First on CNN: DNC to vote on resolution calling on Filner to resign
Washington (CNN) – The Democratic National Committee will vote on a resolution this week calling on San Diego Mayor Bob Filner to resign, ratcheting up pressure on the embattled Democrat who has been accused of sexually harassing multiple women.
Sixteen women have charged Filner of acting improperly and the mayor last month acknowledged having "failed to fully respect the women who work for me and with me." He voluntarily entered a behavioral therapy program, but has refused to step down despite widespread calls for him to leave office.
While several high profile Democrats including DNC Chairwoman Debbie Wasserman Schultz have personally called on Filner to resign as has the San Diego County Democratic Party, this is the first time the national Democratic Party will urge him to step aside.
"We cannot reassure voters that a vote for a Democrat is a vote for a champion for women unless Democrats walk our talk on equality and take firm action in accordance with our values and stand up for women by condemning his behavior and calling on him to immediately resign as Mayor of San Diego," reads a draft copy of the resolution obtained by CNN.
The five paragraph resolution, which will be voted upon at the DNC's summer meeting this week in Phoenix, seeks to distance itself from Filner by emphasizing that the Democratic Party "condemns any person who creates a hostile work place or engages in sexually harassing and humiliating behavior towards women or men."
It also urges Filner to "face the consequences of his actions, sparing his constituents the embarrassment and expense of a recall election." If he doesn't step down the DNC then asks the residents of his city to recall the mayor.
The resolution's authors are Donna Brazile, the DNC's Vice Chair of Voter Registration and Participation, and DNC member Christine Pelosi. Brazile is a CNN political contributor.
I will give the DNC credit – at least in this case for doing the right thing; this guy really has to go.
What a joke. The DNC noticed that this Mayor was bringing down the party in CA.
The strategy is to improve the NYC mayor field by getting this guy out of San Diego and running him in NYC. Democrats are trying to improve their image.
I applaud the DNC for entering the right side of this fray. Filner has damaged himself permanently, both in San Diego county and nationally. If he had any common sense he would just slink off into the night and watch his porno collection in the privacy of his home or garage.
Does any1 really believe Filners harrassing behavior started when he became mayor of SD? He's a career politician in his 70's! Look into his history & I bet there's a lot of unseemly behavior lurking!!
The guy is not the brightest , and his behavior is ridicules for a civic leader. Yet , he is innocent until proven guilty. unfortunately a court proceeding will cost the city hundreds of thousands if not millions . There is something deeper going on. The big hotels and the chamber of commerce have been after the mayor over the hotel tax , they want him out of office. The money the hotels don't want to pay the city in taxes is not a small amount of revenue . Not to mention the dislike between the city attorney and the mayor.
Politics is a dirty business