Carona's dirty but Is Lou Correa retarded?

In preparation for an upcoming corruption story, I’ve been reviewing dozens of files I’ve maintained for nine years on Sheriff Michael S. Carona (pictured at a Newport Beach bar celebrating with Rick Rizzolo, a convicted felon tied to the Chicago Mafia and a man who thought so much of our sheriff he contributed to his re-election campaign).

This afternoon I re-discovered a hilarious old newspaper clip. Of course, it’s from the Register. The setting for the article is Carona’s January 1999 post-inauguration fundraiser at the Westin Hotel in Costa Mesa. Correa, a Democratic state assemblyman at the time, told the paper he was proud to attend the Republican sheriff’s event for at least two reasons: “Latino pride” and “because [Carona’s] a good man.”

Nice job, Lou.

Carona, who has been indicted by the FBI on corruption charges that he used his public office to receive bribes and obstruct justice, isn’t a Latino. Mike Carona is of Italian heritage. And as for the “good man” line . . . well . . . Lou, you blew that too didn’t you?

-- R. Scott Moxley / OC Weekly