Don Perata gets Diane Feinstein endorsement for Mayor of Oakland

From my bed at The Inn on Irving Place in New York - Don Perata has scored what he thinks may be a valuable "coup" in the Oakland Mayor's race, but this corner thinks that it was an awful risk, and not for him. The Legendary Senator Diane Feinstein endorsed former California State Senator Don Perata for Mayor of Oakland.

In a press release sent to this blogger, Feinstein reports "Don delivers results," said Senator Feinstein. "Whether it's increased funding for urban schools, or securing $27M annually for cancer research, he holds an extraordinary record in California for making things happen. That’s the kind of leadership Oakland needs now."

The question is will the endorsement really help Perata in the quirky politics of Oakland? It helps with those in Oakland's District 4 who are most likely to vote in Oakland elections; that means it harms Perata's opponent Oakland Councilmember Jean Quan, who represents the district.

But can it effectively counter a groundswell of Asian political involvement with rallies and reports from the Oakland and World Chinese Community in the wake of the Oakland Uptown beating death of Tiansheng Yu, and headlines like Chinese American dies from brutal attack in US city of Oakland‎.

Alameda County District Attorney Nancy O'Malley said that she didn't feel the act was a hate crime. "In this particular case, we have not seen any evidence that would support it was a hate crime," she said according to ABC News. I respectfully disagree; had Tiansheng Yu been half-black, Lavonte Drummer and Dominic Davis, both 18 years of age and African American, would not have hit him.

That I can assert with confidence.

But I digress. Congratulations to Don Perata for getting the Feinstein endorsement. It's great for him, potentially damaging for Senator Feinstein if Perata loses, and makes a complicated Oakland Mayor's Race even more so.

Stay tuned. NFL Draft is today!