(Feb. 24, 2021, 5:45 p.m.) -- In a surprise visit Monday to Long Beach, the recall-besieged governor of California, the Honorable Gavin Newsom, took the opportunity to lavish the LB mayor, the Honorable Robert Garcia, with so much glowing praise that, frankly, I began suddenly wondering if Mr. Garcia is destined one day to join Lincoln, Washington, Jefferson and Roosevelt atop the Mount Rushmore National Memorial.
I mean, Mr. Newsom stood up there on the podium and, among other amusing statements, gave Mr. Garcia credit for vaccinating LB teachers at ``a level greater than anywhere else,'' albeit he didn't offer any definitive data to corroborate such an assertion.
But this was only Mr. Newsom's warm-up, as I swear he reminded me of an old carnival barker, or at least legendary pitchmen of yesteryear as Cal Worthington and Ralph Williams.
He then gave Mr. Garcia and then, by proxy, the LBUSD superintendent, the beloved Jill Baker, even greater merit when he said the reason he had deigned to bless Long Beach with his divine presence was ``to reinforce the example set by Long Beach's leadership when it comes to reopening schools.''
Of course, I've been one of those unenlightened observers who long has embraced that most radical idea that the LB classrooms should have been open to students back in September, but, oh, how misguided I am to dare express such a myopic view ignored blithely by Ms. Baker and her Board of Education toadies.
Indeed, Mr. Newsom is so overjoyed by the way Long Beach has handled its school situation---keeping students at home on a virtual, on-line regimen that has caused widespread chaos and disruption---he is keeping his fingers solemnly crossed that it's ``replicated'' across Los Angeles County and the entire state.
Of course, what Mr. Newsom coyly and smartly didn't say is that Robert Garcia and Jill Baker have been unfailingly loyal subjects following his suffocating and over-reaching edicts the past year, which is the reason a lot of people in California are determined to throw him out of office like was done earlier this century in this state to the long-forgotten Gray Davis.
I'm actually surprised that Robert Garcia didn't honor Gavin Newsom with a ticker tape parade down Pine Ave. replete with confetti, balloons, flags, colorful buntings, marching bands and hundreds of marching City Hall bureaucrats who worship this stellar gentleman.
Such an event would have made the national news, and I'm sure been a surefire boon to the sagging reputation of Gavin Newsom and also would have enhanced the sagging stature of Robert Garcia in the shadow of his city's soaring crime rate and other unfortunate trends unfolding ominously in his midst. . .
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