by Kirk W. Effinger
Anyone who wonders why Mayor Bob Filner stubbornly refuses to resign in the face of the mounting evidence of his appalling behavior toward women over the years needs to spend a bit more time reading the transcripts or watching the video of his accusers recounting the details of his transgressions to get their answer. This is a man who has no shame.
How else do you explain behavior that is so outside the norm, not to mention repugnant?
If you lack the basic filters that would tap you on the shoulder and say, “This is not the way you should act,” you might do things like belittle colleagues in front of a room full of reporters and community leaders, or pick petty fights with other elected officials simply because they are perceived to be a political threat. Or worse, you might threaten those who work for you—directly or indirectly—with job loss if they do not act according to your wishes—whatever they might be.
It’s disgusting that Filner’s treatment of women has been under cover for so long. It’s disheartening that people accepted his bullying tactics, which often were every bit as damaging to the individuals who bore the brunt, were accepted for thirty-plus years as “just Bob being Bob.”
One of the most interesting things that has come out of this kerfuffle and gets little to no coverage is how long Filner’s past instances of sexual harassment had apparently gone on with behind-the-scenes tongue-wagging among Democrat insiders. In Marco Gonzalez’s recent news conference comments, he alluded to behaviors known of for at least a decade or more.
One accuser in a news interview claimed that Democrats knew about rumors surrounding Filner’s indiscretions at the time he was running for mayor, but told her they would rather have one person in office who didn’t respect women than have the office in control of an entire political party that didn’t respect them.
Without starting a debate over which party “respects women” the most, it should be noted that both major political parties have women in the membership, both political parties have women in leadership positions, and both political parties have women representing them in elected office. And both political parties have Neanderthals among their male members—whether they openly admit it or not.
That certain Democratic Party leaders have been complicit in keeping Filner’s proclivities from public view seems to be increasingly evident and needs to be examined. His behavior not only in office as mayor but as a congressman bears scrutiny, if only to determine what abuses of power he might have exercised while in pursuit of sexual conquest.
Complicating everything, of course, is the somewhat understandable unwillingness of the various women accusers involved in this mess to come forward and lend more credibility to the charges that have been leveled against hizzoner. This adds to Filner’s increasingly smug assurance that he will survive. Unfortunately given his combative nature and utter belief that he will prevail, San Diego should prepare for a long and civically embarrassing ordeal. Without firm evidence, sooner or later the media storm will peter out and things at City Hall will get back to their dysfunctional “normal.”
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Kirk W. Effinger writes from San Marcos, California.
Comments 3
I just read one of the best statements on this subject, posted under a story in the UT.
” ‘I do not believe I am guilty of sexual harassment’ Can we get an actual denial of the groping allegations? I haven’t heard him say outright that he didn’t put his hand in the woman’s bra, stick his tongue in the woman’s mouth, or grab the other woman’s butt. In that regard, the silence is deafening.”
It would be great to have a reporter sit down with him and have him answer YES or NO (no other words, answers or explanations allowed) whether he did this stuff or not.
Filner will not resign for the simple reason that there is no benefit to him to do so. He is 70, and this will be his last elected office. If he resigns, his 40 year career in politics will end in a disgrace of his own creation and he will go off to the nursing home as a joke, a Democratic Duke Cunningham, a pariah.
If he fights, the Lincoln Club and the GOP will have to pony up the $500K- $1M it will take to get signatures (which they might not get = Filner wins) and even more money to run the recall campaign (which they might not win = Filner wins).
Even if the recall is successful in removing Filner, he very well may be replaced by another Democrat (Dems win) and the GOP has $1M less to spend against Dems in local, state and federal elections county wide (Dems win).
Local Democrats get the benefit of publicly calling for Filner to resign, while actually wanting a recall to go forward because it means there will be less money available to be spent against them in the next cycle. That is why you will see a mushy statement come out of Thursday’s DCCC meeting.
I’m trying to understand who will be in Filner’s corner with the money to fight a recall, except Filner at this point. His supporters are deserting him like the proverbial rats from a sinking ship. I doubt labor will step up in any great number, not with Lorena Gonzalez already speaking out against him. He’s certainly not going to see any money from establishment Dems at this point. He’ll fight to the end, to be sure, but the idea that he’ll prevail in a recall seems far-fetched.
Whether a Republican candidate emerges or not is problematic, but a boring guy like Jan Goldsmith might seem pretty appealing to voters about now. It worked for him against Aguirre.