S.F. mayor opens bid for 2010 governor's race

[DrjonesUSA]

San Francisco mayor opens bid for 2010 governor's race

By Kevin Yamamura and Shane Goldmacher - kyamamura@sacbee.com
Published 6:42 pm PDT Tuesday, July 1, 2008


San Francisco Mayor Gavin Newsom, a Democrat best known for his aggressive support of same-sex marriage, launched an exploratory committee Tuesday to consider a 2010 run for governor.


Newsom, 40, became the first Democrat to take formal steps toward replacing Republican Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger.

"He's taking the steps to put together the type of operation that can analyze the race in 2010 and make an informed decision," said Newsom consultant Eric Jaye.

Newsom's exploratory bid is an effort to get ahead of what could become a crowded Democratic field in 2010. He can use the committee to solicit donations in $24,100 increments, building a war chest 23 months before the Democratic primary for governor.

His timing - opening an account on July 1 -- means he will not have to reveal how much money he has raised for more than six months, until early 2009.

Attorney General Jerry Brown has intimated that he, too, will jump into the race. He reported raising more than $200,000 in June in his reelection account. He recently renamed the account from "Jerry Brown for Attorney General" to "Jerry Brown 2010."

"I don't do too much these days except sue people," he said in a March speech at the state Democratic convention. "But someday maybe I'll get around to doing more than that, and hopefully you'll help."

Lt. Gov John Garamendi has all but said he is running and 2006 candidate and former state Controller Steve Westly and state Superintendent of Public Instruction Jack O'Connell are expected to seriously consider the race.

State Treasurer Bill Lockyer is sitting on a $10 million campaign account, while Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa is a widely discussed candidate, though he first must win reelection in 2009.

On the Republican side, first-term Insurance Commissioner Steve Poizner is widely expected to run. Meg Whitman, the former eBay CEO and adviser to Sen. John McCain, is also considering a run.

Newsom is best known statewide -- and nationally -- for his decision is 2004 to allow the city of San Francisco to perform gay marriage. The California Supreme Court ruled the California law banning gay marriage was unconstitutional this May.

Newsom - who was resoundingly reelected in 2007 with only token opposition - has not sailed through this tenure as San Francisco mayor.

Early in 2007, he confessed to having an affair with the wife of his deputy chief of staff. A week later, Newsom admitted a drinking problem and sought treatment, while maintaining his duties as mayor.

[saigon1965]

"Early in 2007, he confessed to having an affair with the wife of his deputy chief of staff. A week later, Newsom admitted a drinking problem and sought treatment, while maintaining his duties as mayor."


Actions liket this will take him straight to the Whitehouse.

[yellowfin]

THIS would be how we'd get a good governor, by someone running against him.

[five.five-six]

"Early in 2007, he confessed to having an affair with the wife of his deputy chief of staff. A week later, Newsom admitted a drinking problem and sought treatment, while maintaining his duties as mayor."


Actions like this will take him straight to the Whorehouse.

sounds like he is a shoe in for mayor of S.F.

[wolf13]

Isn't Brown supposed to be fairly pro gun?

[hill billy]

^-is crossing his fingers that Mitt Romney decides to run for governor.

He should have been sent to jail for civil disobedience in '04 for what he pulled.

[steel-cut]

If he becomes the Governer of this state, these are the kinds of thing we all can look forward to throughout CA instead of just SF. :mad:


http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,374803,00.html

---------------------------------------------------------
Drug Dealers Going Free Under San Francisco Sanctuary Law

A sanctuary ordinance in San Francisco is protecting young drug dealers from federal deportation in what a U.S. prosecutor is calling a "gaming of the system" for illegal immigrants.

The San Francisco Juvenile Probation Department has been shipping underage crack dealers to group homes in an effort to shield them from the feds under the city's 1989 "City of Refuge" ordinance, which prohibits city employees from informing Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents of illegal immigrants.

Up until last month, the department flew the drug dealers back to their home countries without informing ICE agents. But now, after being sent to the group homes under the new policy, the youths just run away.

"These kids are gaming the system," Joseph P. Russoniello, U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of California, told FOXNews.com. "Whoever they are, they're playing it like a Stradivarius because the cops are saying they're seeing these characters three and four times."

As first reported in the San Francisco Chronicle, eight Honduran crack dealers escaped from youth rehabilitation centers run by Silverlake Youth Services in San Bernardino County in recent weeks.

Russoniello would neither confirm nor deny an investigation into the department's shielding of illegal immigrants, but he told FOXNews.com that he was first informed in January of ICE's brushes with the city's probation officers as they transported detainees south of the border via the Houston airport.

"They had stopped them and found out that they were — despite the fact that they had claimed they were juveniles — they were adults," Russoniello said. "In some cases, they were convicted felons; in other cases, they had actually entered the country after deportation, and so on."

