ELECTION ’12//CONGRESS 15
May 1, 2012 | In just over four months, the East Bay has weathered through a decades worth of scandal and bizarre events. Hey, what’s one more?
Not yet a month after leveling bribery charges against Dublin Councilman Eric Swalwell, in addition to charging him with not voting in the last six elections in California, Rep. Pete Stark told the editorial board of the San Francisco Chronicle one of its columnists made a donation to Swalwell’s campaign.
Stark later apologized to conservative columnist Debra Saunders after he, at first, could not locate the evidence and then offered the name of another unknown Tri Valley writer, but the damage was done.
It’s yet another odd exchange showing Stark carelessly tossing allegations at his Democratic opponent. While other reporters will speculate about Stark’s mental faculties after Tuesday’s bout with paranoia, his more immediate problem is a reliance on political intelligence coming from a 16-year-old.
Who the hell is in charge of Stark’s campaign? Who knows? Because Stark is notoriously adverse to communicating with the press. Google “Stark” and some form of “his office did not respond for comment.” Obviously, Stark’s campaign is not vetting these ultimately false sensational stories because they are coming straight from his son, Fish Stark.
Following the infamous candidate’s forum in Hayward last month when Stark called Swalwell a “fucking crook,” Stark deferred my question about his belief Swalwell was lax in his voting record to his teenage son. Fish told me he perused Swalwell’s voting record from the Alameda County Registrar of Voters and found he had not missed the last six elections as his father said earlier, “but we think the last three.” None of that was ultimately correct. Swalwell skipped voting in the state for three years a decade ago while away at college.
The exchange was weird, at the time, but somewhat adorable–a teenage son getting involved in dad’s congressional campaign. Sadly, the incident at the Chronicle, appears to be an extension of Fish’s intel work. Stark even tips his cap to Fish’s “find” as he searches for Saunders’ name in a folder.
Just like Stark’s controversial bribery charge, he needs to quickly explain why he’s taking political advice from a pre-adolescent before more voters, other than Tea Party nutballs, start believing he’s gone to cuckooland. And, no, in this case, we’re not talking about Washington, D.C.
http://c.brightcove.com/services/viewer/federated_f8/823619053
ebcitizen.com 
By: MW
If we want it to get even far worse, let's appoint a three person committee to give advice to Pete Stark, and with that committee composed of members of that sleazy mafia who “know” they know everything and that they are extremely superior, and who in fact know everything except that: one, they are stupid and/or good for nothing parasites; and two, have extreme delusions of grandeur.
In other words, let's appoint: one, Nadia Lockyer; two, John Edwards; and three, a character named Berghouse to that three person committee that will be in charge of giving advice to Pete Stark.
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San Francisco Chronicle (SFgate) just came out with their endorsement of Swalwell, after a particularly scathing commentary on Pete Stark.
Ouch! BTW, they're going to put the entire long video of Stark online soon.
Everyone but the party “leaders” are coming to the conclusion that Stark has declined so greatly that he doesn't deserve to serve a extra 2 years.
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Who cares about the kid. Kiss asses.
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Who cares about the kid. Kiss asses.
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I agree. Stark's son is a very bright young man. I've heard some funny stories about him, even as a 10-year-old, correcting his dad at events.
It's always endearing to see Stark's young kids at town halls and other events just soaking it all in. And they are so behaved, too.
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well this is what happens when you don't age well. sorry about pete's problem. give him two more years and then have him call it quits. i know his son; he is very bright and could very well be a politician some day; maybe he can replace his dad-he will be 18 next year I believe. Tony Santos
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Someone take his battery out, please.
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My, my, Pete Stark is a really living in some dream world, taking in as fact, anything he is handed.
Now we can assume political and policy advice is coming, in part, from Fish.
As fish notes in a February 23rd blog post,
“Thanks for reading. It’s days like these that make me proud to be a Marylander”
So Fish is a Marylander, what does that make Pete? Does anyone question where Pete will spend the rest of his life when ever his final term is finished.
Face it, our East Bay is no longer represented by one of our own residents.
Seems East Bay political leaders (of the club) will do anything except admit the truth about some of our “leaders”. Hayashi, Nadia, and now Pete.
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By MW:
Concerning these latest idiotic comments from Pete Stark, regardless of whether you are a Democrat or a Republican, regardless of whether you are a liberal or a conservative, and regardless of whether over the last few decades you have generally favored or been opposed to Pete Stark, let's be realistic.
In other words a considerable percentage of the people who are in Stark's age bracket are not as sharp as they were when they were considerably younger, and as Stark of late seems intent on repeatedly proving, and therefore it is time for Stark to retire.
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Claudia McCormick is a long time East Bay activist and former Dublin City Councilmember– and does not work for the SF Chron! Of course, her name is also not even close to Debra Saunders!
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