Donald Macleay, who I now give the name "Donny Mac," and who I interviewed here....
...is just plain pissed off.
Macleay fired off this hot letter to me just 10 minutes ago and that I'm about to present to you for inspection below. Indeed, Don sent the letter to a number of media people, which means he really was hopping mad over the issue and wanted to pick a fight or draw attention to himself or some combination of both. That's politics.
It's also necessary. The problem Donald Macleay has is he's a "Don" like Perata, so his name gets lost in the sea of Don. Call this a scream for help from someone lost on a castaway island in Oakland politics. Donny Mac's competing in a field of ten candidates for Mayor of Oakland, California, if we count Oakland Mayor Ron Dellums. He's also up against the idea that it's just Don Perata versus Oakland Councilmembers Jean Quan and Rebecca Kaplan. (And Ron Dellums has not yet said 'I'm not running for Mayor again' and some have said he would.)
 |
| Donny Mac is back |
Feinstein for who?
As the Green party candidate in the Oakland Mayor?s race, I am outside of the circles where our US Senator Dianne Feinstein decided to support out ex-state senator Don Perata. She was never going to call me.
I think she is doing Oakland a disservice by endorsing anyone at all.
The Democrats are like a bad marriage that has regular fights that the neighbors get to hear late into the night. The most nasty fights seem to be over who gets the open job. The other semi-official candidate is going to fight for this vacant job as if her career depends on it, because it does.
None of us will be surprised if the fight gets nastier before it is over. Towards the end of American political campaigns we often have a rash of false accusations, dirty tricks and ugly mudslinging.
Then they make up and pretend that there are no bitter resentments.
We pretend to believe them and try not to get too involved.
The nomination period is still not over, therefore Senator Feinstein is making her choice before the whole field is known. So far Perata?s ?conversation? with us Oaklanders does not include much in the way of his views on city issues. So what has she endorsed? Why pick a side?
Oakland, California and the USA are in a major budget crisis and a lingering recession. Sen. Feinstein should be looking to work with whoever is the next mayor of Oakland and should not have her name attached to any hard feelings this election leaves behind. How would she relate to a Mayor Quan if her name is on Election Day dirty business? Would she take calls from a Mayor Macleay?
The next mayor will need to keep up the race for federal funds that our current mayor has focused on. The next mayor will need to find a working relationship with all our state and federal officials.
When the neighbors are fighting late into the night the worst thing you can do is to take sides.
Don Macleay
candidate@macleay4mayor.org
Donny Mac is back and that's the fact, jack!
Stay tuned.
