Coming to the D.A.’s Defense

* Congressional Republicans who are enthusiastically spending their time and our money investigating apparent Democratic political misbehavior claim not to be engaging in partisan political activity.

Such claims are undermined by Rep. Dana Rohrabacher’s attacks on Orange County Dist. Atty. Michael Capizzi for doing the same kind of investigation of his own party (“Capizzi Denounces Backers of GOP Resolution,” Feb. 25).

Capizzi is doing what he was elected to do by pursuing apparent Republican political misbehavior related to Assemblyman Scott Baugh’s election.

DONALD SCHWARTZ

Santa Ana

* Re Dana Parsons’ Feb. 9 column, “Challenge to Latino Leaders: Put Principle Over Politics”:

Parsons got it right when he noted the local Republicans “see a district attorney on his toes” for investigating the Dornan-Sanchez matter, and, yes, this is the same district attorney they “blasted for investigating Assemblyman Scott Baugh” for alleged campaign irregularities.

Capizzi isn’t afraid to go after either end of the political spectrum if laws have been broken. As I see it, he must be doing his job fairly or both sides wouldn’t alternately condemn and then praise him.

JUDY BAILEY

Huntington Beach

* The Jan. 22 article “Baugh Seeks D.A. Ousted From Case,” clearly shows that Assemblyman Scott Baugh’s realm of absurdity, when it comes to his latest whining and twisting of the truth, has no bounds.

Doris Allen served her constituents in the same Assembly district for over 20 years, with no hint, suggestion or allegation of illegality or impropriety.

Baugh, on the other hand, chose to join other politicos to recall her from office for his own political gain.

Baugh accuses Capizzi of political motivations because he wants to run as a Republican for attorney general. Baugh knows that all the Republicans who are currently in power want Capizzi to drop the charges, and they are doing all they can to discredit and defame him. It doesn’t take a political scientist to understand that it would not be a political plum for Capizzi to alienate the existing Republican hierarchy, who are currently supporting Baugh.

This same hierarchy wants Atty. Gen. Dan Lungren to have jurisdiction over Baugh’s case. The attorney general is [likely to] run as a Republican to be the next governor and is seeking support from them. No political gain there--right?

Capizzi has done his job honorably for over 20 years. All of the name calling, inciting and twisting of the facts cannot change that.

JIM WELCH

Cypress

* I am disgusted with the continuing GOP campaign against Capizzi for his impartial execution of his official duties.

As the party which consistently campaigns on a platform of cleaning up government, Republicans are hypocritical to blast Capizzi for investigating the many campaign irregularities of Republican politicians. Do they think that cleaning up government means only going after rival political parties?

Capizzi has pursued legitimate investigations, regardless of where they may lead, and with the certain knowledge that he would get a lot of heat for doing so. He could have quietly dropped everything controversial or swept it all under the rug, but Capizzi has continued doing the job that the voters entrusted him to do. That’s integrity in my book.

DAVID HENDERSON

Fullerton

* Despite their self-righteous claims to a monopoly on morality, the attack on Capizzi by Rohrabacher and Baugh displays a seriously flawed moral compass.

They made no complaints about Capizzi’s prosecution of Linda Moulton-Patterson for her far less venal false signature that she had circulated on nomination papers. That was OK with Rohrbacher’s gang because she was a Democrat.

The moral code they are demonstrating is that truth and honesty don’t matter. Good is whatever it takes for them to win.

WILLIAM STANTON

Garden Grove

* I am a lifelong Republican and Orange County resident. I went to school here, worked at Disneyland as a kid and now practice as a local attorney. I love Mom and apple pie--but I am disgusted by the self-righteous fanatics in my party who are attacking my district attorney for doing a courageous job of fairly applying our law to every member of the community, regardless of their party.

Is there anything more sacred than our free and honest electoral system? Capizzi should be held on a pedestal and blessed for prosecuting those who try to vitiate this foundation of our democratic society. I think I represent the true majority of Orange County residents who think our district attorney is everything citizens deserve--honest, courageous and tough.

I am embarrassed to call myself a Republican. The nuts in my party are alienating huge segments of the party and splitting what is left into bitter factions.

KATHLEEN BROWN

Newport Beach