Democratic “Clubs” Emerge to Hurt Party EndorsementPaul Hogarthbyline‚ Oct. 27‚ 2008With the San Francisco Democratic Party endorsing progressive candidates and measures, new clubs with major corporate funding have emerged in recent days. Chinese voters in the Richmond report getting calls in Cantonese from the Democratic Party, urging a vote for District 1 candidate Sue Lee (although the party endorsed Eric Mar.) Consultant Tom Hsieh—whose firm made the phone calls—insists they were on behalf of the “San Francisco Democratic Club,” but was tight-lipped about who else is in that club. Hsieh, who is on the Party’s Central Committee, could lose his seat if the calls were indeed fraudulent—and at best, naming a Club like that is intentionally deceptive. District 1 voters also received a mailing from the “Richmond Reform Democratic Club” that pushed Lee—after the long-established Richmond Democratic Club endorsed Mar. In District 11, voters got a robocall from Scott Wiener—who identified himself as “former chair” of the Democratic Party—that pushed candidate Ahsha Safai. While that’s not deceptive, DCCC members cannot use their Committee status to promote candidates not endorsed by the party. Mayor Gavin Newsom won’t be attending the SF Democratic Party’s annual banquet this week (despite receiving an award)—opting instead to meet the “Coalition for Responsible Growth.” The group in question has a Republican President, and its chairman wants to take the City on a “sharp turn to the right.” |