The U.S. Attorney's Office approached the city for an explanation and was told on June 16 that the probation department had ceased deporting underage offenders.

Russoniello said that still did not "resolve the ultimate problem, which is why wasn't juvenile probation reporting to ICE that they had in their custody people who were illegal aliens?" He said he's still awaiting an answer from the city.

Requests for comment from Mayor Gavin Newsom and the city's probation department and attorney's office were not returned.

"We are abiding by the sanctuary city ordinance," William Siffermann, the chief of the Juvenile Probation Department, told the Chronicle.

Last year, Newsom ordered the city's departments to develop training on the ordinance. In April, he began a public awareness campaign to promote the city's sanctuary policy to undocumented residents.

Siffermann told the paper that his agency flew home only offenders who had failed all other rehabilitative efforts, from foster care and juvenile detention to probation.

Greg Palmore, an ICE spokesman in Houston, referred all questions by FOXNews.com to the Justice Department. But he told the Chronicle that "although San Francisco is a sanctuary city, it's a problem whenever someone attempts to evade the law. ... Our law does not allow us to turn a blind eye to any individual who has come into this country illegally."

Siffermann defended the city's policy to shield youthful offenders from deportation.

"It might prevent them from obtaining citizenship," he told the paper.

Russoniello disagreed.

"No matter whose immigration reform is adopted, nobody is going to have a line for people who are drug dealers to get the benefit of amnesty or citizenship," he said. "So you're wasting your time trying to protect them."

---------------------------------

[Guntech]

I always knew Newsome was a moron, but he must be dumber than I thought if he thinks he has a snowballs chance in hell of becoming governor.(Oops while I was ranting I forgot this is Kalifornia:D)

[CCWFacts]

Isn't Brown supposed to be fairly pro gun?

That's what some people (including me) are thinking. He pointedly did not sign the brief for the appellants that the other anti-gun AGs did sign. Let's see how he reacts on Heller. If he issues a new opinion on GC, that will be tangible evidence.

[Afmo]

hrm...alcoholism, philandering, lying, liberal...did his last name used to be Kennedy?

[bwiese]

Brown will kick Newsom's arse.

I don't see the Repubs having a viable candidate - money, name recognition, tainted Republican party in areas where there's the most voters, etc.

[AKman]

hrm...alcoholism, philandering, lying, liberal...did his last name used to be Kennedy?

Unfortunately, no. There are too many large bridges and lesbians around SF for a Kennedy to survive very long.

[Bizcuits]

he'll win if he runs, this state is just screwed up enough to vote him in... :rolleyes:

[mymonkeyman]

3-way primary between Brown, Villaraigosa, and Newsom would be interesting (albeit terrifying).

It's sad the Republican party in CA has essentially collapsed. Are there no other quasi-Republican celebrities to tap?

[glockman19]

He along with Antonio Villa will not be Governor...Ever.

[mecam]

http://gavinsucks.wordpress.com/

[Res]

Senator Tom McClintock

[bwiese]

Senator Tom McClintock

He's a good guy but I think the Rs have rendered him unelectable with the religious/choice baggage (which he does not necessarily identify with) and which doesn't sell well in areas that determine election outcomes.

[timmyb21]

Why can't these people just go away?

[dfletcher]

Originally Posted by Afmo
"hrm...alcoholism, philandering, lying, liberal...did his last name used to be Kennedy?"


Unfortunately, no. There are too many large bridges and lesbians around SF for a Kennedy to survive very long.

So funny! The bridge part I get, but I had to read that darn response 2 or three times before I got the lesbian remark. BTW - here's a shot of that famous bridge. I'll wager you didn't know your lesbian and bridge comment was quite so right on. Not that there's anything wrong with that ....

http://www.singlesourcephoto.com/search/ma/mva0064.htm

Great place to go swimming, quite a current when the tide shifts though.

[dfletcher]

He along with Antonio Villa will not be Governor...Ever.

I hopefully agree. The best way to beat Newsome is with his own actions and the results of his tenure in San Francisco. Show the city, interview the right residents - basically a "He'll do to the state what he's done to the city" approach. Same goes for Harris, although without the personal baggage approach.

[Cazach]

How is it that Brown can run again? I thought he already had his two terms. :confused:

[dohidied]

How is it that Brown can run again? I thought he already had his two terms. :confused:

The gubernatorial term limits came into effect in 1990. Since Brown served his 2 terms before then, he isn't affected by the law.

[Delta V]

How is it that Brown can run again? I thought he already had his two terms. :confused:

He was Governor before the term limits law was enacted, therefore he can run again.

