The Crowd: Talk gets political at Lido Isle gathering
It was an evening of summer cocktails mixed with serious political conversation as House Majority Leader Kevin McCarthy (R-Bakersfield) came to Newport Beach to meet and greet local citizens at the invitation of Andrew and Karen Littlefair.
Andrew Littlefair, president and CEO of Clean Energy Fuels Corp., joined his wife, Karen, in welcoming some 100 invited guests for a sunset cocktail reception in their Lido Isle bayfront residence. Secret Service and security officers were stationed at strategic points to ensure the safety of McCarthy, who was first elected to the House in 2006 representing California’s 23rd District.
The congressman is a native of Bakersfield, a fourth-generation Kern County resident and the son of a firefighter. He shared his personal background with the Newport crowd, telling guests that he began his adult life as a small-business owner in Bakersfield, where he operated a deli.
It was not long after starting his business that he became disenchanted and decided to switch careers and find a way into public service. McCarthy sold the deli and went back to school to earn a graduate degree from Cal State Bakersfield.
His first experience in government was serving as an intern for then-Congressman Bill Thomas, also of Bakersfield, which led to a staff job with the congressman. In 2000, he was elected trustee for the Kern Community College District. This would be followed in 2002 by his election to the California Assembly, and then in 2006 he made a major move to Congress.
“It was an honor to have the new majority leader in Orange County,” Andrew Littlefair said. “California is fortunate to have McCarthy in such an important leadership position in Washington.”
Following a reception that included obligatory handshakes, cocktails and hors d’oeuvres, the gathering moved outside onto a bayfront terrace. Guests gathered around as the congressman stepped on a cement ledge to deliver a speech.
McCarthy pulled no punches, sharing his straightforward and passionate views on many of the challenges facing the U.S. Topics included the role of taxation in moving the country forward, regulatory and immigration reform, America’s role on the international scene, including the Middle East, and — hitting home for Littlefair — the need for a comprehensive energy policy utilizing our domestic resources.
Littlefair’s Clean Energy Corp. is an affiliate of the T. Boone Pickens energy empire, which is involved natural gas and alternative fuels.
Welcoming McCarthy to Orange County were many of Newport’s most high-profile business and social leaders. In the crowd were Ninetta and Gavin Herbert, Dee and Larry Higby, Stephanie and Steve Rados, Janet and Don Ayres, and Margaret and Tom Larkin. Also front and center were Ginni and Kent Valley, Marlene and George Chumo, Laura and Steve Scully, and Kathleen and Brad Smith.
