April 25, 2004
You Go, Kamala
Penni Gladstone,
San Francisco Chronicle
One of the better (and rarer) things that can happen in politics is to have the person you didn’t vote win, and then take positions that you approve of. I didn’t vote for Kamala Harris for San Francisco District Attorney, but her stance against seeking the death penalty in a cop-killing case is honorable.
When one is running for District Attorney in San Francisco, the death penalty is the big issue one must confront. San Francisco is overwhelming against the death penalty; California is largely in favor of it. DA is a traditional stepping stone to higher office. So, what’s the decision? Represent the people who voted for you (you know, that democracy thing we hear so much about), or avoid giving Orange County rightists something to beat you up on when you run for Attorney General?
While she was running, she said she wouldn’t seek the death penalty. She won. She’s still saying it. Good for her.
posted 12:03