ARTICLES
February 2002 ARTICLES
Contents © 2002
by Jim Holman.
All rights reserved.
It May Be a Long Shot
Pro-Life Catholic Challenges Pro-Abortion Goliath
By Maggie Garcia
When a relatively unknown Loretta Brixey ran for the 46th Congressional district in 1996, few expected her to win. Brixey, whose maiden name is Sanchez, had never held a political office before she ran for Congress. In a surprising upset, Sanchez defeated incumbent Bob Dornan who had held the seat for more than 16 years. Although now in her second term, Sanchez-Brixey is seen as vulnerable on some issues dear to conservatives who still hold sway in the district. When Sanchez-Brixey ran her first campaign, she relied heavily on support from the Latino community. Earlier in her career when she first made a bid for political office in Anaheim, she referred to herself as Loretta Brixey. After deciding to run against Dornan, she dropped Brixey and instead used her maiden name Sanchez. The showdown proved to be tumultuous. In spite of winning the election, Sanchez-Brixey was haunted by allegations of voter fraud. The allegations triggered an investigation by the Orange County District attorney's offices as well as a Congressional inquiry. To this date, Dornan insists that he lost the election because of campaign fraud.
After losing a second bid to defeat Sanchez-Brixey, Dornan decided not to continue his quest. Not everyone is Orange County is ready to give up on unseating Sanchez-Brixey. Knowing that the Catholic faith is important to the Latino and Vietnamese communities, Ken Fisher of Concern Roman Catholics has decided to toss his hat in the ring to try to unseat Sanchez-Brixey. Fisher has been active in Orange County politics for years and has run for Congress before. In 1972, he ran against Chet Holifield for the 19th Congressional seat. Additionally he has served eight years in the Orange County Republican Central Committee.
Fisher's group, Concerned Roman Catholics is best known for the demonstrations they have each year in front of the Anaheim convention center when the Los Angeles Archdiocese hosts its annual Religious Education Congress.
When asked if he were to somehow unseat Sanchez-Brixey, would his group then disband, Fisher replied emphatically, "Not at all. If I win the primary, I will make sure that I have someone strong to take over the leadership [of Concerned Roman Catholics]. It will not affect my scouting. I will continue to be a Scout Master of Troop 73 at St. Boniface Roman Catholic church in Anaheim."
Unseating a popular and successful incumbent is difficult but in Fisher's case, it is even more so given the fact that the district has a large Latino population who too often votes for a candidate because he or she happens to have a Spanish surname. Fisher does not believe that this will be an issue for him since he is half Latino. "My mother's maiden name is Valenzuela, my confirmation name is Manuel. Loretta has not served the Latino community. A true Latino would never vote for abortion, would not vote for homosexual rights and would never vote for the welfare state. He would vote for a compassionate state but not a welfare state. There is a difference. The welfare state makes people slaves of the government by making so that they have to vote for the government-approved candidate for them to survive. It takes away their human pride and initiative. The compassionate state will help someone in an emergency but will not have generation after generation on welfare. It will tell people to get out and look for a job. We have generation after generation that are leeches on those who do work. When a person has a job they have self worth and dignity.
"I have an advantage over Dornan because I am Latino," said Fisher. He said that he recalls a childhood filled with Mexican cooking and fiestas. "Every New Year's we went to have menudo at the Leon's house. They had parties, which were fiestas with Mexican music; we had sweet tamales at Christmas. It was a Mexican-American atmosphere. Most of the people at the party spoke Spanish. When my mother wanted to teach me Spanish as a young boy, I resisted because I thought that all I needed to know was football, math, and English. I was stupid. I wish I would have learned Spanish now," he said ruefully.
Although Fisher realizes that it is tough to oust an incumbent, he is undeterred. "Another serious problem is the power of incumbency, and this has happened because those already in power have promulgated laws that make it extremely difficult to challenge this self-serving system" he says in his filing statement.
