Menino v. Newsom

Given my prior post, I can’t help but note what’s happening with Mayor Gavin Newsom of San Francisco, who’s on t.v. right now apologizing for an affair with the wife of a staff member. Back at the 2004 Democratic National Convention, Mayor Newsom was the toast of the town. GQ Magazine held a lavish party for him at the Federalist, honoring him, in part, for allowing gay couples to be married on City Hall.

Of course, those marriages weren’t recognized by California and the whole event was something akin to a publicity stunt.

In Boston, meanwhile, we had a traditional Democratic mayor, who helped distribute marriage licenses to gay couples in a dignified, orderly and legal manner even as Governor Romney and others objected. He didn’t to it to grandstand. He did it because it was the right thing.

Newsom is the kind of glib, flavor-of-the-month politician, that the hip people love. The Mayor gets the job done — as I’m sure he will do with Turner Broadcasting.