive 25,500 votes. I realize that any of those Democrat candidates or supporters reading this firmly believe they/their candidate will be the exception and get 40% or higher. Of course, this is part of the reason none of them will get out. There are many possible scenarios; let’s give two of the candidates 35%. Here, each would receive 29,750 votes.

The Republicans will have around 100,000 voting in June. You have an incumbent and an OC GOP insider. Both with money. Both with expertise. Both incredibly connected. Then there a few other far right-wing candidates.

I imagine something like this. Baugh gets 35,000 votes, Dana gets 40,000. Or vice versa. I know you’ve done the math.

Then you have the candidate who was encouraged last summer by a former Obama senior staffer to enter this race because, as he said, it’s a moderate Republican district and I’d have a unique voice, versus Rohrabacher or someone who only appeals to the extreme-right fringe of part of the party.

Given the math above, I think the Democrats might consider asking themselves one of those “lesser of evils” questions. Namely, “Who would you rather have as your Congressman, Dana Rohrabacher, Scott Baugh, or Paul Martin?”

Hey, I get how disgusted Democrats are with the GOP. Trust me, I’m lambasted all day long for being “one of them” You should see my Twitter feed, just today.

But I’m not one of them.

So, what am I then?

When asked to share a bit of my background, I remind voters that ending  physical, emotional, and spiritual suffering has been my life work:

  • I’ve devoted most of my professional/executive life to non-profit organizations ranging from the March of Dimes to homelessness prevention agencies, to working with at-risk teens, to pastoral ministry, well before I dreamed of running for public office.
  • Since 2015, I’ve written a blog, paulosophia.com, where I have castigated the racist, misogynist, and xenophobic speech and policies of Trump and the GOP. Just one example is my post Making America White Again which was in response to racist rhetoric coming from Trump, and bigotry I saw in our local community, especially amongst fellow Christians. I also reflect on my father’s struggles being a Mexican growing up with segregated schools here in Orange County, and my mother’s challenges as a poor Italian immigrant.
  • In response to Trump’s “Travel Ban” (which I have often referred to as a “Muslim Ban”), I launched a peacebuilding campaign early last year called The Christian Muslim Alliance christianmuslimalliance.com with support from friends including Reza Aslan, Hussam Ayloush, Executive Director of the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR) and other progressive Muslims. During that campaign, I was featured in a number of media channels including this episode on Trump’s bigotry in the progressive media outlet, UpWorthy.
  • I host a podcast, whypartisan.com with my friend and Costa Mesa resident Kristen Howerton. It started as a weekly Facebook live event during the presidential primaries in 2016. We talk about social justice, and the intersection of race, religion, and public policy, in a format intended to be accessible to all voters. Kristen is a self-proclaimed socialist, and also a well-known mom blogger who writes on racism (largely because of hate she has experienced firsthand because of her two black adopted sons). We agree, often. I am criticized by Republicans for “agreeing with her too much.”
  • For years, I have written and spoken about the need for gun control, about wage disparity, immigrants and about other issues that groupthink Republicans don’t like to talk about.

I also ask voters to take a closer look at my positions, during the campaign:

  • I inform them that I speak frequently and strongly about Rohrabacher’s betrayal of country and human rights abuses at campaign events, on social media, and most recently in The Observer, NPR, Forbes Magazine, and The Beat with Ari Melber on MSNBC (forthcoming).
  • I share with them that I am working closely with influencers who are “in the trenches” regarding Russia. For example, this week, I will be in New York City meeting with other activists, media, academics, and other leaders who are intricately involved in working to end the human rights abuses of Putin, via sanctions and other methods.
  • I remind them that though I’m a Republican and lifelong gun owner who will protect the Second Amendment, people like Shannon Watts, founder of Moms Demand Action, see my activism and enthusiastically support my voice. (Shannon has helped me in my work and has retweeted me for standing up to the NRA.)
  • I ask them to visit the “Conviction” page of my campaign website. These videos are a way for me to share my unfiltered views on guns, DACA, homelessness, etc., oftentimes to the chagrin of people in my own party.
  • I tell them that the values I espouse are far bigger than any political party and that I’ve lost friends and family by speaking up for them.
  • I try to convince them I have a far louder and effective voice from within the Republican Party. The proof is that Republicans are listening to my message, locally, and nationally.

A few last thoughts.

I’ve told some Democrats recently that while Scott Baugh is clearly not an acceptable choice for them, should he slay the giant, at least they will have someone loyal to the interests of our great nation, as opposed to our greatest foreign adversary.

I can’t count how many lifelong progressives are donating to my campaign, volunteering, etc. It’s humbling. For every one of them, there are countless Independents and moderate Republicans that, like the Obama staffer had said, are thrilled to finally have a centrist alternative.

