San Francisco Chronicle - (Sunday)
Harris shows all signs of White House bid
Sen. Kamala Harris is making all the early moves for a 2020 presidential run.
The California Democrat is booking speeches in early primary states while stepping back from the Sunday morning talks shows, which provide forums for verbal missteps.
Just as telling was her recent fact-finding trip to Afghanistan, with two Republicans no less, to burnish her military and foreign relations credentials.
The biggest sign for me, however, was her brother-inlaw Tony West’s refusal to directly answer friends when they asked whether Harris is running.
All he would say is that the family is discussing it.
Breed brother: Mayor London Breed was doing what any sister would do when she sent her letter to Gov. Jerry Brown asking him to commute her brother Napoleon Brown’s 42-year sentence for involuntary manslaughter and armed robbery.
Breed is taking heat for doing something while she’s mayor that any citizen is entitled to do.
Not that there’s much chance the governor will grant the commutation for a crime that violent and have it be part of his legacy.
Syrian surprise: I don’t know what the longterm foreign policy implications of President Trump’s order to pull U.S. troops out of Syria will be. But I can say this: It’s a political winner at home.
Where do those 2,000 troops come from? And the 7,000 whom Trump reportedly plans to withdraw from Afghanistan? For the most part, they’re not from the Bay Area, New York City, Portland, Ore., or other true-blue areas.
The U.S. has long relied on middle America to fight its wars — and we’ve been in Afghanistan for 17 years.
The places that supply the U.S. military’s strength are largely the ones Trump needs to win in 2020. And for families there, his withdrawal order is the best Christmas present they could hope for.
Holiday cheer: It’s the column before Christmas, and all through the town, the people are saying, “What’s going on, Willie Brown?”
Here are some suggestions for enjoying the holidays:
Take a stroll along Marina Boulevard, and check out the decorative lights in the boats on the bay.
Head to the ice-skating rinks at the Embarcadero, Union Square or Civic Center, and get a chuckle watching the first-timers try to make a full circle around the rink as Christmas carols play.
Stop by the elegant Christmas tree at the Bank of America building on California Street, or the city’s tree at the entrance to Golden Gate Park at Stanyan and Fell streets.
Get a whiff of the gingerbread house in the lobby of the Fairmont Hotel.
Enjoy the San Francisco Ballet’s production of “Nutcracker.” It’s the best in a long time, so you might not fall asleep. Stand and deliver: About 75 nations’ representatives were on hand for the annual consular corps party the other night at “Beach Blanket Babylon.” George and Charlotte Shultz were on the stage, presiding over the party.
And they were standing the whole time. An impressive feat for a guy who is 98 years old.
I remember getting a call about a year ago from a local news organization with a report that George had just been admitted to the emergency room at Stanford Hospital with a life-threatening ailment. I called one of his friends to get the lowdown.
“Willie,” the friend said, “when you’re George’s age, every visit to the hospital is to the emergency ward.” Bubble bash: Gordon Getty’s 85th birthday bash is proof that if you really want to have a great party, throw your own.
Getty took over an entire block of upper Broadway. There were ice sculptures everywhere. Even the bar was an ice sculpture. Two dance floors, one inside the house and one on the street. Three dining areas. All the men were in black tie.
I know some of you cringe at such opulence, but bashes like this are a big boost to the local economy. Getty and Stanlee Gatti must have spent more than $2 million on the party, and there were easily 500 people working the event.
Over the top? Yes. Lavish to the point of excess? Yup.
But given the smiles from the valet car attendants as they stuffed tips into their jacket pockets, I like to think of it as trickle-down economics.
Merry Christmas, everyone!