By MARTIN WISCKOL

August 26, 2010

IRVINE – Orange County's congressional delegation battled over Washington's direction at an OC Forum luncheon Thursday – a 5-1 battle, as moderator Rick Reiff joked at the outset.

"It's Loretta against five guys," said the Orange County Business Journal executive editor, referring to Rep. Loretta Sanchez, D-Santa Ana – the sole female and only Democrat in the six-member delegation.

After the five Republicans blasted Barack Obama's stimulus plan as fruitless spending that is mortgaging the future of the next generation, Sanchez did not go meekly.

"The fact is that when President (George W.) Bush got in, there was a surplus," she said, then turned to her colleagues on the dais. "What you guys did created a lot of the situation we're in."

When Sanchez was cut off because of the two-minute limit for answers, she complained that the five Republicans had gotten to attack Democrats for a combined 10 minutes on the subject. Rep. Dana Rohrabacher, R-Costa Mesa, offered his next two minutes to her and she continued.

"The stimulus resulted in $288 billion in tax cuts," she said. "Don't tell me Democrats don't cut taxes."

It was the last time the others offered her more time at the Irvine Hilton event, attended by nearly 300.

At least one of the Republicans found pleasure in being part of the majority for a change.