By Tim Redmond

Gavin Newsom has always had sharp, well-paid political advisors, starting with consultant Eric Jaye. His public-relations operation has been well-honed, his every move designed to keep those popularity ratings soaring and keep him on the fast track to higher office.

But the wheels are starting to fall off this train.

There was, for example, the drinking issue, and his fig Read more »

By Tim Redmond

Watching the speech in replay tonight, and Jesus, Bush looks terrible. I see none of the old confidence and swagger. He's stumbling over words. He looks like he's aged dramatically (like Carter did after the Iran hostage crisis). The wheels are coming off.

And it was fun to watch Anderson Cooper just skewer the plan .....

By Tim Redmond

By now you've all heard or read about the exceptionally uninspiring speech, but if you want to read the full text, it's here. Beyond thinking that Bush is delusional -- 20,000 new troops in Baghdad? This really is becoming Vietnam again -- I can only say that he has handed the Democrats the best opportunity in many years. Read more »

By Tim Redmond

There's a website up from Democracy in Action that lists all the protests set for today and tomorrow against the Bush "surge" in troops. Click here to enter your zip code and use this handy-dandy guide to where to go.

By Tim Redmond

Robert Byrd is 89 years old, and still truckin' along. He lnterrupted the Senate's opening prayer this week, shouting "Yes Lord" and "yes in Jesus's name." Ted Kennedy pantomimed tuppling from a bottle during the high points of the Byrd show.

By Tim Redmond

Has anyone else noticed how much Gavin Newsom is starting to look like Lt. Commander Data?

By Tim Redmond

I think Luke Thomas at FCJ is the first one to officially claim to have unofficially announced that Matt Gonzalez is really running for mayor. But everyone in town is talking about it, and the typical discussion is around not whether but when he will join the race.

There are two conflicting schools of thought here. Some think Gonzalez would need to get in soon if he's going to raise money and be taken seriously. Read more »

By Tim Redmond

Three interesting items today that reflect on the state of the SFPD:

David Hill is convicted of second-degree murder in the killing of Officer Isaac Espinoza. That means he'll get life without parole -- but not the death penalty. From the start of this case, D.A. Kamala Harris refused to push for death, in part because she doesn't support the death penalty but also because she insisted that it was very unlikely a jury would return a verdict of first-degree murder here. The cops went batshit on her. Guess what? Read more »