LOS ANGELES – Los Angeles County Democratic Party (LACDP) Chair and California Democratic Party Vice Chair Eric C. Bauman released the following statement regarding a recent racist mail piece that attacks LA City Council candidate John Choi and supports candidate Mitch O’Farrell in Council District 13:

“The Los Angeles County Democratic Party strongly condemns the offensive and disgusting campaign mailer that attacks Los Angeles City Council candidate John Choi using xenophobic, racist and red-baiting imagery and language. This mailer is beneath any Democrat and reflects the worst values in our society. The independent expenditure was produced and paid for by ‘The Best Successor to Eric Garcetti – Committee to Support Mitch O’Farrell for City Council District 13 in 2013.’

“The attack features a photo of Council candidate John Choi, a Korean American, at the top of a page, labeled as ‘The Other Guy” in bold letters, in a pose reminiscent of a classical dictator. It prominently features bright yellow letters against a bright red background, with a headline reading ‘Not From Our Community’ and characterizes him as ‘transplanted’ into the area.

The color scheme, photo placement, and choice of words were deliberately selected to invoke anti-immigrant and anti-Asian sentiment, while falsely insinuating Choi is a communist.

“The use of such disgusting depictions and language has no place in this campaign and no place anywhere in our nation. No campaign should ever use race-baiting ‘Willie Horton-esque’ tactics to score political points.

“We call upon Mitch O’Farrell to join with the Los Angeles County Democratic Party in condemning this obnoxious racist attack. Additionally, we demand the independent expenditure committee that produced and paid for this mailer to immediately cease and desist using such discriminatory tactics.

“This Democratic Party has endorsed John Choi for Los Angeles City Council District 13. However, we recognize that Mitch O’Farrell is a long-time Democrat, and we ask him to speak out against this divisive, insensitive and hateful mailer.”

Los Angeles County Democratic Party (LACDP) Chair Eric C. Bauman released the following statement regarding StudentsFirst’s decision to honor anti-gay extremist Republican John Ragan:

“StudentsFirst, which seems hell-bent on destroying teachers union and privatizing our public schools, claims the mantle of a liberal organization, especially here in California where they’ve dumped millions of dollars into the campaign coffers of anti-teacher candidates recently.

“To get a real sense of where their politics lie, look no further than their decision to honor extremist, anti-gay Republican Tennessee legislator John Ragan as their ‘Reformer of the Year’.”

Ragan was a chief sponsor of his state’s version of the “Don’t Say Gay” bill, legally requiring that any school official approached by any student with questions or comments about “inconsistent with natural human reproduction” — i.e., homosexuality — to contact that child’s parents.

He also supported legislation that would require teachers to tell gay students they need a psychiatrist, and once responded to a constituent saying that a gay person is not a “mentally healthy adult human being.

“Honoring such a person flies in the face of their manufactured image here in California as a progressive group. I hope that the next time StudentsFirst supports a candidate here for school board or city council, voters remember they are one of John Ragan’s biggest campaign donors. I assure you the LA County Democratic Party won’t let anyone forget that.”