Democrats in the Castro

San Francisco's Democratic Party headquarters opened in the Castro Saturday morning in the old Tower Video location next to Cafe Flore on Market Street.



All the usual suspects were there, including John Burton above, and Nancy Pelosi and even people you wanted to see like Jane Morrison (click here for a wonderful photo from Jan Adams of Pelosi wading into the crowd to greet the 90-year-old-plus Morrison).



San Francisco is a one-party town which breeds corruption almost by definition. The latest iteration of that age-old story of idealistic politician who crosses over to the Dark Side is Christina Olague above. It seems she was once a left-wing Latina bisexual stalwart in the corridors of power, and has publicly become another in a long line of Willie Brown's enablers. It's been depressing to witness, from her participation in the bogus Run, Ed, Run campaign for Ed Lee's mayoral coronation, to her open, happy embrace of campaign cash from Willie and Rose. According to the SF Examiner, Willie is hosting a fundraiser at the Ferry Building this Friday for Ms. Olague, probably as a very public quid pro quo for her recent 8 Washington project vote. In an interview subsequent to that vote, she told her own (appointed) district voters that their views were not going to sway her when there was serious idealistic campaign moolah at stake. I hope the voters of District 5 kick her to the curb in November. She more than deserves it.



Just as sad is the new District 8 Supervisor Scott Weiner above, who has never heard of a property right he doesn't instinctively feel is sacred. The latest crusade for this priggish Savonarola is to combat the horrors of nudists who have claimed the intersection of 17th, Market and Castro as their own. He's a sad evolutuion for the San Francisco gay community, and longtime Willie Brown enabler Bevan Dufty unfortunately laid the trail.



I asked Rafael Mandelman (above left) why he was running for the Community College Board when they were in the middle of such a shit storm over finances and accreditation. "They are a valuable institution. And it's going to get better," he replied, simply, and I believed him. It's too bad that Mandelman doesn't really seem to enjoy campaigning which is part of the reason we're stuck with Weiner in District 8 when Mandelman would have been a so much better alternative reality. Do vote for him this November and maybe we can start creating that reality.