Missing: San Francisco Mayor (and gubernatorial dropout) Gavin Newsom:
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From major conferences at the Moscone Center to small coffee shops in the Mission, San Franciscans are buzzing about Mayor Gavin Newsom and the stunning turn of fortune that in a few short days took him from being a candidate for governor to hiding out in Hawaii.
From Newsom’s highs, like his law-breaking same-sex marriages in 2004, to his lows, like an admitted affair and alcohol problem in 2007, the telegenic, risk-prone mayor has always given his constituents something to wag their tongues about – and this bizarre chapter is no different.Newsom spokesman Nathan Ballard said Thursday afternoon that the mayor was preparing to fly back to San Francisco Thursday night and expected him to be at City Hall today. Previously, his staff had said they didn’t know when he’d return.
Last Friday, hours after speaking before a bank of television cameras about the oil spill in the bay, Newsom announced he was dropping out of the governor’s race and hasn’t been seen at City Hall since. Word finally came Tuesday that he was on the Big Island with his wife, newborn daughter and in-laws. He left without telling his staff, who abruptly canceled a raft of major appearances on his behalf.
His lack of responsibility notwithstanding, I salute the Absentee Mayor for finally doing something that wasn’t politically calculated.
– Gautam Dutta
Newsom finally talked to the press (in a matter of speaking). His press secretary quit following Newsom’s Hawaii escapade, and it showed: http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/blogs/cityinsider/detail?entry_id=52062
By Gautam on November 21st, 2009