Ed Lee Poised to Become Non-Binding Choice for Interim Mayor; Chris Daly Throws Fit

Do I speak accurately when I venture the opinion that only in San Francisco can so much tsuris be churned up over a non-binding vote?

Last night, in a marathon Board of Supervisors meeting (at nine hours, that’s longer than the longest Andy Warhol film), the supes appeared to settle on City Administrator Ed Lee as interim mayor. But then Chris Daly threw the following fit and the vote was delayed. A cause-and-effect relationship between those two events? I really don’t know. But that’s how it played out.

From KGO, clips of Daly’s performance and his crowing reaction after the final vote was delayed.

Here’s the full audio of Daly’s tirade, in which he vilifies Board President David Chiu and Supervisor Bevan Dufty.

“I’m going to remain involved and active after this vote…,” said Daly, who is being termed out of office. “I will haunt you. I will politically haunt you for the biggest fumble in the history of San Francisco politics. It’s on, like Donkey Kong.”

Lee does appear to have enough votes to cop the much-coveted Tentative Interim Mayor post. However, if after a couple of days of browbeating, wheeling-dealing, and non-smoked-filled-room (it’s San Francisco, after all) grand bargaining, Lee still has the votes, the new Board of Supervisors must still ratify the selection. Three of the supervisors who voted for Lee — Bevan Dufty, Sophie Maxwell, and Michela Alioto-Pier — as well as Daly, will be gone when the binding vote is taken.

For more on last night’s non-vote vote, the San Francisco Appeal has a report on some of the political calculus that went into the decision. And the Bay Citizen has a piece on the bitter disappointment of the progressive bloc, who preferred Sheriff Michael Hennessey.

For a blow-by-blow description of all the action, check out our own Dan Brekke’s live-blog from last night. And KRON TV has a good report summarizing the events, which includes an interview with Bevan Dufty about the reasons behind his vote for Lee.

Finally, Ed Lee, appears to already be tweeting. Or is he?