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Dems Go with Newsom

Liberal party panel backs GOP-like candidate over Green

(SF Bay Guardian, Nov. 19) -- The California Democratic Party is now
free to open its coffers to help Sup. Gavin Newsom become mayor of San
Francisco and to stop the Green Party from winning the top post in one
of the Democrats' longest-running municipal strongholds.

At the Nov. 12 meeting of the San Francisco Democratic County
Central
Committee, the official governing body of the local Democratic Party,
21 out of 32 members voted to endorse Newsom in the [Dec. 9 mayoral]
run-off.

The upshot: the San Francisco Democratic Party, known of late as
a
liberal stronghold, is putting its clout and reputation behind a
candidate who some local Dems say acts more like a Republican.

And now Newsom, already known for breaking fundraising records,
will
be the beneficiary of potentially huge campaign resources as state
party heavyweights move to fend off a major challenge from the Greens.

Debate at the meeting centered on whether DCCC members had an
obligation to endorse the one Democrat running ? or whether local
disenchantment with the party's move to the center, and away from its
working-class roots, provided justifiable cause to break ranks.

The five members who voted "no endorsement" or abstained had
been
supporters of either Sup. Tom Ammiano or former supervisor Angela
Alioto. State Board of Equalization member Carole Migden was the only
Bay Area elected official to decline to endorse Newsom; she is staying
neutral.

"I feel like the Democratic Party has lost the temerity to
advocate
for justice," said Tracy Baxter, who is also a member of the Harvey
Milk Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender Democratic Club (which
endorsed Gonzalez). "Now they're talking about taking aim at poor
people with Prop. M [the anti-panhandling measure that passed on
November's ballot and was sponsored by Newsom]."

Others who stuck with the party ? and who did not necessarily
vote for
Newsom in the general election ? attacked the Greens for throwing the
presidential election to George W. Bush in 2000. In addition, some
attacked Matt Gonzalez for sending out a campaign mailer critical of
Ammiano.

"[The Green Party] screwed Al Gore, one of the most progressive
presidential candidates we've had," DCCC chair Connie O'Connor, who had
initially supported city treasurer Susan Leal, said at the meeting.

High-ranking party officials, including state chair Art Torres
and
party director Bob Mulholland, had called members of the DCCC the day
after the election to strongly urge them to support Newsom in the
run-off.

As recently as the weekend before the vote, state senator John
Burton
? who has clashed repeatedly with Newsom over poverty and homelessness
issues ? had put out the word that it was all right for Democrats to
defy the party leaders. But by Wednesday, Burton had reversed his
position.

State assemblymember Leland Yee called the Bay Guardian before
the
vote to say Burton and others had said endorsing Newsom was the way to
go. "Party loyalty and all that," Yee said.

Despite giving the nod to the conservative Democrat in the
mayor's
race, the DCCC headed to the left in its overwhelming endorsement of
incumbent district attorney Terence Hallinan. Shortly before the vote,
rumor had it that supporters of challenger and machine-backed candidate
Kamala Harris would walk out of the room, leaving the committee without
a quorum and unable to take a vote. That didn't happen. In fact, Harris
was not even nominated. The results: 18 Hallinan, 12 "no endorsement."
-- -Kraig Grady
North American Embassy of Anaphoria Island
http://www.anaphoria.com
The Wandering Medicine Show
KXLU 88.9 FM WED 8-9PM PST

dems go republican over green

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