Anaheim council candidate leaves GOP as election nears (Dalati,,CAIR & Cynthia McKinney supporter)

LA Times ^ | 11/2/06 | Dave McKibben

[NormsRevenge]

Acknowledging it might be political suicide, Anaheim City Council candidate Bill Dalati said Wednesday he was leaving the Republican Party after being vilified by prominent GOP leaders as being anti-American and a supporter of extremist groups.

Dalati, an Arab American who had been a Republican since becoming a U.S. citizen 19 years ago, re-registered as a Democrat outside the registrar of voters office.

Even though the council race is nonpartisan, Dalati said he no longer felt comfortable being a Republican.

"This is going to hurt me politically," said Dalati, an insurance agent taking his first run at elective office. "There are a lot more Republicans in Orange County than Democrats. But it wouldn't have been the honest thing to do, to stay in a party that has abandoned me."

The allegations against Dalati, who considered himself a moderate Republican, surfaced last month in a letter to local GOP leaders from former state party Chairman Shawn Steel.

Steel wrote that Dalati could be unfit for office because of his ties to the Council on American-Islamic Relations, his support of Rep. Cynthia A. McKinney — a liberal Democrat from Georgia — and his involvement with a rally protesting the Israel-Lebanon conflict. Steel said he considered the Islamic council an extremist group.

[NormsRevenge]

Dalati, who considered himself a moderate Republican

--

Methinks he was trying a bit too hard to get the entire camel into the Big Tent.

Now if Minnesota voters kibosh Ellison, that should send a clear message to extremists and terrorist sympathizers.

[frogjerk]

"This is going to hurt me politically," said Dalati

I can only hope it is excruciatingly painful.

[DarthVader]

....by prominent GOP leaders as being anti-American and a supporter of extremist groups.

Their criticism of Dalati is valid.

[RichInOC]

If you support Cynthia McKinney, you're not a Republican. The other stuff is just icing on the urinal cake.

Door. Ass. Bang.

[Nachum]

"We're talking about someone who donated money to Cynthia McKinney, an extremist member of Congress and who organized a demonstration calling America a terrorist nation," said Lewis, a consultant for one of Dalati's opponents. "I guess those kind of people feel more comfortable being a member of the Democratic Party. I say goodbye and good luck to him."

Yep, he is a McKinney-Galloway kind of guy.

[Hegemony Cricket]

Buh-bye, now - don't bother coming back...

[MplsSteve]

Is Anaheim even a GOP area anymore?

Maybe this guy saw the demographic writing on the wall and decided to switch paerties.

I know Anaheim in Orange County - but hell, Loretta Sanchez represents part of Orange County too.

[talleyman]

Yep, he belongs with the Treasoncrats.

[CFC__VRWC]

Good riddance.

[Nachum]

TreasoncRATs.

I like it.

[rottndog]

I've seen Dalati's signs up all over town, and I saw a truck driving around with a huge poster of him. As soon as I heard that he was associated with CAIR, I knew not to vote for him.

On another note, a new pastry shop opened up in my area. Has some really delicious stuff. Last time I went in for a treat, there was some fliers for a CAIR meeting on the counter. The last time I went to that pastry shop was the last time I went to that pastry shop.

[tubebender]

Four term supervisor Bonny Neely R has gone to the dark side for her reelection bid. Every Progressives Repressives in the county has been seen holding hands with her and singing Kumbayai. Her challenger is ex-mayor Nancy Fleming R. Bonnie hasn't changed parties yet but she will if she wins. She has her eye on Sacramento state house...

[Niteranger68]

There’s a saying for times like this. Something about a doorknob and an ass.

[50sDad]

"This is going to hurt me politically," said Dalati, an insurance agent taking his first run at elective office. "There are a lot more Republicans in Orange County than Democrats. But it wouldn't have been the honest thing to do, to stay in a party that has abandoned me."

"Are you now, or have you ever been..."

But for me, this is a good thing!