Braunstein Keeps Fighting with ABV News

Nobody likes to lose an election, but it seems Robert Braunstein—TV sports host and vanquished candidate in San Jose’s District 10 City Council race—has yet to call it quits. Observers in and around City Hall were surprised to receive an email newsletter in January from an anonymous links blog called ABV News, short for Almaden-Blossom Valley News. The newsletter, which most recipients didn’t even sign up for, consists of links to stories affecting south San Jose. It also features some scathing, left-field criticism directed at Braunstein’s opponent last fall, Councilmember Johnny Khamis. While some subscribers were surprised to learn who is behind the newsletter, it was the manner in which they found out that caused readers to fall out of their chairs: The newsletter’s email address is the same as Braunstein’s Cal Hi Sports Bay Area work email. Braunstein admits he’s behind ABV News and said he wants to make it a hyperlocal Huffington Post. With only 14 “likes” on Facebook, he still has a little work to do. Part of that work so far has included claims that Khamis took $40,000 in district funds that termed-out D-10 Councilmember Nancy Pyle had planned to donate to a variety of charities and community associations. Khamis, in fact, did no such thing. On a side note, Khamis’ people wonder where Braunstein got all those email addresses, which number in the thousands. Braunstein insists he didn’t get them from Pyle’s office, which would be all sorts of inappropriate. Regardless, the enterprise has clearly got some Almadenites’ soccer shorts in a twist. “I think he’s probably doing somebody a service, but it’s really petty and juvenile,” opines one local political consultant.

UPDATE: Nancy Pyle confirmed with Fly that no one in her office provided Robert Braunstein with her District 10 email contacts. However, she disputed ABV News’ suggestion that Johnny Khamis reneged on promises, calling the transition “smooth.”

The Fly is the valley’s longest running political column, written by Metro Silicon Valley staff, to provide a behind-the-scenes look at local politics. Fly accepts anonymous tips.

9 Comments

      • > I’m glad he is writing the newsletter, someone needs to watch khamis as he starts his pull his shenanigans.

        What’s so special about Khamis and his shenanigans?

        They’re all capable of shenanigans.  They ALL need to be watched.

        Even Braunstein needs to be watched.

        Who’s doing the Braunstein Watch newsletter?

  1. Funny how Khamis lied and continued to “spin” the citys Measure B propaganda, at the Almaden crime meeting, about the reason cops are leaving.  Then a police lieutenant was asked by the citizens the reason for the mass police exodus.  He told the truth, and Khamis got butt hurt. Khamis went to the mayor and city counsel to get that lieutenant punished for telling the citizens the TRUTH.  You can’t call him on it though, he will resort to the race card….oops he has already done that….Stay crappy San Jose.

  2. > You can’t call him on it though, he will resort to the race card….oops he has already done that….Stay crappy San Jose.

    Murph:

    I’m sure a person as smart as you has all the facts at the tips of your fingers.

    What race card did Khamis “already” play and when did he play it.

    Enough anonymous innuendo.

    Put up your “facts”.

    Oh, and by the way, don’t leave out the important “fact” of who it is—by name—who is making the accusation that Khamis “played the race card”.

    • I know these links are to the shady SJMN but they lay out the case behind Khamis weak hand:

      http://www.mercurynews.com/elections/ci_21908103/charges-racism-fly-san-jose-city-council-races

      http://www.siliconvalley.com/scott-herhold/ci_22359973/san-jose-councilman-johnny-khamis-battles-police-and

      …and here is a link to an ABV Newsletter item alledging the SJ NAACP Chair has asked Khamis to open a line of communication with the SJPOA – something the “herhold” column says Khamis refuses to do unless the POA pays $7300 to “an organization that combats racism.”

      http://www.getresponse.com/archive/abvnews/Almaden-Blossom-Valley-News-2-4-2013-10380272.html

      • Good grief.

        Almost exactly the OPPOSITE of what Murphy innuendoed when he said that Khamis “played the race card”.

