Steve Garvey goes down with a flourish in debate with Adam Schiff – Orange County Register

It wasn’t exactly Lincoln-Douglas.

None of the candidates have a barn-burning speaking style during the campaign and probably don’t claim to have one.

But last week’s televised debate between Steve Garvey and Adam Schiff, the Republican and Democratic candidates vying to represent California in the United States Senate in the seat vacated by the death of Dianne Feinstein, had its somewhat interesting moments.

My favorite moment was the funniest and most compelling.

Yes, it had to do with a certain Donald Trump. Schiff is accused by his opponents of being a one-issue candidate obsessed with his opposition to Trump.

That’s because his opponents don’t know him. During his 24 years in Congress and, before that, his four years in the California State Senate, they were not part of him like I was.

During the legislative session, Schiff — Stanford graduate, Harvard Law graduate, federal prosecutor known for successfully sending an FBI agent who was spying for the Soviet Union into the Big House — was beloved in his San Gabriel Valley district for having one Negotiating an extraordinarily complex last-minute deal saved the Gold Line light rail from never being built.

In the House of Representatives, he is known for playing a leadership role on Armenian-American issues, which is critical to many of his constituents. He fought against the ever-present helicopter noise of the police (and the TV news and the tourists). He emphasized the need for unfettered journalism and founded the bipartisan, bicameral Congressional Caucus for the Freedom of the Press with the goal of advancing press freedom around the world. His Rim of the Valley legislation kept trails open in perpetuity in the Verdugos and San Fernando Valley. It has a world-class staff that is always ready to provide services to its citizens.

That’s why, people who don’t know him, he was elected to Congress twelve times in a district that had been a Republican lock for generations until his first victory. Two years ago, this re-election saw an overwhelming 71% of the vote. This is not the kind of support that comes from a congressman who just focuses on one issue and does nothing.

And yes, he became famous to the rest of the state and nation by prosecuting Donald Trump.

Back to my favorite debate moment, a big win for Schiff: “Mr. Garvey, I stood up to a corrupt president, and yes, I investigated him, I impeached him, I presided over the Senate trial, and when he incited a violent attack on the Capitol – and I was on That day there, Mr. Garvey, I was there on January 6th when those insurgents broke down the doors and windows. The fact that you think it’s totally fine, that you still want to support the guy who instigated this violent attack…”