Due process my ass. Seriously. The extreme lefties, including leaders of the local Democratic Party and city employee unions, making the due process argument for Mayor Bob Filner should be ashamed. What they’re really saying is, “Politics before principles!” And: “He may be a hugger mayor but he’s our hugger mayor.”
The position from the folks at the San Diego Free Press, which is left of left field, go something like this: We really need to let the process play out. When pressed, they pathetically offer this: Life without our mayor would be a disaster because there is no one as progressive as he is to lead our city.
Think about that for a minute. These tragically flawed holdouts (aka blind Filner supporters) are willing to live with a national embarrassment because that, to them, is better than a leader who doesn’t share their ideals. What a terrible position and what an awful thing to say to the women of San Diego. Here’s the kicker: These folks call themselves progressives. They’re about as progressive as Pat Robertson.
Mayor Bob Filner is entitled to due process with investigators and in the courts, but in the court of public opinion he drained his due process tank when he admitted guilt. Let’s take a moment to review what he said:
- I have diminished the office to which you elected me.
- I’m clearly doing something wrong.
- I have failed to fully respect the women who work for me and with me, and at times I have intimidated them.
- It’s a good thing that behavior that would have been tolerated in the past is being called out in this generation for what it is: inappropriate and wrong.
- I need help.
- I will participate in sexual harassment training provided by the city.
- You have every right to be disappointed in me.
- I brought this on through my own personal frailties. The biggest monster is inside of me, which we will deal with.
- I’m a hugger.
Civil rights attorney Gloria Allred was right when she said had Filner made his pathetic apology before Election Day San Diegans never would have elected him eight month ago.
“They deserve a mayor who stands for something, not someone who claims at age 70 years old he still needs help in order to discern right from wrong and asks those that elected him to stand by while he gets help,” Allred said at a Monday press conference heard around the country. “No, Mr. Mayor, you do not need help. What you need is to resign immediately. You have disgraced yourself and the office you hold.”
Allred is representing Irene McCormack, Filner’s former communications director. She filed a lawsuit Monday that makes the men at Sterling Cooper & Partners look meek next to our mayor.
He can’t lead, folks. He doesn’t talk to Council President Todd Gloria, he isn’t allowed to meet alone with women and Councilman Kevin Faulconer made the point Monday that leaders in Washington and Sacramento no longer return his calls.
At a joint news conference Monday, Gloria and Faulconer said the mayor is a disaster and must go, but they also said the people’s business isn’t missing a beat. I agree there will likely be no interruptions to basic city services like police and parks and rec, but a mayor facing a crisis of this magnitude can’t lead and therefore city business is going to be affected.
Remember, the people’s business is getting done without affording women the opportunity to meet one-on-one with the mayor. What’s that say about City Hall, about San Diego, about what we’re willing to live with as a community?
I’m willing to bet not all women are as brave as Irene McCormack, who still works at City Hall and likely runs into the mayor. Why would we continue to put her and other victims in the mayor’s path?
He lost his chance to lead. He failed. Miserably. Pathetically. He needs to resign and let San Diego begin to heal. As Donna Frye said, “he is tragically unsafe.”
Please remember that the next time someone shouts: “Due Process!” Please remember what they’re really saying: “We would rather have a disgraced mayor who sides with us than a respected mayor who doesn’t always agree with us. Oh, and don’t forget, we’re progressives!”
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Tony Manolatos is a communications strategist. Click here to read his bio or follow him on Twitter at @tonymanolatos