        The POA/Braunstein/SJI-whomever played the race card on Khamis.

        This is the sleazyist, most worn out slime attack in the leftist-liberal-progressive playbook.  Just toss out a bogus, groundless hint/suggestion/allegation of “racism”, demand a response, and then slam the responder for “playing the race card”.

        Even Bill Clinton was victimized by this kind of slime attack courtesy of the Obama campaign.

        • Ok, Lou you are certainly not paying attention to the details that show that the race card was not played on Khamis and that he is the one playing it.

          The Herhold column includes the mailer Khamis claims is “racist” and which you insist is really Khamis’ opponents playing the race card on him.  Herhold himself writes:

          “The mailer ran a darkened photo of Khamis with small type above that identified him as Arab-American. On another page, it declared in large type that his policies were “too extreme.’”

          Herhold is wrong, In fact,  I will go so far as to say HE IS A LIAR!  Look closely at the copy of the mailer that Herhold (or his editors) included.  It has a quote which reads,  “ President Bush has done a fantastic job for small business.”

          The quote is attributed to:  “Johnny Khamis – California Congress of Republicans”

          In the fine print under Khamis’ name in parentheses attributes Khamis’s quote to an article that happens to have the words “Arab-American” in the title. It says: “(Voice of America News, “Arab-American Leaders Mobilize Constituents for US Elections,” March 31, 2004)” 
           
          The mailer clearly does not as Herhold says,  identify Khamis “as Arab-American.”

          Now I have gone a step further for you and pulled up two versions of an article with that title written by the same person – someone called “Faiza Elmasry.”

          Version 1: http://www.ampolitics.ghazali.net/html/leaders_mobilize.html

          Version 1 does not say anything about Khamis being “Arab-American” but does quote Khamis saying,
          “Seventy percent of Arab-Americans out here are very discouraged with President Bush’s foreign policy and if they let their hearts lead their voting, I don’t think President Bush is going to enjoy the record amount of support he did in 2000. On the other hand, there are quite a bit of Iraqis who are willing to support President Bush.”

          Version 2: http://quickstart.clari.net/voa/art/cp/42F2839D-5E6B-44FC-9298984F898E2AA7.html

          Version 2 includes the quote I pulled from Version 1 AND the quote attributed to Khamis in the mailer he claims is racist.

          Version 2’s author (same a Version 1’s author) Faiza Elmasry says: “For a committed Republican like Johnny Khamis, there is more than one reason to give his vote to President Bush and it has nothing to do with his Arab heritage.”

          Now I don’t know anything about “Faiza Elmasry’s” race or ethnic background but Faiza somehow got the notion that Khamis has an “Arab” Heritage.  Is that Elmasry playing the race card on Khamis?

          The second allegation – that the use of the word “extreme” to describe Khamis and/or his crazy ideas is “racist” is absurd. First of all, who decided the context in which use of the word “extreme” and its various forms was somehow “racist?”  Arabs? Arab Americans? No, but Islamists sure did – ever hear of CAIR? Is Khamis Islamic? No, Khmais says he is a Palestinian Christian – a member of a group that has been subject to persecution for generations by Muslims!  Sorry, neither you nor Khamis can have it both ways even if Herhold says you can.

          Even if if were “racist” to use the word “extreme” anywhere near an “Arab” or “Arab American” the mailer doesn’t identify Khamis as either!

          So, who is playing the “race card?” Herhold is when he creates the analogy between the “Arab-Israeli conflict” and the race between Khamis and Braunstein.  Herhold is when he lies and says that the mailer identifies Khamis as “Arab-American” when it does no such thing. Finally, Khamis does when he pulls a Jesse Jackson style shake down of the SJPOA when he demands a $7300 donation to an organization dedicated to fighting racism before he will dialogue. Khamis says he is the victim of racism and is just isn’t so. That is Khamis playing the race card.

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