Is Assemblyman Van Tran Electable?

Why do Congressmen Ed Royce, Dana Rohrabacher, John Campbell and GOP Deputy Whip and the NRCC’s head of candidate recruitment Kevin McCarthy and Senator John McCain support Van Tran?

“Tran has already been feted at the National Republican Congressional Committee’s March fundraising dinner as a guest of the committee’s recruitment chairman, Rep. Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.), and he was encouraged to run by House Minority Leader John Boehner and Minority Whip Eric Cantor. He also made a trip to Washington after last November’s election to meet with officials from the NRCC,” from Politico

Far right GOP groups have been promoting Van Tran over successful healthcare businessowner and Marine Corps combat veteran Quang Pham who actually has $36,000 more cash on hand for the primary election than Van Tran. 

Loretta Sanchez must be chomping at the bits to take on Tran.  If the many discussions on Vietnamese-American Internet groups are a good measure of voter's sentiment within the Vietnamese-American community, Quang Pham is a big worry for Loretta Sanchez, especially in a year of anti-incumbent and indenpendent voters are crucial factors. 

Nobody apparently has done their homework.  Van Tran has clearly demonstrated that he is a controversial politician and a Republican embarrassment in Orange County, Sacramento, Washington D.C., and within the Vietnamese American community, the group of voters that will be a determining factor in the primary.  

Why can't Van Tran hold a fund raiser in Orange County?  He tried and hardly any Vietnamese-Americans showed up and gave him money.  That is strange for somebody who supposedly the leader of the community, an incumbent with a powerful political machine that is often referred by the OC Register as "The Gang Of Seven".

Meanwhile, Quang Pham is gaining ground in his campaign.  The recent news in Vietnamese-American community mirror what is on the Web - Congressman Hunter wows the crowd at Quang Pham's fundraiser, 2/18/10

http://orangejuiceblog.com/2010/02/congressman-hunter-wows-the-crowd-at-quang-phams-fundraiser/#comments


And this is despite the fact that in the last few months,  the controversial Van Tran has made many front page headlines......


How lawmakers turn perks into profit
http://www.ocregister.com/news/-235056--.html


WEST SACRAMENTO – After long days of representing Orange County residents at the state Capitol, Assemblyman Van Tran returns here, to a gated community where he lives with wife and kids in a 2,658-square-foot house with two fireplaces and a three-car garage. Tran's wife and two young children call this place home. His wife has declared this her principal residence for tax purposes. But this isn't Tran's "home."


Did Van Tran Steal Endorsement? 2/21/10
http://blogs.ocweekly.com/navelgazing/breaking-news/van-tran-cra-endorsement/

Inside a packed Costa Mesa hotel ballroom yesterday, Orange County's most enthusiastic conservative political activists met to hear candidate speeches and issue endorsements while paying homage to Saint Ronnie and excoriating gays, abortion rights, bureaucrats and, perhaps the most favored target of the day, employee unions.

The meeting of the local chapter of the California Republican Assembly (CRA) began with an invocation that asked God to insure that "people of good character and faith get elected," but ended three plus hours later with a whiff of scandal. A handful of members wondered aloud:  Had Van Tran, a candidate hoping to win the Republican primary quietly stolen a CRA endorsement from Quang Pham?

Why Should Republicans [Not] Support Van Tran? 2/21/10
http://www.redcounty.com/why-should-republicans-support-van-tran/37080?taxonomy=29


Police say Assemblyman Van Tran disrupted DUI investigation, 8/6/09
http://www.ocregister.com/articles/quach-126870-hall-tran.html