The Festering Wound Ripens...
RELIVING THAT MOMENT...
It's been a couple weeks since Mayor Jim Righeimer, in a fit of pique, called me (and four others) out by name during the Council Members Comments segment of the Costa Mesa City Council meeting on April 15th. If you want to relive that magic moment, click HERE, for the Daily Pilot coverage, including the short video clip of his rant.
LOTS OF REACTION
Since that evening we've seen lots of reaction. Folks have lined up on both sides of the issue - some pillorying me and others praising me. The two other grouchy old bloggers in town immediately - after they awoke from their naps - posted critical comments. No surprise there. If you want to read what they wrote you'll have to find them on your own.
SOME HISTORY...
I wrote about the experience early the next morning, HERE. A week later I wrote about dictators, in general, HERE. I responded to Righeimer's published demand for an apology with a little commentary in the Daily Pilot, HERE. The original Daily Pilot article has generated more than 100 comments. My original blog entry had a couple dozen and when I posted it on Facebook that entry generated more than 100 comments, too. And, a source of special amusement for me, my comment on the Facebook thread that started this whole controversy has seen the "likes" that drove him so nuts double since Righeimer made such a big deal about it.
SCREEN GRABS WORK BOTH WAYS
Even though both men have blocked me, I've seen screen grabs from Mayor Righeimer and his buddy, Mayor Pro Tem Steve Mensinger that mention me by name relative to this issue. Righeimer suggested in one entry that I have smeared his wife and family. Hmmm. Wonder how he came to that conclusion? Then, again, he tends to throw them out there as shields for criticism when he's worried about it. That certainly shows you something about his character, doesn't it? He also suggested that he and his sycophants pray for me. I'm trying to imagine that... it makes me smile when I contemplate the difficulty they must be having with that assignment.
REALLY, STEVE?
Mensinger suggests that I "take a cue from" Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas, who apparently recently spoke critically of the holocaust. Now THAT is interesting, since Abbas has been a holocaust denier for more than three decades and has vowed to destroy the state of Israel. So, Steve, what message would you have me learn from this man, exactly?
PONDERING IT...
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Over the weekend, during breaks from chores and quality moments with my lovely and very patient wife, I occasionally gave this some thought. Certainly, nobody would like to be compared to the most notorious dictator in modern times. I understand that. I certainly didn't say Righeimer was a Jew-killer, just that he acted like a guy who was.
MY STRONGEST MESSAGE
In fact, my opinion is that our mayor behaves like a dictator as he goes about doing what he perceives to be his job as mayor. When I compared him to another strutting dictator 75 years ago in Germany I was using the strongest message I could think of at the time to define his behavior. Subsequently, I thought Benito Mussolini might have been a better comparison, since Righeimer kind of looks like him. That satisfied nobody, apparently.
SHALL WE CONSIDER THIS?
Then, over the weekend, a friend shared a December 31, 1995 archived Los Angeles Times article, HERE, that seems to have some relevance. Mentioned in the article are Scott Baugh and Dana Rohrabacher, both of whom are strong supporters - mentors, actually - of our mayor. Both Rohrabacher and Reverand Lou Sheldon - a HUGE OC GOP supporter at the time - are quoted in that article. The use of the words "Nazis" and "Gestapo" should evoke the same kind of response by Righeimer, right? So, let me ask you... is this relevant to the issue at hand? Shall we consider the fact that folks with whom our mayor walks in lock-step politically conjure up similar images to make a point? Just askin'...
WHAT SHE SAID...
And, in case you're wondering.... No, I do not intend to apologize to the mayor for what I wrote. As Anna Vrska told him at the very end of that council meeting - when addressing his rant and her support of my right to make that comparison just before he tried, unsuccessfully, to shout her down - "I suggest you be a big boy and suck it up." I've got a feeling that before this campaign season is over what I wrote on that Facebook thread may not be the worst thing written about the mayor this year.
It's been a couple weeks since Mayor Jim Righeimer, in a fit of pique, called me (and four others) out by name during the Council Members Comments segment of the Costa Mesa City Council meeting on April 15th. If you want to relive that magic moment, click HERE, for the Daily Pilot coverage, including the short video clip of his rant.LOTS OF REACTION
Since that evening we've seen lots of reaction. Folks have lined up on both sides of the issue - some pillorying me and others praising me. The two other grouchy old bloggers in town immediately - after they awoke from their naps - posted critical comments. No surprise there. If you want to read what they wrote you'll have to find them on your own.SOME HISTORY...
I wrote about the experience early the next morning, HERE. A week later I wrote about dictators, in general, HERE. I responded to Righeimer's published demand for an apology with a little commentary in the Daily Pilot, HERE. The original Daily Pilot article has generated more than 100 comments. My original blog entry had a couple dozen and when I posted it on Facebook that entry generated more than 100 comments, too. And, a source of special amusement for me, my comment on the Facebook thread that started this whole controversy has seen the "likes" that drove him so nuts double since Righeimer made such a big deal about it.SCREEN GRABS WORK BOTH WAYS
Even though both men have blocked me, I've seen screen grabs from Mayor Righeimer and his buddy, Mayor Pro Tem Steve Mensinger that mention me by name relative to this issue. Righeimer suggested in one entry that I have smeared his wife and family. Hmmm. Wonder how he came to that conclusion? Then, again, he tends to throw them out there as shields for criticism when he's worried about it. That certainly shows you something about his character, doesn't it? He also suggested that he and his sycophants pray for me. I'm trying to imagine that... it makes me smile when I contemplate the difficulty they must be having with that assignment. REALLY, STEVE?
