Last week I reported that Sup. Chris Daly’s Resolution urging Representatives Nancy Pelosi and Tom Lantos to support HR 4232, the “End the War in Iraq Act of 2005,” was postponed for one week when Sup. Sean Elsbernd severed the Resolution from the agenda. (The Resolution is co-sponsored by Sups. Tom Ammiano and Ross Mirkarimi.)
On Tuesday, Sup. Elsbernd again severed the Resolution from the items to be considered for adoption without committee reference; however, it came as a surprise that Sup. Elsbernd did not request the item be sent to committee. Instead, Board President Aaron Peskin called for a roll call vote, and with Sup. Jake McGoldrick again absent, and Sup. Daly having briefly stepped out of the chamber, the Resolution initially passed 7-2, of course with Sups. Elsbernd and Alioto-Pier dissenting.
Then came the second surprise on the Resolution — Sup. Peskin then proclaimed that 8 votes were needed for passage and asked for a Motion to Rescind the Vote, which was made by Sup. Mirkarimi and seconded by Sup. Gerardo Sandoval. Sup. Peskin’s apparent reasoning for this surprise action was that, with Sup. Daly out of the chamber, he wanted Sup. Daly to be able to vote on his own resolution.
The Board then recessed until the 3:30 p.m. Special Order, which was followed by the second vote on the Resolution.
The final vote was 8-2, again with Sups. Elsbernd and Alioto-Pier voting no.
COMMENTARY
Last August, Mayor Gavin Newsom, speaking at the National Convention of Young Democrats of America being held in The City, accused his fellow Democrats of acting “Republican-Lite” instead of sticking to core values. Newsom claimed that John Kerry lost the election to George Bush because Kerry came across essentially the same as Bush, with minor differences, and that walking away from solutions showed the Democratic Party as weak on noble actions.
However, his puppets and obstructionists on the Board, Elsbernd and Alioto-Pier, appear to have become that which Newsom claims he dislikes: Republican-Lite. Presented with a clear opportunity to send a message to Representatives Pelosi and Lantos to support the U.S. House Resolution to end the funding for what we now know is an illegal war, Elsbernd and Alioto-Pier have chosen instead to act irresponsibly and by doing so essentially support the Bush administration’s policy to wage an illegal war. (Elsbernd and Alioto-Pier conducted themselves in the same manner regarding Sup. Daly’s Resolution to Impeach Bush and Cheney.)
Indeed, Newsom himself failed to act responsibly when presented with an opportunity to behave with leadership when he refused to sign the Resolution to Impeach. Instead, Newsom chose the Republican-Lite path by not protesting the illegal actions of Bush and Cheney, which could have been achieved with a simple signature.
With the Board passage of the Resolution calling for support of HR 4232, Newsom has an opportunity to partially redeem himself by signing the Resolution into law — he has 10 days to either veto or sign the Resolution, or it passes into the law books: the 10th day is Friday, March 24.
When presented with an opportunity to promote progressive change, or to bring to justice Bush and Cheney for their ‘alleged’ criminal actions, a failure to act connotes avoiding responsibility; a failure to act means you are not part of the solution but part of the problem; a failure to act implies that you condone the illegal acts of Bush and Cheney.
So what’s it going to be, Mr. Mayor? Are you Republican-Lite? Are you the leader of San Francisco Democrats?
From my viewpoint, Sup. Chris Daly is the TRUE leader of San Francisco Democrats and must be commended, praised, and admired for acting with nobility and courage with his sustaining demand for justice.
