San Diego has a serious problem in the Mayor's Office.

ATS, I'd like you to meet Bob Filner. He's the Mayor of San Diego, California. He's got a problem, but we'll get to that in a second. First, his picture is one of those that...well? It fits the story so well, it's like someone picked up the phone and called Central Casting.

- - - - -

Caller: Hello Central Casting? We need a 'Creepy Old Man' type that just vibrates with it in photographs. Got anyone that fits the bill?

Central Casting: Why, yes. As a matter of fact, we do and he'll be right over!

- - - - - -

....and shortly there after, you could almost imagine, this is who shows up to fit the role.

(Image from Wiki)

He almost reminds me of Jack Nicholson playing The Joker in Batman, without all the makeup. Now why for so would we want to talk ill of a Mayor? Well, quite frankly, because he's ill. As he says himself. First thing's first though. I have a video at the end to cover his response to the overall situation.

Now what situation would this be? Yes.. Let's get to who actually replaces Todd Akin on my Bunny Poo List for ignorance with distinction and almost proud of the tone deaf nature he has toward the overall world he's in.

SAN DIEGO (CN) - Mayor Bob Filner asked an aide to work without panties, and dragged her around in a "Filner headlock" like a rag doll while whispering sexual comments in her ear, the woman claims in court.

Irene McCormack Jackson sued her former boss Monday in Superior Court and added to the mounting calls for the 70-year-old mayor to resign.

Filner was forced to publicly apologize less than two weeks ago, after a former city councilwoman accused him of sexually harassing her and city hall staff. Filner admitted he needs help but has resisted calls to step down as mayor.

Now he isn't even all that wise or street smart a politician, from my perspective. He didn't do this to just anyone. Oh, no. No intern or other relative nobody in the 'my word against yours' game for this achievement. He went for it with Gusto, you could say. If you could imagine the worst person for a Politician to grossly sexually harass? Who might that be?

Well, aside from one of the females who may be carrying a gun on his protection detail, of course. How about his Communications director . . .

A veteran journalist and former executive for the Port of San Diego, McCormack Jackson says she agreed to take a $50,000 pay cut to become the mayor's communications director.

"We did not have a relationship other than work," she told reporters yesterday. "That is all I wanted and I never gave him any reason to think otherwise. Nonetheless, he thought that it was acceptable behavior to regularly make sexual comments that were crude and disgusting."

. . . and veteran reporter? Oh... by this point in the story...I'm about at this stage.

( It gets better though, and I'll paraphrase a bit for detail because of how rough Courthouse News is on their case filing articles for reading at times, as well as quote limits within decency of course. )

He put her in a playful headlock once on an elevator with an aid and a cop there, who was doing something with his handcuffs apparently. He made sexual comments to her then about what he'd like to do with her and the handcuffs. This, allegedly in front of two other people. Following that is another incident of pulling her to him in what sounds like an embrace which, among other things, is when he told her she'd ought to come to work sans underwear.

This is really over the top stuff....but it's not JUST one person here, and that's what's important.

McCormack Jackson says the mayor's harassment of women prompted the resignations of five female staffers, Chief of Staff Vince Hall and Deputy Chief of Staff Allen Jones during the mayor's short tenure.

"The day that Mr. Allen Jones resigned as deputy chief of staff was the turning point for me in the mayor's office," the former aide said in her statement. "I knew then that Mayor Filner would not change. He refused to listen to someone whom he had known for 35 years and who told him explicitly, during a senior staff meeting, that his behavior with women was terrible and possibly illegal.

Source: Courthouse News

This is all a part of a filing against the Mayor in Court, not a media article or other outside story. There are also a couple important features to add as context details at this point.

First, he really picked the wrong victim for who she's retained to go after him. The Attorney is Gloria Allred. She's about the best I could think of for this type of case.

Next, I think Allred puts it best herself for what makes this particularly detestable and disturbing. He's not just a mayor, at least until quite recently.

