Gavin Newsom Tells Mayor Ed Lee to Make Up His Mind About Running for Mayor -- Now

By Erin Sherbert Wed., Jul. 6 2011 at 8:20 AM

Categories: Politics

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Gavin tells Ed Lee: shit or get off the pot

From an outsider's perspective, it might seem Mayor Ed Lee has made up his mind: He's not running for mayor. But as you get closer to the guts of San Francisco politics, it's hard to ignore his slight comments to the press such as "I'm not campaigning at this time." It's even harder to shrug off the Run, Ed, Run campaign, which is becoming seemingly bigger than the election itself.

Not only is it distracting voters, who are already confused by San Francisco's election system. This shadowy campaign is also getting all the media attention, leaving the real mayoral candidates feeling a little insecure.

And who else are they launching their complaints, to but Lieutenant Governor and former Mayor Gavin Newsom.

After all, it's his mess he left behind in San Francisco when he cut out early from his job to become lieutenant governor. Newsom became the wizard behind the curtain in getting Lee appointed to fill out his term in January. Of course, the majority of the supervisors -- some who are now running for mayor -- agreed to make Lee mayor on the condition he wouldn't run in 2011.

Newsom, who stopped through San Francisco yesterday, told the Chron that it's time for Lee to quit playing coy and come clean about his plans -- if any -- for a future mayoral campaign.

Newsom put it bluntly, saying Lee "should let people know sooner rather than later ... out of respect to all the candidates out there."

He did say that he believes Lee when he says publicly that he won't run. Yet, like the rest of us, Newsom must not entirely believe him.

"I want to sit down and talk to him about it," Newsom tells the Chron.

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