By Doug Porter
The national media will no longer be covering San Diego’s local politics after today.
Bob Filner, the 70 year old ex-Congressman who’s been described in recent months as a masher, sexual predator and grabby bully will no longer be ‘terrorizing’ the city as of 5pm this afternoon.
Mostly the attitude expressed in the media is “Don’t let the door hit you on the ass on your way out”.
So now we can get back to business as usual. If only it was that simple.
Make no mistake about it; Bob Filner’s actions fueled the fires leading up to his resignation.
Now that he’s gone one could hope the real issues facing the future of this city would be top-of-mind. But I’m afraid that isn’t going to happen.
I worry the ‘taint’ of Bob Filner will be applied to every good idea that came out of City Hall during his nine month tenure. And there were some, contrary to what UT-San Diego would have you believe.
While Filner will be gone; the political gamesmanship that put him in office will remain. #FilnerFatigue and disgust with the electoral process only makes it easier for an ‘anointed’ candidate to walk into the job.
A lot of people worked very hard to get that man elected, and it serves no good purpose to just walk away. As one pro-Filner person put it in an email to me this morning:
I have worked long hours for more than a decade– organizing and cultivating the values that allowed us to run a Mayoral campaign where the living standards of working families became the central concern of an election that we won– something that didn’t happen anywhere else in the country.
We did not just elect a Mayor that was different than DeMaio or DINO risk shifters like Fletcher– we elected a Mayor that is of an entirely different populist pro-working family cast. It took years and years to construct a path that allowed us to get to the point where we could elect Mayor Filner.
Nobody ever said politics was easy
Meet the New Boss…
City Council president Todd Gloria moved yesterday to impose his stamp on the eleventh floor offices for the next few months while he serves as interim Mayor. Human Resource staffers, under his and City Attorney Jan Goldsmith’s control told staffers that their positions were being re-evaluated. They are after all, political appointees, and the man who hired them is no longer in office.
Gone will be chief of staff Lee Burdick and press aide Lena Lewis. Returning will be Filner’s original accuser Irene McCormack, serving as director of communications. Chief Operating Officer Walt Eckard told a reporter from Voice of San Diego that he’d be staying on just long enough to help with the transition.
…Same as the Old Boss?
Unless Lori Saldaña’s campaign gains some serious traction quickly, this fall’s special election looks to be an all male affair.
Former Assemblyman Nathan Fletcher gained some steam yesterday, picking up endorsements from two city employee unions, and it’s probable he’ll also get backing from the Police Officer’s Association.
Police and Firefighters backed Fletcher in last year’s primary campaign, and their endorsement is seen as a reflection of fears about the prospect of a DeMaio administration by city employees.
This endorsement also speaks to the central conflict within the union movement today; bread and butter issues versus the larger political picture. Speaking about the pending POA endorsement, one unionist told me (off the record, of course), “They’d endorse Satan if he buttered their bread.”
There are a lot of folks who think Fletcher is a sure thing to be next Mayor. But it ain’t over ‘till it’s over, as a certain baseball legend used to say.
Keeping Us Guessing
Former City Councilman Carl DeMaio certainly sounds like he’s running, what with the press conference, white paper and frequent TV appearances. Or perhaps he’s trying to drown out the nagging storyline concerning his appearances in the royal loo.
In any case, the former city councilman has scheduled a press conference for 11am Tuesday where we’ll learn his decision. DeMaio also feigned interest in the City’s top job back in 2005 and surprised political observers by saying announcing he WASN’T running.
The rest of the political field will most likely hold off with their announcements until after Carl decides. Councilman/interim Mayor/potential candidate Todd Gloria was working the floor like he meant it at today’s labor council breakfast.
City Attorney Jan Goldsmith (not running for Mayor) and Councilmember Kevin Faulconer (maybe running) both attended a Wednesday celebration organized by recall leaders and volunteers at an Irish bar in Kearny Mesa.
Looking Backwards
I suppose there will be no stopping the tales making the rounds about the conspiracy to push Bob Filner out of office. The fact is he’s gone. And I generally don’t see much good in looking backwards.
Proving or not proving these theories will not change anything…
BUT….
File this KUSI interview with Jan Goldsmith under “Where did I leave my tin foil hat?”