Like you, like the countless local and national pundits who write about how the Democrats are splitting the vote, like local Democrat leaders including Fran Sdao, my Democrat supporters believe the vote will be split, and fear that two Republicans far-right Republicans will advance.

So instead of rolling the dice on Baugh or Rohrabacher, they are endorsing my campaign.

Here’s a comment I received from a very progressive millennial recently on Facebook:

 

Like I said when we first met, I’d rather have one of the Democrats than Dana. He is utterly unacceptable.

But, like many believe, including yourself, the numbers don’t add up.

I include my official Candidate Statement below. Yes, I want to reform the Republican Party. And I’m working to bring that about, even at the risk of crazies on the extreme right deeming me a “liberal.”

Best,

 

Paul

 

P.S. I think you’ve visited my website, but if not you can at www.paulmartinforcongress.com.

 

CANDIDATE STATEMENT

Paul Martin, Republican

I want to reform the Republican Party. Because for decades, GOP bureaucrats have failed us. They have politicized serious issues that affect all Americans. Today, the GOP has an identity problem. In order to stay relevant, the party must change.

I am a pro-growth strong fiscal conservative who will work for lower taxes and a smaller federal government. President Reagan’s axiom “peace through strength” is my guideline for national security. I will stand-up to Russian president Vladimir Putin and any other enemies of America who attempt to undermine our democracy and freedoms.

But protecting children through common sense gun safety, advocating for a cleaner planet so we can all breathe clean air and enjoy clean water and coastlines, and working to help prevent rising homelessness — these are not “liberal” issues. And though I am a lifelong gun owner, I am willing to confront the NRA — our moral duty is to protect our children. I will also defend the rights of seniors, the underemployed, minorities, the poor, and younger voters.

I have worked as a businessman, philanthropist, Christian pastor, and writer. I have always championed values of personal responsibility, compassion for those in need, and a belief that all share a calling to make our world a better place.

I am an Orange County native and lifelong Republican. I hold a B.A. from UCLA and an M.A. from Biola University. I am happily married to Gina. We live in Costa Mesa with our 5 amazing children, ages 22, 19, 18, 17 and 16.

Dana’s Crazy New Conspiracy Theory

By in Politics Tags:

So, I almost fell out of my chair (again) just now. My opponent Dana Rohrabacher is well known for his award-winning discoveries. You know, that global warming is a “hoax.” That the tragedy in Charlottesville was a “staged” event put on by the Democrats. That Russia meddling is also a “hoax.”
It just got even better.
Last week Dana’s office released the below Press Release. Lots of, er, “interesting” thoughts. The one that stands out is the announcement that the Russians tried to help…Hillary Clinton. 
I always wonder when his conspiracy theories will end. People, he believes this stuff, even though Republicans and Democrats and Trump Jr.’s email all prove the opposite — namely, that the Russians helped Trump and Trump will not impose sanctions on them for their attack on our Democracy and Trump and Rohrabacher to this day will not say one negative thing about Vladamir Putin.

Whacky.

If you’d like to learn more a candidate the prefers facts to ficiton, please visit my campaing page here.

_______________________________________________________________
Feb 16, 2018
Press Release

WASHINGTON – Rep. Dana Rohrabacher, chairman of the House Foreign Affairs Subcommittee on Europe, Eurasia, and Emerging Threats, today released the following statement on the indictment of Russian nationals for allegedly meddling in the 2016 U.S. presidential election:

What stands out in this indictment of Russian nationals – which is serious enough and must be addressed – is that the Special Counsel stressed his investigators found no evidence the meddling influenced the outcome of the 2016 election. Indeed, the indictment indicates the Russians put out propaganda mischievously supporting both the Trump and the Clinton campaigns.

The indictment also stresses that “unwitting” Americans in and out of the Trump campaign were approached. One cannot, it seems to me, act as an unwitting colluder – a contradiction in terms. That suggests that, after all these months of the Mueller probe, the “collusion” theory will likely collapse, and soon. At last, Americans will be able to clear the air of all the conspiracy theory smoke the Democrats have been pumping into the media in order to discredit President Trump’s election.

############

Kenneth Grubbs, 202-225-2415

Dear Elliot (Part I)

By in Parenting, Relationships, Teenagers Tags: , , ,

 

This post isn’t about my campaign. But in a way, it might be.

A little while ago, my son, Elliot, asked me about my ancestors. I shared a some of my memories with him. Then I decided to scribble some of what I remember in the form of a letter because memories become fixed when they are written down…

Dear Elliot:

You have a very rich history with respect to your ancestors. I assume all people think that of their own families, but it’s just a fact of yours. Your ancestors, on both sides, have worked very hard to overcome very significant obstacles. On my side, I refer mostly to Nonna’s family, who I want to write about today.

