Right-Wing Tabloid Says It Speaks for ‘Silent...

Right-Wing Tabloid Says It Speaks for ‘Silent Majority’

And now a new voice crying in the wilderness of San Diego politics.

The Leader: The Voice of America’s Finest City, a twice-monthly tabloid with a conservative slant, just put out its fourth edition, complete with Old Glory on the front page and poll results on which City Council member is most likely to be recalled (Bob Filner).

The publisher is Americana Affiliated, whose principal is Robert Tharp, son of retired Superior Court Judge and Republican Party stalwart Ross Tharp. The judge is also an investor.

The goal is to provide things not found in other papers.

Like a scalding review of the redistricting flap (“Can We Trust The Gang of Five?”), reprints from American Rifleman about gun-bearing folks defending themselves, and a contrarian look at Nelson Mandela (“Mandela Madness”).

Retired judge Ed Butler, in a commentary, says the redistricting map rivals the contortion that gives rise to the term gerrymandering:

“In San Diego, what do we call it? A Hartleymander? A Filnermander? A Councilmander? We now have here in San Diego an exercise in raw politics.”

Judging from its stories, The Leader is pro-NRA, pro-MADD, anti-abortion, anti-drug, anti-flag burning, anti-tax increases, and pro-growth.

Twenty-thousand copies are spread freely around locations in Point Loma, Hillcrest, Mission Hills, Pacific Beach, Clairemont and downtown.

Managing editor Viki Barefoot says the paper figures to be in the red for at least a year. Advertising is picking up.

Who will follow the Leader?

“The middle-class, silent majority that is always getting shafted and has no way to yell back,” says Phil Acker, former city clerk and a Leader volunteer.

A mayoral preference poll of Leader readers found 20% for Roger Hedgecock, 16% for Councilman Ron Roberts, 10% for newspaper editor Neil Morgan, and 4% for anchorman Mike Tuck.

Go figure.

Behind the Bars

Work, work, work.

* Cleaning up.

Richard T. Silberman is said to be polishing floors at the Metropolitan Correctional Center, while awaiting sentencing Sept. 25.

* Speaking of prisoners.

Wackenhut Inc., the Florida firm that the San Diego City Council may hire to run the state’s first private jail, is no stranger to San Diego.

When the Union-Tribune Publishing Co. brought in the Tennessee law firm King & Ballow to handle its contract negotiations, K&B; fired all the U-T security guards and hired spiffy new guards from Wackenhut.

Bringing on Wackenhut is standard procedure when K&B; enters a newspaper labor dispute.

The Newspaper Guild complains that the tactic is meant to intimidate employees.

* Johnny Carson says Roseanne Barr’s screechy singing drove another celebrity at the ballpark to despair:

“The Chicken was so upset he asked the stadium organist to wring his neck.”

* Sand in my eyes.

That was U.S. Sen. Bob Kerrey (D-Neb.) spotted at Over-The-Line, not U.S. Sen. John Kerry (D-Mass).

Kerrey was visiting in La Jolla. Kerry was home working.

Unsightly Greenery

No accounting for taste.

* A thief dug up seven plants outside the C Street entrance of the county courthouse in downtown San Diego.

The plants are described as true county-issue: limp, scraggy and homely.

* If you liked “Navy SEALS,” stand fast.

Hollywood is preparing “The Teams,” (which is what real SEALs call themselves), complete with Navy cooperation. Including filming at the Coronado training base.

Stars to be named later.

* Muckraking journalism.

The Del Mar Thoroughbred Club wants to sell as fertilizer the manure collected during its 43-day meet.