[tiki]

At this point, I would have to put my vote with Brown since he didn't sign onto the brief with the other anti AGs, and, he seems to have quited down the BoF.
I think that any attempt to fight the recent ruling by the Supreme Court, or, to continue to push laws that don't make any sense, and, that violate the rights of citizens, would be a wilful wasting of taxpayer money. So far it seems to be Newsome doing it, so, hopefully, we can make a big enough issue of it should he try to run.
I will look forward to volunteering my time for Brown if he continues they way he has been.

[chris]

this state will have dem governor for a long time after arnold.. if lockyer gets in we are truly doomed. all though i do not trust any politician in this state since they have done everything in their power to screw up this state. but with heller i think they will have a harder time to push the anti gun agenda.

[PonchoTA]

I thought that Mitt Romney moved to CA (La Jolla, specifically) so he could run for gov. :confused:

I'd vote for him!! Maybe HE can get the state budget figured out and straightened!

[yellowfin]

I thought that Mitt Romney moved to CA (La Jolla, specifically) so he could run for gov. :confused:

I'd vote for him!! Maybe HE can get the state budget figured out and straightened!Uhm...you WANT a Massachusetts liberal in the governor's office? As in the same people who voted for him vote for Ted Kennedy and John Kerry, THAT kind of leftist? If you thought the rino we have is bad...

[Sutcliffe]

You would think he would be unelectable as governor. Other than being caught in bed with a dead girl or a live boy he seems to cover all the bases when it comes to political shenanigans.
Yeah, Brown is looking a lot better by the minute.

[mymonkeyman]

I thought that Mitt Romney moved to CA (La Jolla, specifically) so he could run for gov. :confused:

I'd vote for him!! Maybe HE can get the state budget figured out and straightened!

Mitt Romney is almost certainly more pro-gun-control than Brown.

[bwiese]

Mitt Romney is almost certainly more pro-gun-control than Brown.

Bingo.

Not all Repubs are pro-gun, or just voice a good game but are absent during voting.

[yellowfin]

IIRC, Romney passed an anti EBR law that's just as bad or worse than CA's. I find it insulting that he attempted to lie to all of us while he was in the running saying he was pro RKBA.

[M. Sage]

Brown will kick Newsom's arse.


The only issue I have with Brown so far is that he's an absolute nutjob psycho when it comes to global warming or whatever the new term of the moment is for it...

[Ford8N]

IIRC, Romney passed an anti EBR law that's just as bad or worse than CA's. I find it insulting that he attempted to lie to all of us while he was in the running saying he was pro RKBA.

Mitt Romney's own words on AW's and gun control.

http://www.ontheissues.org/governor/Mitt_Romney_Gun_Control.htm


:(

[cactuspete]

The two scariest words in the English language:

Governor Newsome

[yellowfin]

Mitt Romney's own words on AW's and gun control.

http://www.ontheissues.org/governor/Mitt_Romney_Gun_Control.htm


:(Disgusting. And by the way, can we STOP VALIDATING THE "AW" TERM?!?! :mad:

-Do not feed the bears.
-Do not feed the zoo animals.
-Do not feed the anti 2A crowd's arguement by letting them determine the vocabulary or the arguements. Arguing against the insane by using their insanity as the construct for reality is as irrational as their invention thereof.

[dfletcher]

I didn't vote for Romney and hope he is not McCain's choice for VP. I think he is correct though when speaking about doing political business in Massachusetts. The MA legislature is OVERWHELMINGLY Democrat - the House is Democrat by about 140 to 20, the Senate is 40 to 5. So just like CA, the Democrats are going to pass whatever they want, regardless of what the Republican Governor wants.

[hill billy]

Mitt Romney's own words on AW's and gun control.

http://www.ontheissues.org/governor/Mitt_Romney_Gun_Control.htm


:(
yipes. :(

[PonchoTA]

Uhm...you WANT a Massachusetts liberal in the governor's office? As in the same people who voted for him vote for Ted Kennedy and John Kerry, THAT kind of leftist? If you thought the rino we have is bad...

Mitt Romney is almost certainly more pro-gun-control than Brown.

Mitt Romney's own words on AW's and gun control.

http://www.ontheissues.org/governor/Mitt_Romney_Gun_Control.htm

:(

Wow. Ok, I give! Uncle! There were a lot of "pros" I had for him during the 'big race', I didn't realize this wasn't one of them. I respectfully withdraw my argument.

[Ford8N]

And by the way, can we STOP VALIDATING THE "AW" TERM?!?! :mad:



I agree and I was thinking of using the correct neologism but I get lazy and use the plebeian term. I also call an adjustable wrench a "Crescent Wrench" at times.;)

[Subvertz]

On the boat, we dropped "cresent wrench" and opted for the term "cresent hammer". When the Engineer didn't like that, we switched to "All-16ths".