Gavin Newsom Hearts George Gascón

Degree of difficulty: No jokes about hair in this story!

​In a move every bit as awe-inspiring as a magician pulling a rabbit out of a rabbit hutch, District Attorney George Gascón today trumpeted an election endorsement from the lieutenant governor.

"I'm endorsing George Gascón for the same reasons I appointed him," writes erstwhile Mayor Gavin Newsom. You mean because David Chiu didn't want the job?

No, that's not what Newsom wrote. "George is a recognized national expert in law enforcement and has considerable experience running large organizations, but it's his independence and unwavering commitment to fairness and justice that make him a great District Attorney."

Actually, "great District Attorney" may be going a bit far. This city has set the bar low with regards to DA competence, though Gascón may yet prove to be an able prosecutor. But, come election season, the DA will hopefully have more tangible evidence of his "great" job performance than platitudes from the guy who gave him the position.

Finally, while an endorsement from the state's lieutenant governor is rarely cause for unbridled singin' and a-dancin', this one rings particularly hollow. It'd be beyond strange for Newsom to do anything but offer rip-roaring praise for the man he both hired as police chief and then elevated to DA (even if he didn't have a reputation of claiming credit for every worthwhile development in this town). And if Newsom's political coat tails weren't short before, it figures San Franciscans won't value his input more now that he's chosen to jettison himself from city government and take up the Maytag repairman's post of statewide positions.

Gascón, for his part, writes that he is "proud" to have Newsom's endorsement. Well, happy Friday then.

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