Ed Lee Meets POTUS and Rev. Pat; Tim Hodson, RIP

Oct26

Ed Lee Goes Viral: Right up there with “Demon Sheep,” the new Ed Lee for San Francisco Mayor ad titled “2 Legit 2 Quit” and/or “Fear the Mustache” (as in “Fear the Beard,” i.e. SF Giants pitcher Brian Wilson), produced by Ashkon Davaran, is just too good to pass up.

Featuring Wilson Himself, ex-49er Ronnie Lott, MC Hammer, will-i-am, Willie Brown, Google’s Marissa Mayer, Twitter’s Biz Stone and YouTube’s Hunter Walk, the snappy, hip-hoppy endorsement ad went viral almost as soon as it popped into the intertubes Tuesday morning.

According to the SF Chron’s Lois Lane Carla Marinucci, “The ad is the latest effort, not of the Lee campaign, but of an independent expenditure group called San Franciscans for Jobs and Good Government. The group is headed by Silicon Valley “angel investor” Ron Conway, who’s gotten help from powerful (and wealthy) helpers like Spotify’s Sean Parker and Salesforce.com’s Marc Benioff, who is also a major bundler and donor for President Barack Obama.”

According to Costco Carla, the ad cost just $18K with talent donated. Of course, running at 2:22 minutes, there’s no way it’ll ever make TV in this form. But it’s already created a buzz.

A scene from Marinucci's taboo video

Speaking of Carla: How stupid is the White House to keep local reporters out of President Obama’s visits to the Bay Area, like his funder at the W Hotel in SF Tuesday in which the only reporters allowed were a couple of traveling national WH scribblers who have no idea who anyone is who’s in the audience.

Worse than stupid, according to the Chronicle’s editorial page which argued: “The Obama White House’s restrictions on media access to its fundraising events makes a mockery of its claim to be the most transparent administration in history. If anything, there is almost a Nixonian quality to the level of control, paranoia – and lack of credibility – this White House has demonstrated on the issue of media access to President Obama’s fundraisers.”

The idiotic, paranoid lock-out seems to stem from the last time Marinucci was in a WH pool and she posted video of a protest that — according to the WH — violated the Rules of Pooldom when it’s a “print” pool (whateverthefk that is in this day and age).

“As per usual, the White House traveling press pool will cover the President’s remarks at his Bay Area campaign event and a transcript of his speech will be circulated to local and national media outlets,” White House spokesman Adam Abrams wrote in an e-mail to The Chronicle.

Calbuzz, having been in pools, puddles and teacups, can tell you that being on the inside at presidential events is often a lot more trouble than it’s worth. but that keeping reporters out — just in case they see or hear something that might matter to their readers — is incredibly clueless, especially when it’s an alleged Democrat about whom lots of their readers really care. Get a clue, Jay. ‘Cause if Calbuzz ever wants into a pool, you’ll want to make sure we get access.

P.S. While infuriating the S.F. press corps, Obama also managed to annoy multitudes out at SFO yesterday, when his late afternoon departure on Air Force 1 scrambled flights, gates and connections for thousands of registered voters. Of particular concern was the damage done to United’s regional flight schedule; along with countless grumpy passengers coming and going to Sacramento, Modesto and other short-range destinations, a High Ranking Calbuzz Executive was serially inconvenienced by a two-hour delay and four gate changes for a one-hour flight to Santa Barbara, center of California’s political universe. Calbuzz was not amused, and is now taking a second look at ~~Herb~~ Herman Cain’s 9-9-9 plan..

Pot Calls Kettle Black, Film at 11: The Rev. Pat Robertson who blamed 9/11 on the ACLU, abortionists, pagans, feminists, gays, lesbians and secularists; who likened Muslims to “some fascist group”; who says other religions worship “demonic powers”; who says marriage equality is “so gross” it will be our undoing as a nation; who says the separation of church and state is “insane”; who said Ariel Sharon suffered a stroke because he was “dividing God’s land”; who says natural disasters and weather events are God’s way of sending messages — this same Pat Robertson now says the Republican Party’s candidates are sounding too extreme to get themselves elected. You can’t make this stuff up. You can watch and listen yourself.

RIP Tim Hodson — A.G. Block remembers: Tim Hodson died yesterday after a year-long battle with brain cancer. Officially, the 61-year-old Hodson was a professor of political science and executive director of the Center for California Studies at CSU Sacramento. The Center is home to the Capital Fellows Program, considered among the nation’s top post-graduate fellowships.

But those titles hardly begin to describe Tim Hodson or his contribution to California and to the understanding of state government across the country. A fixture in California politics and public affairs for more than three decades, Hodson first came to public service in 1978 when he served on the staff of the state Senate. Over the next 15 years, he became a leading authority on reapportionment, redistricting, local government, elections and election law. It was an expertise he continued to refine and share on panels, in his writing and as a news source long after he left the Legislature for academia. He was named Center director in 1993, a post he held until his retirement earlier this month.

Even in the mud trough of politics and government, Hodson developed a reputation for patience and gentle humor. He wasn’t shy about expressing his views or challenging the views of others, but he always did so with respect and with a deep appreciation for the value of civil discourse.

If a common theme runs through Hodson’s career, it is this: to educate a broad swath of California to the significance of active citizenship.

It was a theme that allowed Tim Hodson to touch many Californians in the most positive sense – a touch brought to life through countless groups that benefited from his time and expertise; among them, the National Council of State Legislatures, California Journal magazine, Capital Public Radio, Chicano & Latino Youth Leadership Program, New America Media, Black Legislative Caucus Internship Program, California Leadership Institute, and the California Center for Education in Public Affairs.

In addition, he co-founded, with colleagues at CSU Northridge, the “Envisioning California” conference, an annual in-depth exploration of issues vital to the state’s health and sense of community. In 2007, he was appointed by Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger to a four-year term on the state Fair Political Practices Commission. And through the Center, he inaugurated the California Journalism Awards, which annually recognize the best in public-affairs reporting about California.

Hodson is survived by his immediate family: wife Ruth Holton-Hodson, deputy for health and consumer policy in the office of Controller John Chang; son Matt Hodson and daughter-in-law Betsy Hodson of Minneapolis; and grandson Max.