Now, Look Forward
Enough with the looking backwards…
How can we participate in this election when we don’t even know who the candidates are? I’m so glad you asked…
Technologist/entrepreneur Benjamin Katz, who tweets under the handle @MeanestBossEver, has a lot of ideas and opinions. I often disagree with him. I’ve gained a lot of experience counting to ten before hitting reply on Twitter after reading his missives.
But you have to give credit where it’s due for a good idea, and he’s got one with the SDMayor2013 wiki.
This is a place where San Diegans can collaboratively work on questions we need to be asking those who aspire to the Mayor’s job in the upcoming special election.
It’s also got a handy-dandy list of contact info for all the currently declared mayoral candidates.
On This Day: 1682 – William Penn sailed from England and later established the colony of Pennsylvania. 1965 – Thurgood Marshall was confirmed by the Senate, becoming the first black justice to sit on the Supreme Court. 1993 – Billy Joel became the first musical guest on CBS-TV’s “The Late Show with David Letterman” when the show debuted.
Did you enjoy this article? Subscribe to “The Starting Line” and get an email every time a new article in this series is posted!
I read the Daily Fishwrap(s) so you don’t have to… Catch “the Starting Line” Monday thru Friday right here at San Diego Free Press (dot) org. Send your hate mail and ideas to DougPorter@
Doug Porter
Latest posts by Doug Porter (see all)
- Last Call. Last Column. - December 14, 2018
- Which Presidential Candidate Will You Support in 2020? - December 13, 2018
- Mounting the Assault on Big Gay and Other Drivel From SDSU’s Minimum Wage Scrooge - December 12, 2018
The Maionnaise is going to run. I’m predicting.
And it might not be a bad thing. Even if he has the nuts to suggest he can bring people together, save us from partisan struggle, continue San Diego’s traditional commitment to sober fiscal policy, listen to the neighborhoods, solve the Syrian problem — all of that stump speech crap — the best thing about a Maionnaise campaign will be its tendency to reawaken democratic voters. Fletcher Nathan will simply put us to sleep, the way the Democratic Central Committee has, and in the near and middle future will redefine San Diego’s Democratic Party as the GOP’s own little lamb chop.
I’m pulling for the Maionnaise; it tends to spoil over time.
I don’t know about you Bob, but my family is more of a Miracle Whip family.
I wouldn’t at all be surprised if DeMaio does run. It is a short campaign, and all the free publicity he will get will help him in his congressional campaign. As with so many other elections, voter turnout is key.
Well, if there’s not enough Maionnaise to win over the penthouse at City Hall, maybe there’d be enough to win a Congressional seat, where Eric Cantor is the Miracle Whip and Carl could easily go and be the WhipSnapper.
But seriously, folks… why wouldn’t Carlito run for mayor in December? If that local seat were to elude him once again he could spend the rest of his money on a Congressional race next year, couldn’t he?
How nice for Irene McCormack, she gets her job back while everyone else loses theirs. I guess it’s every woman for herself.
Don’t put this on McCormack. Filner did this to himself. Irene was the only one of the accusers who actually had the cajones to stand up for herself in the near immediate aftermath of his improprieties. The other women, with the possible exception of Laura Fink, who did fire off an email letter within a couple of days, have no credibility with me, as their alleged “humiliation” occurred many years ago–in one case 25 years ago.
The way I see it, Irene McCormack is the only credible accuser, and she should be commended for taking a stand, although it should have been done IMMEDIATELY following the headlocks and pantie comments. She shouldn’t have waited for Allen Jones to run to her defense.
All good points, but she brought Gloria Allred into the mix, which ended any real chance Filner had for due process. I just feel bad for everyone who Filner hired and is tainted by association. Especially for a putative Democrat like Todd Gloria to fire them all.
Lee Burdick will land on “his” feet (as the UT’s Trent Siebert called her). As for Lena Lewis, I think she may have been on her way out anyway. She is engaged to be married, and her fiancee lives in D.C., so I wouldn’t be surprised if in a way this was what she wanted anyway…..although it is possible that he was planning on moving to SD. I don’t know for certain.
As for the rest of his staff…..yes, you’re right. It is a rather disappointing situation, to say the least.
It is petty if pink-slipped City Employees do not have the option to move to other City Departments.
Especially when City Council President Todd Gloria, City Attorney Goldsmith, the IBA, and Mayor Filner’s Financial Staff are subsidizing the private Civic San Diego Administration Cost for $15 million for Fiscal Years 2013 and 2014.
