Joanna Newsom's cousin is a shit (allegedly)

lol

I just finished watching San Francisco mayor Gavin Newsom apologize for having a sexual relationship with the wife of his former campaign manager, Alex Tourk."I'm deeply sorry," he said during a brief City Hall news conference.
The TV described this as "Breaking News." By what definition? I mean, really, why is this anybody's business -- except for Mr.
Newsom, Mr. Tourk, Mr. Tourk's wife (the evocatively named Ruby Rippey-Tourk), and Mr. Newsom's ex-wife.
Why is this a public matter?
Despite my less-than-stellar opinion of much of the media, I am still shocked that with Iraq continuing to implode (with January setting a deadly record for Iraqi civilian deaths, and another 61 killed today), and all the other problems facing the world, the media are willing to use up their precious air-time oxygen with pointless crap like this.
Our political and media culture clearly regards sex and scandal the same way Vince Lombardi felt about winning: it isn't everything -- it's the only thing.
This media fixation on personal peccadilloes is a perfect example of what G.K. Chesterton warned about: "If there is one thing worse than the modern weakening of major morals, it is the modern strengthening of minor morals."
I've been writing about the need for a thick line to be drawn between public matters and private lives for years (see here, here, and here). But that hasn't stopped the never-ending cycle of public voyeurism, titillation, admission, contrition, and inevitable prime-time absolution. There was Wolf Blitzer, following up Newsom's news conference by promising: "We're going to have a lot more on this story." I bet they will. And I can already hear any number of TV news personalities clearing their throats and getting ready to usher Newsom into their broadcast confessional.
Spare me. Please.
Unless Newsom misused public funds in the course of his affair or broke some law, this isn't a matter for CNN, it's a matter for Newsom, his friends, and his therapist (if he has one).
I've said it before and I'll say it again: Unless a politician has broken the law, there is only one legitimate answer to the illegitimate probing of private lives: "It's none of your business." (If the pol in question is really popular, "Go to Hell!" is an acceptable substitute.)
I am utterly uninterested in the marital fidelity of our politicians. "Does not stray" might be a wonderful attribute in a husband -- or a dog -- but history has clearly shown that it says nothing about what kind of leader a person will be.
Our politicians need to keep their private lives private, and the media need to keep their focus on what does -- and what surely does not -- constitute news. "Breaking" or otherwise.

Really.

State. Gavin ain't going to win any elections nationally anyway.

guess who just checked into "alcohol abuse" rehab:
http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2007/02/05/BAG4ENV8B514.DTL

http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2007/02/08/MNGN5O12RP1.DTL

""Because the campaign laws on this are so unclear, the mayor decided the simplest and most appropriate thing to do was for him to personally pay any remaining salary to Alex Tourk until he gets a job," said Sutton."

yo, sf ilxors, how's gavin's lovelife these days??

i heard joanna's g-diddy founded welch's grape juice

lol @ g-diddy

SAN FRANCISCO (AP) - San Francisco Mayor Gavin Newsom has made it official—he's running to become California's next governor.
The 41-year-old mayor used the social networking sites Twitter and Facebook to announce on Tuesday that he was seeking the Democratic nomination to succeed Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger.

Newsom could face 71-year-old Attorney General Jerry Brown and 64-year-old Lt. Gov. John Garamendi in next year's Democratic primary. Brown was governor from 1975 to 1983.

Other Democrats mentioned as possible contenders include 56-year-old Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa and 75-year-old U.S. Sen. Dianne Feinstein.

http://www.nathanscripps.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/04/gavin_newsom_oggling1.jpg

http://www.fogcityjournal.com/images/photos/new_years_eve_061231/mw2w5902_std.jpg

I'll probably vote for this guy in the primary, not gonna lie.

Gavin Newsom has always reminded me of Christian Bale as Patrick Bateman in American Psycho

I'll probably vote for this guy in the primary, not gonna lie.

Over Jerry Brown????

this guy is gonna fail so hard.

American Psycho resemblance has been widely discussed

I'm not voting for him.

he will hook u up w chix & drinx

yeah I am so not voting for this jackass. guy has accomplished nothing

really hope villaraigosa runs too for maximum lolz

I would probably vote for Gary Coleman if he chose to run again.

villaraigosa vs. newsom would be a great matchup of foot-in-mouth narcissist lols

coupla bros just chasing tail

http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_9f8lGPn6xEc/SZsEOaDe-pI/AAAAAAAAAk4/7GfAVuwtruI/s320/Villaraigosa+and+Newsome.jpg

I believe the technical term is "cooze-hound"

this picture is fucking awesome

http://www.nathanscripps.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/04/gavin_newsom_oggling1.jpg

"the mayor at work"

xp Shakey: Gavin has accomplished things, but a lot of those things are lame, i.e. Banning tobacco sales at Walgreens.

I had hopes he could actually mediate between the loonier aspects of the progressives and downtown. Instead, he's accomplished almost nothing. As a man, he's a heck of a lot nicer to meet than Willie - he's actually pretty personable - though Agnos was even nicer in ways.

Didn't he accomplish universal health insurance and wireless for everyone in SF?

lolz

I don't want to google and disillusion that.

xp Eazy: No. He did raise the city minimum wage, which led to a lawsuit by the Restaurant Association, because it didn't allow for a lower amount for tipped employees, as the federal and state minimum wages do. As far as the health insurance thing goes, employers are supposed to offer health insurance or pay into a fund for insurance to adminstered by the City. Not sure how that's actually panning out, as no one at my organization works in SF enough days to qualify. Newsom did ban tobacco sales at Walgreens - just Walgreens. He also refused to participate in "Question Time," as mandated by the voters.

I'm all for smoking bans in public places and stuff like that but the Walgreen's thing is so weird - why punish that particular retailer?

xp Shakey: It always gets me when people in SF complain about smoking because of the smell, when a significant portion of the streets of the city smells like urine. People complain about Oakland's problems, but Oakland actually smells better than SF.

fwiw, in case anyone hasn't noticed there are still tons of crazy homeless people pissing all over the city

way to go mister mayor!

he can't hack them all up at once

Well done Gavin.

someone please intercut this with the Christian Bale meltdown.

this movie doesn't have a happy ending

by which I mean, this dude is ripe for a very messy, public, career and life-destroying meltdown

maybe he'll end being a serial killer.

So slimy.

http://images.artistdirect.com/Images/nad/video/tribune/74686/74686_bg.jpg

and that's just his hair gel!

by which I mean, this dude is ripe for a very messy, public, career and life-destroying meltdown

Didn't he already have one?

I mean an even worse one! Probably involving public nudity, crying, violence, or some combo thereof

Can't say I've been following him too closely, but wow is he a class 'A' douche.

Gavin's class "A" all the way!

http://sfist.com/attachments/SFist_AndrewD/newsom_skates.jpg

no meltdown, but his star has certainly fizzled out completely. the once-and-future governor seems to be barely a politician now.