Chamber, Democratic Central Committee Make Amends? No, Not Really

TV sportscaster and former San Jose City Council candidate Robert Braunstein penned a heartwarming editorial in his ABV newsletter about the reconciliation of two political rivals: the San Jose Silicon Valley Chamber of Commerce and Democratic Central Committee (DCC). The business backers and the labor supporters, Braunstein wrote, have let bygones be bygones. Except they haven’t.

“We don’t have a relationship with them,” Steve Preminger, head of the DCC, told San Jose Inside on Thursday. “What he’s saying is slightly inaccurate.”

In his newsletter, Braunstein used the managing editor’s “opinion” space to note that during the 2012 elections, the DCC, which is more less an extension of the South Bay Labor Council, and the chamber “went at each other in vicious campaigns that left both sides feeling disturbed about the tenor of these campaigns.”

“It’s great to see these two groups working together,” Braunstein added.

But as it turns out, the DCC never joined the chamber, but an affiliated Democratic club did. Craig Dunkerley enlisted the Santa Clara County Democratic Club as a chamber member, which is different than the larger central committee wanting anything to do with the organization.

“People have made that mistake over the similarity,” Preminger said. “But we don’t join anything except other Democratic groups. That’s kind of the way it’s always been.”

Preminger added that he appreciates Braunstein’s sentiment, but he hasn’t even met Matt Mahood, the chamber’s CEO.

There is a common thread in Braunstein’s ABV News—navel gazing. Nearly all of the newsletters find a way to tie recent developments to his failed bid to defeat current District 10 Councilmember Johnny Khamis. Just last month, the ABV News-man detailed the fundraising efforts of U.S. Rep. Zoe Lofgren and State Assemblyman Mark Stone and tied it back to his own campaign.

While some grandpas talk about the Great War of the World II, it seems little Braunsteins will have to roll their eyes about D-10 Day.

Jennifer Wadsworth is the former news editor for San Jose Inside and Metro Silicon Valley. Follow her on Twitter at @jennwadsworth.

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *