Former District Attorney George Kennedy says that he has mellowed out in retirement. Sitting beachside in Santa Cruz where he now lives, a strong breeze tossing his newly longish hair, he looks very much the part of the retiree, not so much the fearsome four-term district attorney.

Kennedy was the first person outside of his family that Assistant DA Jeff Rosen consulted with over his decision to run against his boss, District Attorney Dolores Carr. And though Kennedy has traded his wing-tips for flip-flops, he agreed to jump into the fray on Rosen’s behalf.

The patio of San Jose’s Mezcal restaurant was chock full of local public officials and other political celebs last Friday evening for Sam Liccardo’s 40th birthday bash/campaign kick-off party. US Rep. Zoe Lofgren, recently named as a possible candidate to replace Supreme Court Justice John Paul Stevens, made a surprise appearance—no word as to whether she ate any of the restaurant’s famous fried grasshoppers.

An odd alliance seems to have been forged between the left-leaning South Bay Labor Council boss Cindy Chavez and gang-bashing Republican crime-fighter Dolores Carr. Chavez last month made an impassioned plea to SBLC members for endorsing the district attorney, which reportedly surprised many of the executive board members and union delegates in attendance. According to a source who was present, Chavez stood and railed against challenger Jeff Rosen. Rosen, Chavez reasoned, is endorsed by Sam Liccardo, who is linked to former mayor Tom McEnery  and Deputy District Attorney David Pandori.

On the back of the surprising endorsement of Sheriff Laurie Smith’s challenger Richard Calderon, Mayor Chuck Reed made the less shocking decision to back District Attorney Dolores Carr in her bid for re-election. As he did when endorsing Calderon, he cited her work with the Mayor’s Gang Prevention Task Force. “She’s been personally engaged in the issues. She doesn’t just send someone to the meeting who sits there and does nothing,” he says.

In what felt more like an elaborate editorial meeting than legal proceedings, DA candidate Jeff Rosen emerged from court on Monday morning with a new draft of his candidate’s statement, hammered into shape by the judge, his lawyer James Towery and his opponent DA Dolores Carr’s lawyer, Guyton Jinkerson. “I’m very pleased,” he said. “We won.”

That’s a somewhat subjective interpretation.

The Merc’s news columnist, Scott Herhold, reminded his readers in a recent piece that, “It’s no secret I think the DA is outclassed by her opponent.” It’s a disclaimer he has made on several occasions of late, while taking potshots at District Attorney Dolores Carr as she prepares to face-off for her job in June with her subordinate, Deputy DA Jeff Rosen.

Jeff Rosen, a deputy District Attorney running against his boss, Santa Clara County DA Dolores Carr, said yesterday that she played favorites to help a major campaign supporter.

The case began when Ali Yahya Valdovinos, a Stanford University student, was charged with felony grand theft. Valdovinos is represented by James McManis, a major contributor to Carr’s campaign. Reports claim that McManis called Carr, who intervened personally, and Valdovinos later pleaded no-contest to petty theft instead.