District 5 green candidate sucks up to Democrats

SanFranciscoSentinel.com
Saturday    October 30, 2004    Volume 5   Issue 82
Ó SanFranciscoSentinel.com 2004

San Francisco Democratic Party chair scores Green candidate for 'implying he is a Democrat'
Asks District 5 voters not be fooled

By Pat Murphy
Saturday, October 30, 2004, 3:00 p.m.
Democratic Party Chair Leslie Katz this afternoon complained a Green Party candidate for District 5 supervisor is trying to fool Democratic voters into thinking he's one of them.

Katz, speaking before a 1:00 p.m. Harvey Milk Plaza unity rally organized by the Democratic Party and the Alice and Milk LGBT Democratic clubs, pointed to a Ross Mirkarimi mailer now landing in voter mailboxes as source of her complaint. All three organizations have endorsed Democrat Robert Haaland for District 5 supervisor.

"Ross Mirkarimi, a Green candidate, a chair of Ralph Nader's in 2000, put out a mailer with a picture of himself and Bill Clinton from many years ago, implying that he's endorsed by former President Clinton, imply that he's a Democrat, implying that he's the choice of the Democratic Party," Katz said. "That's not true.

"The Democratic Party endorsed our own Robert Haaland for supervisor in District 5, Dan Kalb as our second ranked choice, and Bill Barnes as our third ranked choice. "Those are the official Democratic candidates, and we're not going to let somebody get away with fooling the District 5 voters. "We're going to let them know that this is not a Democrat -- don't be fooled, vote for our official Democratic candidates," stated Katz. Robert Haaland addressed the crowd, citing importance of being who you are.

"I'm sorry to see, that while I'm willing to be out as transgendered, that one of my colleagues who is not willing to be out as a Green," noted Haaland. "Many of you know I've caused some controversy over the years because I have supported a few Greens. "And, you know, I don't have anything to say except: Be who you are, every single day of your life. Be who you are. "That's the power of our community. That's the power of our honesty -- telling people about our lives, and how we come out of the closet and be who we are. "It's the most important decision of my life -- coming out -- and win or lose, I am so proud of the campaign," Haaland concluded.