Re-enforcements have arrived: Welcoming Jeff Pearlman’s “The Truth OC!”

New OC political blogger, with some recent subjects clockwise:
Celebrated Jan 6 traitor Jeffrey Scott Brown, HB MAGAt Gracey Van Der Mark,
useless Senate Dems leader Chuck Schumer, and CAPO USD n-word-utterer Judy Bullockus.

As I said, re-enforcements have arrived. There is a new political blog in town (in Orange County), another blog like ours, not a half-dead corporate-Dem blog mired in cliques and grudges, and not one posing as conservative but on sale to the highest bidder, you know who you are. Another blog like ours, driven by the FIERCE URGENCY OF NOW. It’s only been out for a month, on Substack, it’s entitled “OC Truth: Because it’s Time to Fight Back.” And it’s written by Jeff Pearlman.

Jeff is already a big deal if you’re into sports writing. If we’re to believe Wikipedia, and why shouldn’t we, he’s “an American sportswriter, who’s written nine books that have appeared on The New York Times Best Seller list: four about football, three on baseball and two about basketball.“ And now he has shown up, in the trenches, to bear arms alongside the Orange Juice Blog, and none too soon. Here’s the intro to his first, Feb. 13 post:

My name is Jeff Pearlman.

I was reluctant, initially, to actually lead with that. Not because I’m shy, but because politics can be dirty and ugly. Plus, I’ve been a journalist for more than three decades, and I feed my family via my career as an author. So is it wise to begin a new political endeavor with my name? Maybe, maybe not.

But, truly, I don’t give a shit. Because, more than anything, I am simultaneously mad and determined. Mad, because the Republican Party of my father (Stan Pearlman1 was a Reagan voter) has left us, and in its place is this creepy Trump-obedient circus tent of public servants who somehow forgot that they represent the United States of America, not the whims of an aspiring authoritarian. And determined, because—like you, I’m guessing—I love this country and I love this state and I love Orange County. And I am willing to fight for it.

Hence, The Truth OC.

•••

In case you haven’t noticed, journalism (as a profession) is struggling. Back in 1994, upon graduating from the University of Delaware, I started my career as a reporter for The (Nashville) Tennessean. Our downtown office was bustling; occupied by hundreds of writers and photographers and editors determined to cover the city. Hell, there were actually two Nashville dailies at the time—The Tennessean and the Banner. Spirits were high and media was rolling. After 2 1/2 years in Dixie, I returned to my New York homeland to become a writer for Sports Illustrated. Again, this was the heyday of print, and the magazine would spare no dime in pursuit of stories. You traveled everywhere. You picked up bills. You were granted up-close access. It was glorious.

Alas, that was then. Nowadays, those dwindling newspapers that exist are bare-boned, carved out and largely staffed by inexperienced, low-paid hustlers trying their best but overwhelmed by the tidal wave we all endure. Truth be told, while the employees of joints like the Orange County Register and Los Angeles Times do their absolute best, local and regional coverage is as poor as I’ve ever seen it. The ball is dropped time after time after time. It’s no one’s fault. It just … is.

Which is why I’m starting The Truth OC. I am a SoCal-based journalist, and writing and reporting and truth-seeking … well, those are parts of my DNA. I am also a Democrat who has been horrified by what this nation is quickly becoming. Having written a book about a long-ago football league Donald Trump ruined, I’ve long been aware of his callousness; his indifference; his cruelty; his conniving ways. As I’ve long maintained, Trump is the mid-1980s Times Square huckster, trying to con tourists with a shell game atop a cardboard box. How others don’t see it … well, it’s beyond me.

And what gets me—like, what truly gets me—is how, even out here in savvy, educated, (largely) informed Orange County, people have fallen for his garbage. It reminds me of “Invasion of the Body Snatchers,” where one soul after another is consumed, overwhelmed, hallowed.

So, to hell with it—I’m starting The Truth OC to bring the heat. To raise awareness to the craziness of (much of) the local GOP. To remind people that there is a better way. A saner way. A more American way.

Which leads me to our opening topic.

This ….

And that’s where he broke the story of the Laguna Woods Republican Club hosting Jan. 6 violent insurrectionist Jeffrey Scott Brown at their March 7 meeting. There were big protests, and news stories, but I don’t ever remember anybody crediting The Truth OC. Welcome to the club, Jeff P., nobody gives bloggers credit. Apparently even a famous sports writer who just started a blog. And he follows up on his stories. There is

• Why Would Local Republicans Back a Dude Who Pepper-Sprayed Police?
• Why Would the OC GOP Support this Guy? (featuring Shirtless Lee Greenwood)
• A man who maced a Capitol Police officer is speaking in Laguna Woods in two days
• The president of the Laguna Woods Republicans regrets having missed out on Jan. 6. (with video of the gross event)
• And promised soon, “Jeffrey Scott Brown: The Deranged Traitor Chronicles,” sounding like some of our own insurrectionist literature.

Another story that he broke and got big and I’ve never seen him get any credit for is the uttering of the N-Word by CAPO trustee Judy Bullockus; in fact he puts it in much better context of this woman’s MAGA racism:

• Judy Bullockus must resign
• Judy Bullockus is a useful lab rat.
• and Maybe having a hateful asshole influence public school education policy isn’t the best idea

There is LOTS of good stuff about Huntington Beach (I wonder if that’s where he lives?)

• MAGA takes over the Huntington Beach Library
• Chris Kluwe steps up
• The crazy hypocrisy of cowardly Pat Burns
• Chris Kluwe got arrested at the Huntington Beach City Council meeting. He was, however, not the only person willing to stand up and fight.
• Chad Williams of the Huntington Beach City Council is a Ho.
• Huntington Beach’s newest City Council member is an unqualified celebrity chef. Because—hey. Why not?

ALSO,

• Lots of Chuck Schumer trashing
• A Katie Porter governor piece at least as good as Greg’s;
• CA40 candidate Esther Kim Varet is a Democrat. She’s probably a nice person. She should not be running for Congress in the OC.
• And that’s only the half of it! In a mere five weeks! Check out the archives.

So, apart from we gotta up our game, we would like to welcome our sister blog to the OC, and – as you do with Substack blogs – SUBSCRIBE!

Hat-tip Gustavo Arellano.