After WWII most Europe, including Italy, was in total ruins. Think about that for a minute. Entire cities and towns were essentially leveled. Businesses had closed. Millions had died. My grandparents — my Nonna and Nonno — were dirt poor. They had nothing, like so many others. I remember going to their town in Umbria, Stroncone. Nonna told me that the German soldiers told them to flee to the hills if they wanted to live. Nonno would steal chickens to feed his family.

With grit and determination, they immigrated to America. That probably doesn’t sound like too big of a deal. But it involved unbelievable financial cost. And also it was scary — leaving your home, friends and many relatives for a completely foreign land. It was so expensive that half of the family moved there first (my Nonna and two of my uncles) so they could earn money in America. Then my Nonno came with Nonna and my other uncle. I don’t know if you remember the video that Uncle Tim made, but we have footage of Nonna getting off the plane when she was 12 and running to see her mother and brothers who she hadn’t seen in two years.

Some of their extended family came with them. Millions from Europe, in fact, fled. I remember Nonna saying that, at one point, they lived in a tiny two bedroom house with one bathroom. There was their family of 6, and another family of 5. Imagine.

It’s hard to describe how amazing my grandparents were. I just don’t know what to write. My Nonno was the most exuberant, happy, emotional in a healthy way, hardworking man. He was humble and the epitome of a “real man.” He laughed a lot. He used to rub his stubble on our face when we were little. It hurt but in that giggly kind of way. His garden in the front and back was just remarkable. He was a carpenter. Apparently, he fought in WWI as a young man in North Africa. They lived in Whittier, which is just about 30 minutes northwest of Costa Mesa. He worked in downtown Los Angeles. I remember him going to work and coming home because we spent a lot of time there when I was very young. Grandpa and Nonna owned a hair salon in Whittier so they would drop us off there.

My Nonna used to make this drink with milk, sugar, and egg. I remember the sugar sticking to the egg and it tasted like candy. (This is all sounding so old like it happened 100 years ago!) I have vague memories of her hiding my baby bottle. They were trying to get me to finally drink out of a real cup, or glass. She put it on a top cabinet shelf in her kitchen (which I still so remember). I saw it one day when she was putting dishes away. I looked up and cried and begged her for it. She said in her very broken English, “You can’t have it, there’s a snake inside it.” I would ask again from time to time and she kept saying the snake was still in there.

I don’t know if there’s a human being that’s shaped me as much as my Nonna. She was the most selfless individual I have ever met or even read of. All she did, almost quite literally, was care for others. All she did was work around the house and garden. Nonna used to yell at her, telling her to sit down during dinner because she would serve and clean while everyone else was eating. My Nonna would get so mad at Nonna. Eventually, she’d sit down but she would sit on the corner of the chair and reluctantly eat as if she was being punished. She didn’t know how to receive; she was all giving. She cared for animals as much as she cared for people. She would always dump out the water of our dogs, goats, horses, chickens, etc. and refill with clean water. She always wore a dress and usually an apron.

In retrospect, I’m certain this wasn’t completely healthy: self-care is vital. But I’m just telling you what she was like and that there was something about this kind of work ethic and selflessness that I find full of virtue.

When I was 18 I worked as a waiter. No cell phones in those days. My manager came to me and said I had an important phone call. I don’t remember who it was actually, but they told me my Nonna was in the hospital and I needed to go there immediately. Grandpa and Nonna were in Mexico on vacation. I got to the hospital and Nonna was unconscious. They said they could perform a surgery but the chances were high that she would have brain damage.

I told them I had to go talk to my Nonno. I drove to his house. He had this recliner chair that he would always sit in and watch TV. He lay in the chair, hugging an 8” x 10” photo of his lifelong soul mate. He was hysterical, crying “Oh God, Oh God, no, please, no.” Over and over and over.

I tried to console him. I asked him if he wanted to the doctors to perform the surgery. He couldn’t answer, he just kept holding the picture and crying. (I’m crying as I write this.)

I had to make the decision on what to do. They had been married for over 50 years.

I drove back to the hospital and told them, “no surgery.”

She died a few hours later. Then Nonna and Grandpa and family arrived and we all grieved and soon had her funeral.

(As an aside, we don’t know if she had Alzheimers or hardening of the arteries or both. But a few years before she died her mind started to slip. She forgot how to speak English. She’d steal things and hide them. She’d get really angry with us. It was really sad and in ways resembles what started happening to Nonna in the year before her stroke.)

Nonno eventually met another lady a few years later at his church (they were, of course, Roman Catholics). Her name was Jenny. She was Italian. They got married and were together for I think around 20 years until she died. She was a very nice lady, but not like my Nonna.