You served 19 years in the United States House of Representatives, and four years as Chairman of the House Committee on Veteran Affairs from 2007-2011. During that time there were countless stories and issues in the news about sexual harassment of females in the military. Didn’t that help you to know that sexual harassment was wrong and also against the law? Were you paying attention during the sexual harassment scandals involving Senator Bob Packwood and Herman McCain and Clarence Thomas? Were you awake during any of those scandals?

Source

I have no doubt he was awake, which makes it worse, in my opinion. 19 years in Congress. Half a dozen alleged victims with cross supporting witnesses by the sound of it, which would indicate to me he didn't just turn this way or anything. He's been at this for awhile.

It's time for his own words though, and I think it removes all doubt as to how long he's been this sort of Servant of The People, so to speak.



Sometimes the cases are so clearly over the top and outright clear for the circumstances by the accumulated evidence suggested...I'm just left feeling...Well? Like this.



Anyone who may still question the need to really flush Congress with this being just the latest in a string..while perhaps taking a real prize of distinction for one of the worst sounding, just remember, he's only been Mayor since the 2012 election. He was among those voting the nation's problems right into last year....with the other 500+ he apparently called friends.

Wiki shows his Congressional Tenure date running to Dec, 2012.

Makes ya really wonder about more than just what he's thinking not to simply resign and go live off his rather generous pensions in solitude somewhere. San Diego deserves better, IMO.


** BTW the Graphics are ones I made along with a few dozen others, mod'ed from stuff floating around. They just seemed to fit in a case here that really blows me off my chair for how outrageous and egregious it is for a man so recently where he was for position and still in the top executive position of a major Metro city.

Wrabbit, I'm currently living for the summer in San Diego and I can't begin to tell you how much this drama has been a delight! You're right, he's right from central casting and every day there's a new twist that the local networks glom onto for the better part of an hour's newscast.

From the 'he put me in a headlock' to the 'he told us we'd do our jobs better without panties', there's no end to the hilarity. I mean it. I feel somewhat bad for the city which may end up paying out some damages, and meanwhile who knows what city business is being attended to, but it's like a slow motion comedy train wreck. Today's addition was the city lawyers saying, they're there to defend the city and the Mayor is on his own...

What a hoot!

reply to post by Wrabbit2000


He sounds pretty gross. You know, the last time somebody grabbed a hold of me without my consent, the guy ended up on the ground with the wind knocked out of him. Crying. Want me come down to San Diego?

reply to post by Wrabbit2000


I'm in San Diego too. I've been waiting for this to hit ATS. I'm mean, it already was aired on the Colbert Report.

www.colbertnation.com...

I wanted to find a You Tube of Donna Fry crying at the Press Conference. But all I could find was this fun little clip

I certainly appreciate the response from local people and I'm really surprised this didn't get much more attention in media or ATS than it has. Wiener, for this ridiculous stunts and pure idiocy is leading a 3 ring circus of bankrupt morality like it's a travelling road show or something. Yet, I hadn't heard a thing about this pervert until I came across the lawsuit article on one of my favorite legal news sites there.

It's amazing how much we don't hear about, especially given how much we (ATS type people) DO hear as it is. Who would guess it's probably well under half of what's going on for major issues if the truth were to be known?

S&F like you I have noticed how selective national news reporting has gotten..No surprise when you see the size and who owns the networks......

I like living in my adopted small savage land far far away...except for the Tohey lizard that screams in the middle of the night and the rainy season messing up my Golf...yea I know it's a personal problem....

It is amazing how some of our more tenured members of government get re-elected time after time regardless of inane saying and doings....I suppose I am out of step with the majority will of the people.....

Also for those who have given up and decided to never vote again people like this dork are the end result along with several others who are in office.

Confucius Say: It's OK to let a fool kiss you; but don't let a kiss fool you. IMO that can be applied to many things in this world

reply to post by Wrabbit2000


I just saw this funny parody, "Mayor Filner you are terriiiiiiifying."

Thought I'd bump this thread and give you all a good laugh!