[UTSANDIEGO] Bob Filner announced his resignation Friday as San Diego's 35th mayor following a tumultuous six weeks in which lurid allegations of repeated sexual misconduct against women crippled his ability to lead and turned him into a subject of national ridicule.
Filner will step down on Aug. 30 as part of a deal approved by the City Council on a 7-0 vote Friday that limits his legal and financial exposure stemming from a sexual harassment lawsuit filed by a former aide.
In a dramatic appearance before the council, Filner apologized to his few remaining supporters and the women he offended while at the same remaining defiant that he did nothing wrong. He blamed the downtown business establishment, the media and his fellow elected officials for concocting a political coup to force his exit.
"For my part in causing all of this, I offer a deep apology certainly to all the citizens of San Diego," Filner said. "To all the women I offended, I had no intention to be offensive, to violate any physical or emotional space. I was trying to establish personal relationships but the combination of awkwardness and hubris I think led to behavior that many found offensive. I ... sincerely apologize to all of you and I will try to make amends in any suitable manner."
He added, "It was certainly never my intention to be a mayor who went out like this."
Filner's reputation as a cantankerous and combative individual showed through as he then proceeded to cast doubt on the allegations levied against him.
"I started my political career facing lynch mobs and I think we have just faced one here in San Diego and you're going to have to deal with that," he said. "In a lynch-mob mentality, rumors become allegations, allegations become facts, facts become evidence of sexual harassment, which have led to demands for my resignation and recall. Not one allegation ... has even been independently verified or proven in court. I have never sexually harassed anyone."
Posted by: Fred ||
08/24/2013 10:26 ||
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[NATIONALREVIEW] David Axelrod lashed out against Republican senator Tom Coburn for suggesting that President Obama is nearing a Constitutional crisis and potential impeachment, calling Coburn's remarks "way out of bounds."
"He speaks to a kind of virus that has infected our politics that really has to be curbed," Axelrod said, mockingly referring to Coburn's suggestion as "his considered legal opinion as an obstetrician."
At a townhall meeting this week, the Oklahoma senator told an audience that President Obama was "getting perilously close" to meeting the standards for impeachment.
Ah, the Democrats -- they'll always, always tell you what they fear most by attacking it...
Posted by: Fred ||
08/24/2013 00:00 ||
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#1
IMHO what they fear is not so much impeachment in the House, but the loss of votes they could suffer from all the dirt that would come out in the hearings just before the off year election and the impetus it could give to the growing interest in Levin's state called Constitutional Convention. Lots of Democrat power could go down the drain.
#2
SARS - Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome as reached the American political arena. Due to the potential seriousness and possiblity of impeachment proceedings following the 2014 elections for Congress, a pre-emptive commentary balloon has been launched by a former political czar in the Obama Administration.
Alexrod get use to the czar's sars, a lot of you are going to get very sick after 2014...
#5
Mr. "Talking Points" Axelrod picked up on the Donk game of "Preparing the Battlefield" being played against them, nervous as the won's pop numbers continue to drop. Any different than 'talking up' Obamacare, amnesty, etc?
[An Nahar] U.S. President Barack Obama I am not a dictator!... said Friday he is "confident" that vast surveillance programs are not being abused but admitted that Americans have "legitimate" concerns.
"We do have to do a better job of giving people confidence in how these programs work," Obama told CNN in an interview.
"I've said I am open to working with Congress to figure out, can we get more transparency in terms of how the oversight court works, do we need a public advocate who people have confidence in.
"But we've also got to do it in a way that recognizes we have hostile folks out there that will potentially try to do us harm."
The administration has scrambled to defend spying programs in the wake of revelations by Edward Snowden, a former IT contractor at the U.S. National Security Agency who leaked details of the surveillance to British and American newspapers.
Snowden's leaks detailed secret programs in which the NSA culled phone log data from millions of Americans and gathered Internet data related to foreign terror suspects.
Officials acknowledged this week that the U.S. government spied on electronic communications between Americans with no links to terror suspects until a judge ruled it illegal in 2011.
The program, which involved tens of thousands of emails, was revealed in declassified documents from the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Court, which reviews the legality of eavesdropping programs.
Posted by: Fred ||
08/24/2013 00:00 ||
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Another round of bullshit from the bullshitter and chief.
#7
"Obama 'Confident' Spying Programs Not Being Abused"
Translation: "They're not spying on ME, which is all that matters. You peons are nothing."
Bambi, Bambi, Bambi - how touchingly naive. What makes you think NSA is not spying on you (and ValJar, etc.)?
Or have they already got your gonads in a vise and told you to say that?
Posted by: Barbara ||
08/24/2013 13:51 Comments ||
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Or have they already got your gonads in a vise and told you to say that
Barb,, that assumes he has any; from his actions and red line imperatives I would hazard he is severely testicularly challenged. (Moochelle has 'em in a jar on the mantle for safe keeping)
[NBCSANDIEGO] San Diego Mayor Bob Filner has agreed to resign as part of a deal reached this week with city officials, NBC 7 News has learned.
Filner, spotted leaving City Hall with packing boxes Wednesday night, will formally vacate the office following a closed session of City Council Friday, according to several sources.
Filner's attorney has a letter of resignation drafted for his signature upon approval of the tentative settlement by councilmembers.
The mayor said goodbye to his staff Wednesday before he left his office at City Hall in his security detail's SUV. Sources say the packing boxes in the backseat contained Filner's office effects.
City officials announced just before 7 p.m. Wednesday a proposed solution had been reached in the scandal that has consumed the city of San Diego since it first broke July 10.
The firm Payne & Fears issued a statement on behalf of Filner Thursday afternoon: "Due to the confidential nature of mediation and settlement discussions, we are unable to comment or make statements about any of the terms." Read the full statement here
A public announcement will occur following the closed session according to Filner's attorneys but they don't identify who will make the statement.
Posted by: Fred ||
08/24/2013 00:00 ||
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Does Bob get to give his staff a bunch of "good by" hugs on the way out?
#2
"Due to the confidential nature of mediation and settlement discussions, we are unable to comment or make statements about any of the terms."
It is my understanding that some of the terms referred to have leaked, to a select few in the press.
I have recieved information from a fairly reliable source that former San Diego Mayor Bob Filner, will be a guest comintator on several political programs and contributor to a few special web blogs.
Filner has agreed not to engage in any sexual enuendo, commentary reguarding sex, or any illusions to the subject of sex. Another words, he has agreed to become asexual, with reguard to public commentary.
While this may seem harsh, Filner has accepted the terms and he commented that he wished to reassure his loyal genital supporters that he will remain forever naked under his clothes, would not compromise in exposing himself to the tough issues, nor would he shrink even under the most critical winds. He also said that he believes that his rod and his staff will comfort him in the cumming months.
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[NATIONALREVIEW] David Axelrod lashed out against Republican senator Tom Coburn for suggesting that President Obama is nearing a Constitutional crisis and potential impeachment, calling Coburn's remarks "way out of bounds."
[An Nahar] U.S. President 
[NBCSANDIEGO] San Diego Mayor Bob Filner has agreed to resign as part of a deal reached this week with city officials, NBC 7 News has learned.