Nonno’s health eventually started to fade in his early 90’s. This was weird because he was such an incredibly strong man. I remember he had the strongest hands. I don’t know if he had an ounce of fat on him. Anyway, Nonna eventually took him in. When he was dying we were all around him.

I remember being in the bedroom with my sisters and Nonna watching him fade so vividly, though, for some reason, it seems more sad and real today in certain respects than it did then. I think Bree remembers the funeral and the memorial which, as the Catholics do, was open casket.

When we are younger — at least for me — we don’t care as much about stuff like grandparents, family, ancestors, etc. But even in writing this I can say for certain that nothing matters more to me than my family.

Maybe I will write soon about Grandpa and his family but I have to go now. But one more thing. Grandpa always talks about “La Familia” and how “It’s all about family.”

I couldn’t agree with him more.

 

 

The Problem Is Not Roy Moore. The Problem Is Hate.

By in Politics, Religion Tags: ,

 

“What issues will resonate with voters?”

Candidates spend a lot of time asking this question. So we talk to voters. We watch the news. We accumulate data to find “winning issues.”

Research is a big part of campaigning. REALLY BIG. You need to craft a message based on issues that will be popular — popular enough to get enough votes to win.

The political term for this is populism.

In an ethically ideal world, every candidate would work hard to reconcile his or her own convictions with the popular ones — make sure you actually believe what you say you care about. In my candidacy for United State House of Representatives, I am running on my own convictions.

I have yet to purchase any polling data.

Some of my views, in fact, collide with those of my own party. For example, I’m certain our representatives in Congress should do more to decrease senseless gun violence in America. It would save lives. Parents wouldn’t be afraid to send their kids to concerts. Or, school.

But, as weird as it might sound, gun safety is not a popular Republican issue. It’s the opposite. The NRA is the biggest special interest group in the country and they spend countless millions of dollars getting Republicans elected and fighting virtually every bill to regulate firearms.

I’ve angered lots of fellow Republicans — those in my own party — over my stance on gun safety.

But I don’t’ care what the Republicans think. I don’t care what the polls say. As a U.S. Congressman, I believe it would be my solemn duty to keep innocent people safe. Especially children. (Since 2013, there have been over 200 school shootings in America — an average of nearly one a week.).

Today is the special election in Alabama for United States Senate. And for months, people around the country have been hearing about Roy Moore — his positions, his views, the issues he is running on. They are learning about a man that claims to be running as an Evangelical Christian, and who is informed by the teachings of the Bible.

 

Like all political candidates, Moore has his issues. And, like all candidates, one of three things must be true about what Moore has to say.

1. He doesn’t really believe his positions but thinks they are popular “winning” issues that, based on research, will get him elected.

2. He actually believes his positions as a matter of personal conviction.

3. Both 1 and 2.

So here are a few of the positions of Roy Moore.

Regarding LGBT issues: “Homosexual conduct should be illegal, yes.”

After equating homosexuality with bestiality, he said his position was “a moral precept upon which this country was founded.”

At a recent Moore campaign rally, one of the few African Americans in the crowd asked when the last time he thought America was great. Moore responded, “I think it was great at the time when families were united — even though we had slavery — they cared for one another…. Our families were strong, our country had a direction.”

When asked if Obama was born in the U.S., a claim that delegitimizes our nation’s first African American President, Moore said in 2016, “My personal belief is that he wasn’t.”

When asked about evolution, Moore claimed: “There is no such thing as evolution…”

The list of Moore’s campaign positions seems endless. Just a few days ago he said, “Now we have blacks and whites fighting, reds and yellows fighting, Democrats and Republicans fighting, men and women fighting.” Yes, he said “red” and “yellows.”

Perhaps most notable is his view that getting rid of constitutional amendments after the Tenth Amendment would “eliminate many problems.”

For those unsure about what Moore’s vision would look like, Amendments adopted after the 10th include the 13th, which ended slavery, the 15th, which prohibited federal and state governments from denying citizens the right to vote based on “race, color, or previous condition of servitude,” and the 19th, which allowed women to vote.

Some are wondering why would Moore repeatedly campaign based on a message of homophobia, misogyny, and racism.

So why would a political candidate risk offending millions of Americans that deem such positions backward at best and evil at worst?

It’s pretty simple: the candidate believes his positions are true or he believes voters do. Or, both.

But here’s the most important thing. Whether Moore believes the things he says or not, millions of voters in Alabama want to elect him into office, including President Trump.

As a citizen of the U.S., as a candidate for Congress, and as a Christian, I see Moore’s positions as problematic.

But win or lose, the problem isn’t Roy Moore.

The problem is hate.

 Learn more about my campaign HERE.
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