The private Civic San Diego’s 32 employees rake in an average $124,375 a year in salary and benefits. Civic San Diego has always been under operational control by City Council President Todd Gloria and City Attorney Goldsmith.
In order to qualify for Federal New Market Tax Credits, Civic San Diego main goal has to be to help the poorer neighborhoods eliminate blight and urban decay.
LauraE
I think that ‘putative’ is indeed the operative word.
McCormack is not at all credible. Not at all. She has nothing.
Fink is equally ridiculous: it sure didn’t bother her to be called “girl” by the guy who referred publicly to her “ass” (a term Fink prudishly avoided as she hit the national fem-outrage circuit).
So, did Hueso “out” DeMaio at the behest of the Fletcher backers (UT)?
If you think the UT is backing Fletcher over Demaio, you haven’t been paying attention.
Well, it IS the last day, Doug, so I have to comment on that video interview with City Attorney Jan Goldsmith, the guy who prosecutes Bank of America sidewalk-chalkers. I thought it was more interesting than whacked.
Referring to Mayor Filner’s short term in office, how many times did Goldsmith say, “We had a strategy?” He said his office had “hired a psychologist,” then quickly added, “but not for us.” And then he had the nerve to say, “There’s no such thing as a coup d’etat,” while bemoaning the weakness of a city charter that is tough on recalls — doubtless because the framers didn’t want it to be easy to recall a GOP mayor, the only kind they’d ever envisioned at City Hall.
Finally, Andy Cohen, on this last day, just quit defending Gloria Allred’s client Irene McCormack. You can’t have it both ways: either she is commendable for “coming forward” or she is not commendable because she waited and got some guy to run interference for her. Mainly, as commenter Laura notes, Ms. McCormack got her job back and the Mayor is out on the street. I’d say that speaks volumes.
Frances:
Or, in a more intriguing scenario, she has already done her job, and this is the next one. We shall see what transpires in court.
In any case, I too watched that strange video. Yes, no such thing as a coup d’état, except that there is. I guess he meant not in this case. Why did he mention January 2nd? I agree, not whacked, but odd as well as interesting.
I too was very offended by someone leaping on the pile with a “claim” of being annoyed by Filner 25 years ago. I am looking forward to the McCormack lawsuit where I can finally truly see what headlock means. I know what it means when 10 year old boys do it, but I just cannot see a grown woman submitting to the same – so I am dubious to the headlock being used, and furious that national news picked it up as a headline word.
Friday night, catching the KUSI 10 pm news, the presenter (Sandra?) said, as a lead-in, that the 270 days of turmoil was finally over. That was instructive – so the turmoil began on the very first day? And the definition of turmoil is?
At least now we might not have to hear so often from Randy Dotinga? I wonder if Irene McCormack got her Port Authority-level salary back. She referred so often in the Allred press conference to her taking a $50,000 pay cut when taking the position with Mayor Filner. Sorry, can’t help these little jabs.
Fran and Judith: RE: Gloria Allred. Regardless of the veracity of all the allegations (and I think the former Mayor has essentially admitted to those behaviors), I don’t think you are going to get to ” finally truly see what headlock means” or anything else as a result of any lawsuit regarding Ms. McCormick-Jackson. She has her job back and I expect there will be a settlement that will also benefit Ms. Allred quite well thank you.
Remember the settlement she arranged for the three (or more?) women she represented against candidate and then newly elected Governor Swartzeneger. Here was a guy who pledged to have an independent investigation of his alleged abusive on-set-behind-the-scenes conduct, when the #*&$ hit the fan a week before the recall election. Then decided once elected not to have the investigation and settled out of court. Mr. Movie star could easily afford to settle. And then of course the recall and his election were allowed to stand despite the court finding of the illegal provision restricting who could vote for candidates — the provision that San Diego finally just fixed last week.
The real question in this drama, given the interview clip that Doug has shared of Jan Goldsmith talking about “strategizing” and “engaging psychological consultants” in January and February, is who contacted Ms. Allred and when ? But we have more important things to deal with now. As Doug and others have noted, time to move on. Just know when the hairs on the back of your neck stand up, they might be trying to tell you something.
In regard to moving on, I am at sea in regard to everyone’s chances. Certain unions back Fetcher, but he lost with them last time. DeMaio cannot win because he’s a loser. At least, that is how he strikes me, as callow. It has been only a day since our mayor left and the interim fellow barged in for a while. Maybe after a week or so, the smoke will clear a little more.