A third woman has lodged an accusation against Filner, this time for something in 2009. This one’s a doozy because Bob called her home phone, wanted to know “who the hell she was,” promised that her issues had the eyes of FLOTUS, then put the moves on her.
I’ve been asking Lori Saldaña to explain her endorsement of Bob Filner for Mayor. Saldaña claims that she knew about these things, told Jess Durfee, and was assured it was all rumor and innuendo. I asked her if the San Diego County Democratic Party suggested that if she refused to endorse Filner for Mayor, she would lose future support of the Party faithful (and donors). In fairness to her, I’ve put her in a difficult position.
I should be asking Jess Durfee, former Chairman of the San Diego County Democratic Party these questions:
1- Is Lori Saldaña lying about notifying you of Filner’s follies, two years ago?
2- If Saldaña is not lying, why did the the local Democratic Party, self-proclaimed “champion of women”, proceed with Filner’s endorsement?
Either:
- Saldaña lied,
- you brushed her claims under the rug,
- or Bob Filner is a master con-man who fooled even you.
I won’t blame you if you choose the third option — he fooled the City of San Diego voters last November…with your help, of course.
Comments 2
http://www.utsandiego.com/news/2013/jul/24/filner-top-aide-leaves-buckles/
DOWNTOWN SAN DIEGO — Mayor Bob Filner lost his second chief of staff in as many weeks on Wednesday.
Tony Buckles is out as Filner’s top aide after 10 days on the job and will be replaced by Lee Burdick, an attorney and former port commissioner.
Buckles, who had served as Filner’s congressional chief of staff in Washington, D.C., flew to San Diego less than two weeks ago to aid his longtime boss. Filner has been under siege with sexual allegations from several women, including three who have stepped forward publicly.
Filner announced a staff shakeup on July 15 — five days into the scandal — that included naming Buckles his new chief of staff. He replaced Vince Hall who resigned July 13 saying he had to step down “as a lifelong activist for women’s rights and equality.”
There was no indication from the Mayor’s Office that Buckles’ status was temporary at the time even though the announcement made that clear for at least one other employee.
Buckles’ departure comes one day after Filner’s former deputy campaign manager Laura Fink told KPBS of a 2005 incident in which touched her posterior at a fundraising event. She later sent an email to Buckles and Filner asking for an apology, raising questions about how much Buckles knows about Filner’s behavior toward women.
In Wednesday’s statement, Filner called it an honor for him that Burdick accepted the chief of staff job.
“She is an incredible talent who brings a wealth of experience, knowledge and integrity to the Office of the Mayor,” he said. “I respect her and intend to rely heavily on her leadership in this new role.”
Burdick has been the highest-ranking woman in the Mayor’s Office since Filner took in December. In a statement, she noted the current controversy around Filner.
“I am taking on this responsibility fully aware of the allegations and concerns confronting the mayor and the city at this moment in history,” she said. “After serious introspection, I must step forward to help the City through these challenging times.”
This isn’t how it went down. I’ll tell you how it did.
In the 2012 primary, after Labor had already blocked Lori Saldana’s endorsement at the Dem Party convention, Bob Filner endorsed her opponent, Scott Peters. Lori Saldana and Bob Filner’s bad blood goes back many years. When contacted by the press (U-T I think) about what Filner’s endorsement meant in the race, Saldana’s consultant Larry Remer (another Filner foe) said something to the effect of “Looks like one failing politician is endorsing another.” This ticked off many Dems who supported Filner, and so Saldana was forced to jump in and say she endorsed Bob Filner — probably knowing that her opponent Scott Peters wouldn’t be able to because he is buddy-buddy with Nathan Fletcher too.