Who's the boss in Oakland? Somebody doesn't think it's the mayor-elect.

Swalwell could get booted from high-profile House Intelligence Committee

CITY NEWS

OAKLAND

—BACK SEAT DRIVER—Resolving the logjam currently holding up the Howard Terminal ballpark project will be one of Oakland mayor-elect Sheng Thao’s first challenges next January. But the undercurrent beneath much of what she hopes to accomplish may come down to how she placates the city’s progressives.

—It’s a group that demands near-total adherence to their values. Now that progressives have a council majority in Oakland, they certainly intend to quickly use their newfound power.

—But Thao’s strong connections to progressives and to labor poses some problems not entirely under the next mayor’s control. Budget constraints are likely on the horizon with a recession becoming a distinct possibility sometime next year.

—For example, how does Thao pushback in a scenario where progressives demand that proposed cuts to city social services are filled in with cuts to the police department? Defunders in Oakland did not pay a price at the ballot box this month so they may try again.

—Just how much power progressives hope to exert on Thao’s administration may have reared its head last week when Oakland Councilmember Carroll Fife asserted that she, not the mayor-elect, would be the point person for solving persistent problems at the Wood Street homeless encampment.

—Fife told the East Bay Times that she was enthused by the fact she believes Thao is an ally on this issue and others, unlike was the case with current Mayor Libby Schaaf.

—“Thao will ‘follow my lead and we’re going to get some shit done,’” Fife told the newspaper.

—The comment speaks volumes about how ebullient progressives in Oakland feel about making drastic change. No matter that a sitting councilmember is already showing signs that she intends the change will run through her office and not the mayor’s.

—PRESSING PROBLEM—Another thing to keep to tabs on when it comes to Sheng Thao’s nascent administration is her relationship with the local mainstream media.

—During the campaign, Thao showed a bit of antipathy toward the San Francisco Chronicle for suggesting she flip-flopped on the number of police academies later approved by the Oakland City Council.

—The horrendous, although, in the end, not fatal performance during an endorsement interview with the East Bay Times appeared to make Thao extremely hesitant to further engage with reporters during the last two months of the election.

—She even skipped a meeting with the Chronicle’s editorial staff. The Chronicle did not endorse Thao and cited her decision to avoid their questions.

—While the Chronicle’s editors did not cast any aspersions toward Thao for leaving them in the lurch, you have to wonder whether the newsroom took notice.

—Last week, Thao held a press conference at City Hall, along with some of her supporters on the council, but she did not take any questions from the media.

—The Chronicle’s Oakland beat writer Sarah Ravani noted the decision to ice the press in the her article. The Chronicle is typically tightly-edited, meaning the inclusion of the sentence is noteworthy and perhaps a warning.

—Political journalism is dead in Alameda County, but its trapping still exist in Oakland. Libby Schaaf offered access and fed good quotes to the press. Her predecessor, Jean Quan, did neither, and was sometimes treated unfairly by the local press. The contentiousness was likely a big factor in why she only served one term as mayor.

CONGRESS

—AMERICA, F—K YEAH!—After the United States’ big win over Iran today at the World Cup, it’s not clear how excited East Bay Rep. Eric Swalwell got.

—You might not be aware, but Swalwell played college soccer. His time as a college goalie was cut short after he reportedly broke both his hand.

—After the U.S. triumphant draw last week with England, Swalwell, ever the bad boy of the Beltway, posted his exuberance on social media. “Let’s fucking go!” the stateman said. No doubt, General Andrew Jackson used the same language after leading the U.S. to its last big draw with England—the War of 1812.

—MCCARTHYISM—With Republican Rep. Kevin McCarthy poised to become House Speaker, comes renewed efforts to oust some Democrats from coveted committee seats, including Rep. Eric Swalwell.

—McCarthy has also said he aims to remove Reps. Adam Schiff and Ilhan Omar from committee posts for various reasons.

—Swalwell has long been a thorn in the GOP’s side through his constant cable TV appearances and pointed social media posts. Swalwell and Schiff serve on the House Intelligence Committee.

—McCarthy contends that Swalwell’s reported tryst with a Chinese spy disqualifies him from attaining security clearances.

—Removing any of the three requires a majority of the House. Because of the deep antipathy many House Republicans have toward Swalwell, the votes may be there to remove him from the House Intelligence Committee.

—For Swalwell, other than the high-profile post, there’s probably not much to lose here. As a noted attack dog, his powers are likely enhanced while serving in the House minority. MSNBC will always need a snappy on-air retort against whatever McCarthy does in the next two years.