He is the king!

Paul Goldenberg is the closest thing the small Orange County city of La Habra has to royalty. Anyone who grew up in Southern California between the 1970s and today knows him, maybe not by his full name, but by the ubiquitous televison spots pushing his Paul’s TV & Video superstore. “I am the king,” a crown-wearing Goldenberg would say at the end of his ads offering no payments or interest for a year on big screens so big you’d think they needed their own nuclear reactors.

For political junkies, Goldenberg is the king of something else entirely — campaign contributions to Democratic candidates and causes. Seriously, the guy must be pushing 80, but his latest Major Donor campaign finance report (posted today here by the state Secretary of State’s office) shows that he’s still shoveling the big bucks around the state.

From July 1, 2009 to Sept. 3, 2009, Goldenberg handed out $59,250. The vast majority — $50,000 — went the American Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC), which bills itself as “America’s Pro-Israel Lobby.” Another $2,500 went to California Emily’s List, which supports liberal candidates statewide. Another $5,000 went to PAC For A Change, which supports U.S. Senator Barbara Boxer.

The remaining money various Democratic candidates like Betsy Butler, who’s running for the 53rd Assembly District and Mike Gatto, who wants the 43rd Assembly District.

“I’m sure there are people that don’t like me because I support the Democrats,” Goldenberg told the Orange County Business Journal back in 2002. “Belive me, we have a lot of Republicans that come in here and love to buy our products.”

-Anthony Pignataro