The buzz in Orange County political circles this week has been about the drama that occurred during the council comments that traditionally come at the end of the Anaheim City Council meeting.

The mayor goes last, and Tom Tait took the occasion to blast Councilwoman Kris Murray over her op-ed piece on single-member council districts in last week’s Orange County Register. it’s a symptom of how negative the dynamics of Anaheim city government have become that what is, at its heart, a disagreement over the application or interpretation of the California government code blew up into allegations of character assault.

Anaheim gadfly/wedding videographer Jason Young ripped a video that has been floating around other OC blogs — but in his Ministry of Truth-style, Jason was careful to omit Murray’s response and other key moments.

So in the interest of truth, here is video of the entire incident:
[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iK4Me-K2vtQ]

There has been the predicted piling on OC blogosphere. Jason Young displays his customary Stalinistic message discipline, denouncing Kris Murray as a liar when — at best — the most he can say is she made a mistake in her reading of state law. I wonder if Young would apply the same standard to himself, confessing the being “a liar” every time he made a mistake.

Cynthia Ward’s interminable commentary, for example, was rapturous, if not consonant with reality. Cynthia thrives on drama and conflict…unless it negatively impacts those she supports, in which case she weeps over the End of Civility.

Cynthia claims it would have been illegal — yes, illegal — for Tom Tait NOT to have adjourned the meeting after he said his piece.

In fact, having concluded the business before them with nothing remaining of the items that were publicly noticed on the Agenda, and having granted all of the leaders opportunity to speak during Council Communications, it frankly would have been against the law for the Mayor not to have adjourned the meeting, as they were not legally permitted to discuss anything else! Robert’s Rules of Order, which Brandman so often uses to pummel the Mayor into abeyance, states that:

“When a body has completed the scheduled order of business at a meeting and there is no further business for the assembly to consider at that time, the chair may simply declare the meeting adjourned without a motion having been made. If a main motion, it cannot interrupt pending business, and is amendable and debatable.

“Under Robert’s Rules, a motion to adjourn is given high privilege even to the point of interrupting the pending question and, on adoption, it immediately closes the meeting. This is because a majority should not be forced to continue in session substantially longer than it desires and this is also the reason why this motion is not debatable.”

Perhaps in her rapturous state, Cynthia failed to notice that the four members of the council wanted to continue in session, and that there was this inconvenient point of order pending — as Interim City Attorney Michael Houston noted. But what does he know, right?

All in all, it was a sad episode, and it’s sad to hear the huzzahs from the fever swamp as if this incident ennobled anyone.