Mensinger suggests that I "take a cue from" Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas, who apparently recently spoke critically of the holocaust. Now THAT is interesting, since Abbas has been a holocaust denier for more than three decades and has vowed to destroy the state of Israel. So, Steve, what message would you have me learn from this man, exactly?PONDERING IT...
Over the weekend, during breaks from chores and quality moments with my lovely and very patient wife, I occasionally gave this some thought. Certainly, nobody would like to be compared to the most notorious dictator in modern times. I understand that. I certainly didn't say Righeimer was a Jew-killer, just that he acted like a guy who was. MY STRONGEST MESSAGE
In fact, my opinion is that our mayor behaves like a dictator as he goes about doing what he perceives to be his job as mayor. When I compared him to another strutting dictator 75 years ago in Germany I was using the strongest message I could think of at the time to define his behavior. Subsequently, I thought Benito Mussolini might have been a better comparison, since Righeimer kind of looks like him. That satisfied nobody, apparently.SHALL WE CONSIDER THIS?
Then, over the weekend, a friend shared a December 31, 1995 archived Los Angeles Times article, HERE, that seems to have some relevance. Mentioned in the article are Scott Baugh and Dana Rohrabacher, both of whom are strong supporters - mentors, actually - of our mayor. Both Rohrabacher and Reverand Lou Sheldon - a HUGE OC GOP supporter at the time - are quoted in that article. The use of the words "Nazis" and "Gestapo" should evoke the same kind of response by Righeimer, right? So, let me ask you... is this relevant to the issue at hand? Shall we consider the fact that folks with whom our mayor walks in lock-step politically conjure up similar images to make a point? Just askin'...WHAT SHE SAID...
And, in case you're wondering.... No, I do not intend to apologize to the mayor for what I wrote. As Anna Vrska told him at the very end of that council meeting - when addressing his rant and her support of my right to make that comparison just before he tried, unsuccessfully, to shout her down - "I suggest you be a big boy and suck it up." I've got a feeling that before this campaign season is over what I wrote on that Facebook thread may not be the worst thing written about the mayor this year.Labels: Anna Vrska, Dana Rohrabacher, Jim Righeimer, Lou Sheldon, Scott Baugh, Steve Mensinger
posted by The Pot Stirrer at 4/27/2014 11:15:00 PM
7 Comments:
See what happens when you are an independent thinking Republican in OC? You are either labeled a "Lib", "RINO", "union shill"...you get the point. How dare Capizzi actually do the job he was elected to do against the wishes if those in the OCGOP that would try to control him.
Clearly, T. Rack has given in to their whims. Prosecution of a case over campaign signs that in most jurisdictions would be legally considered abandoned property once placed in a public right of way.
These guys control the flow of information (except for here) and that's why they are afraid of you. Keep up the good work, Geoff.
VpV,
And, a corollary that could be drawn is the apparent lack of interest by the DA's office in any kind of action in the 60th Anniversary case. How does that square with a $5.00 campaign sign? Apparently, "justice" is only available to those on the "right side" of the political spectrum...
If I was forced to fight alongside either Vrska or Riggy on a real battlefield, I'd choose Vrska.
Pot Stirrer;
In case you missed it, Abbas yesterday officially came out and stopped denying the Holocaust. That's what Steve apparently wanted you to learn from him - how to change your story when it's politically expedient. Except you don't care about political expediency! Well, maybe expeditious removal of certain knuckleheads from city politics, which I certainly care about.
http://www.cnn.com/2014/04/27/world/meast/mideast-abbas-holocaust/
Joe - That choice is a no brainer for anyone with an ounce of intelligence. Only kool aid drinking lemmings would join sides with another kool aid drinking lemming.
It's important to note that as a metaphor your comparison has merit. True, Righeimer has not, nor would he engage in ethnic or religious cleansing. However there is one reason that the dictator you alluded to was so successful in his deranged vision. Words. Hitler was a great and emotional speaker. He spoke to the people's prejudice and their dark places and got neighbors to turn on neighbors and do things previously they would not have engaged in, if not for groupthink.
Groupthink defined: "Groupthink is a psychological phenomenon that occurs within a group of people, in which the desire for harmony or conformity in the group results in an irrational or disfunctional decision-making outcome. Group members try to minimize conflict and reach a consensus decision without critical evaluation of alternative viewpoints, by actively suppressing dissenting viewpoints, and by isolating themselves from outside influences."
Words have consequences, and Righeimer knows that. That's why they attempt to stifle opposing viewpoints, or allow those in their inner group to be influenced by outside ideas now matter how rational their ideas might be. Conversely, any words that can be used against those with opposing view points are amplified, overblown and kept alive as long as possible, so that they can minimize those that would oppose them. That's why they will continue to try to run mileage out of your comment.
You're a smart guy, it's all a game to them and you know that. These guys are not true conservatives. They will be exposed for who and what they are in time.
If Jim had no choice but to respond to your characterization of him as a dictator, a more effective response would be a reasonable discussion in which he gave examples of how his behavior on the council is NOT like a dictator. Oh, right....there are no examples.
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