Other voices in Orange County are chiming in with excited support for Fisher's run at Sanchez-Brixey. Bob Cielnicky, a long time pro-life activist in Orange County, says that although Fisher's bid is a long shot, it is important to make sure that the pro-life position is brought into the public square. "I would say it is very difficult," he said about unseating Sanchez-Brixey. "But you just have to go out there and let people know that Sanchez is an extremist, pro-abortion supporter." Cielnicky added that Fisher is well-liked in the community and "has lived in the district a lot longer than Sanchez" referring to the fact that Sanchez-Brixey moved into the district shortly before her congressional run in 1996. Previous to moving into Anaheim, Sanchez-Brixey lived in Palos Verdes peninsula. County property records revealed that Sanchez-Brixey and her husband, bought a home in Santa Ana in 1998; two years after she was sworn into Congress. Fisher insists that although he is seen as a long shot, he must tell the district the truth about Sanchez's voting record in Congress, "I feel that if the people know the truth, about the things that she has done to them and not for them, they may respond" he said. Although a long time friend and supporter for former Congressman Bob Dornan, Fisher feels that perhaps he may have a better chance at gaining back the 46th Congressional seat because of his demeanor. "I don't have a better chance of winning but I think that I would do a better job [in Congress]. I'll be just as strong as Bob on the issues but I'll be more diplomatic," he said referring to Dornan's famous fiery rhetoric on the floor of Congress. After Sanchez-Brixey beat Dornan the first time, New York Times reporter Lizette Alvarez wrote this about Dornan: "But nearly 11 months later, Ms. Sanchez is still trying to beat back Mr. Dornan and jam him in a dark closet somewhere, preferably one that is sound proof" she wrote in reference to Dornan's famous outbursts. "Hardly a day goes by that she is not shadowed by the former eight-termed Congressman, a man best known for bombast."
Former Orange County congressman Bill Dannemeyer is Fisher's legal advisor. Dannemeyer said that he believes that Fisher has a chance at unseating Sanchez-Brixey. "People who serve in Congress must reflect their constituents," he said. "Loretta Sanchez is an example of a dependable liberal vote that is out of sync with the voters in her district. The challenge is to point out her voting record." Dannemeyer said that the 46th Congressional district is "a marginal seat in Orange County and it is a doable seat" The former seven-term congressman is still active in politics and is currently "working on two issues in Washington, D.C."
Another Fisher supporter, former Assemblyman Gil Ferguson, was a hero to pro-lifers during the 1980's Rescue movement when he publicly denounced then Los Angeles city police Chief Daryl Gates for the violent behavior that LAPD officers showed towards pro-lifers who were peacefully praying in front of abortion clinics. "During the big Rescues, he told then Chief Darryl Gates that he should be ashamed of what his officers did to the pro-lifers. He said that he had led men in combat, and they did not act as shamefully as Gates' officers did towards pro-lifers." Fisher said that Ferguson "had his seat stolen by Marilyn Brewer."
Fisher said that fear was what prompted him to run against Sanchez-Brixey. "I was afraid that that the only Republican who would run against her would be a pro-abort. When I came back from Rome in September, I asked if anyone was running against her and was told no. When I finally decided to run against her, I found out that there were three other people running against her. I called each one and asked them specifically what there position was on pro-life. They did not return my call and I was ready to give up. Then I got a call from an influential pro-life operative in Sacramento who said that he thought I should run against Sanchez. With his support, I was able to find a donor who paid the filing fee. After paying the filing fee, I had to collect at least 60 signatures. Then, I prayed and told the Lord that if He would get me the filing fee, I would run against her. If I win, it will be like David and Goliath. The fact is that politics is the domain of the rich and the powerful at the expense of the people. That is why I am running. Right now, we have people who want to put up yard signs but we do not have any. We are going to have to make them on the computer because we do not have the money for printing right now. The guy who is running against me, on the Republican side, is a Mormon who is a banker. I have been told Congressman Packard promised him $50,000. His name is Jeff Chavez and he lives in South County."
Some elected officials think that Fisher's candidacy will have a sobering effect on people in the 46th Congressional district. "If people really knew what Loretta Sanchez really stands for, they would take a very different look at her," Monterey Park Mayor Frank Venti told this reporter. Venti said that he believes that Fisher has a chance at the seat. "He has the same chance that David had against Goliath and in the end David won. He's [Fisher] is very strong and committed in his faith; he stands for everything that Loretta Sanchez is against." Venti said that he felt that too often the electorate is indifferent to moral concerns. "It's so sad out there," he noted. "The voters are not as concerned with moral issues. I only hope that they will start looking at the moral issues. It sometimes seems hopeless. I will pray, walk [precincts] to bring the news that Loretta Sanchez is not the true representative of the Latino community."
Fisher ended his interview by expressing hope that some good will come out of his run for Congress. Although he realizes that, many see his quest to unseat Sanchez-Brixey as quixotic, he hopes that the voters of 46th Congressional district realize that he is closer to them politically than is Sanchez-Bixey, who he claims consistently promotes a pro-abortion and pro homosexual agenda, in spite of the fact that she serves a largely conservative district. "As your Congressional Representative, I hope and pray to address this problem, and I intend to do so without violating our God given Constitution."
To contribute or offer volunteer help to the Fisher campaign, call 714-776-8855.