Mayor Sam SFO - Home of Bay Area Politics

The momentary equalizer in today's world of mega-million politics is that no amount of money, spin, or campaign commercials, can protect you once the cameras start rolling in a live debate. You're on your own. Naked as a jaybird. The down side is that the debate is only for an hour, it will be watched by a relative few, yet the mind numbing campaign commercials will continue 24/7.


The first debate between gubernatorial candidates Meg Whitman and Jerry Brown will be held this evening from 6-7pm on the campus of UC Davis. You can view the debate online by following the links at the UC Davis official site.

Labels: Brown vs Whitman

Which way to the Mexican buffet?


Rut-Roh! Fresh from getting a pass from the Justice Department for his pink panties treatment of prisoners, Arizona Sheriff Joe Arpaio may have gone all Rizzo on us and misspent $80 million dollars of taxpayer money pegged for jail operations on lavish trips abroad, hotel upgrades, and huge restaurant tabs!
Where's that partisan outrage?

-Meg Whitman has stopped spending money long enough to follow tightwad Jerry Brown's lead in finally announcing her opposition to Proposition 23, the Big Oil/Koch Bros backed bill that would put the brakes on AB32. She's against Prop 23....sort of....as long as she can suspend implementation of AB32 until all the bad guys can find a legal loophole to get around it.

Speaking of the Tea Party Puppetmasters, Senatorial candidate Carly Fiorina finds herself in a cozy relationship with the Koch siblings after they sponsored a fundraiser for her in Washington yesterday to help raise funds from the many special interest lobbyists that are looking for a friendly doormat should she win in November.

LA County Supes are stepping up and doing what the state should have done some time ago. Foam containers for food and drinks are being banned at "most county facilities, including restaurants, catering trucks, hospitals, golf courses and concessions" After a trial period, an expansion of the ban will be considered. Plastic Bags next, we hope?

Happy 90th Birthday wishes to Mickey Rooney!

Here is the first video to come out of my day as Jerry Brown's videographer. The segment I shot was Jerry attending the Mexican Independence Day Parade & Festival in East LA. I'm told that there are more clips coming;

Labels: jerry brown

She's done it!

Meg Whitman has spent more of her own money on her campaign than any candidate for political office in US history! Her personal contribution to buy the governorship of California has reached $119 million and counting.

This is either one hell of a vanity project, or sadly, California is about to be sold to the highest bidder.

Labels: meg whitman

Latest reports from the neutral website Real Clear Politics show some not good news for the two Democrats at the top of the ticket.

RCP has listed for some time both the California Governor and Senate races as toss-ups and continue to do so. However recent polls show both the Republican ladies moving up in recent days.

At the end of August Jerry Brown and Meg Whitman were dead tied at 43 and some change points in the RCP poll of polls. However, as of the end of last week Whitman has gained several points on Brown as apparently independents are starting to decide. As of today, Whitman is up four points over Brown though Brown has been ahead most of the campaign.




Over on the Senate side the race between incumbent Barbara Boxer and businesswoman Carly Fiorina is a squeaker as the former Hewlett-Packard CEO is catching up. Still a toss-up in RCP's view, even though Boxer has been ahead most of the summer, less than 3/10ths of one percent separate the two in the poll of polls even though individual polls put Fiorina slightly ahead. Like Whitman, Fiorina has made up considerable ground so far this September.

Stay tuned!

Labels: barbara boxer, carly fiorina, jerry brown, meg whitman

Labels: john dennis, nancy pelosi

Zuma Dogg caught Gavin Newsom driving his state-of-the art SUV and parking in a fire lane in Malibu this past summer.  Now the San Francisco Mayor is taking heat back home for the SUV use and for having what appears to be an excessive use of security personnel.  KGO television takes the Mayor to task and even quotes the Dogg in their report.

Labels: gavin newsom, zuma dogg

 SAN FRANCISCO—San Francisco Mayor Gavin Newsom announced today that he is hosting a special outdoor concert at the Democratic National Convention in Denver to celebrate the historic participation of young Americans in this year’s election and in support of the candidacy of Barack Obama for President.

Called “Unconventional ’08,” the event will honor College Democrats of America, Generation Obama, Students for Barack Obama, Young Democrats of America, Young Voter PAC and other organizations.  It will feature an all-star line-up of indie rock artists, including Clap Your Hands Say Yeah, Cold War Kids, Silversun Pickups, Nada Surf, DJ Z-Trip and members of Death Cab for Cutie, Rilo Kiley and She and Him, as well as a special appearance by comedienne and actress Sarah Silverman and other surprise guests.

“One of the defining dynamics of 2008 has been the emerging wave of new, young voters getting involved and storming the gates of the traditional political establishment,” said Mayor Newsom.  “They are a key to this election and Senator Obama is energizing this new generation of voters in a way never seen before.   Our Party and our politics are better for their participation and I look forward to hosting this extraordinary event on their behalf.” 
 
The event will be held at the Manifest Hope Art Gallery on Wednesday evening, August 27, 2008.  Doors will open at 5:00 p.m. and the concert is scheduled to begin at 6:00 p.m.

Sponsors include Moveon.org, Northern California Carpenters Regional Council, AT&T and Pacific Gas & Electric.
Tickets are free to the public and can be requested online at www.unconventional08.com or www.gavinnewsom.com.

Labels: democratic national convention, gavin newsom