FIT-FOR-FAT… Squid’s all for transparency in government, but when it comes to elections, some personal things are best kept private. Wouldn’t we be better off not knowing the details of John Edwards and Rielle Hunter doing the nasty? And wouldn’t we be better off without District 4 county supervisor candidate Byrl Smith and campaign manager Rick Taylor making a fuss about Smith’s health – then spinning it as if Jane Parker was forcing the issue? 


Supporters called Parker back in February, dismayed by questions from a pollster on how they’d feel if Parker raised Smith’s health as an issue in the campaign – which Parker never did. She promptly asked Smith to knock it off. But the issue didn’t die, and Parker wrote to Smith last week, urging her to stick to the issues. “I will never use a personal health issue in the campaign,” she wrote, “and I hope the same is true of you.” To that, a chilly response from Smith – accusing Parker of bringing it up. (Delivering Smith’s letter took veteran smear artist Taylor two tries; he was sent away from her district office, where campaign activities are verboten.) 


Hopefully Taylor is teaching her something substantive about Monterey County, not just how to play dirty in politics. When asked about fracking at a recent forum hosted by Marina in Motion, Smith had no clue. “I called my campaign manager and said, what the heck is fracking?” Too bad Taylor’s briefing didn’t stick, because she had no discernible opinion on the oil and gas extraction technique. “I know it’s been on the news. It’s an item that I missed,” Smith said. “When I don’t know something, I call and try to find out. Once it was explained to me, I went eww. Thank God there are people that know more than I do.” Squid agrees and thanks the cephalopod deities – but wishes those people also had more scruples. 


WATCH THE PONIES RUN… Speaking of careless whispers, it’s been all about town: Did you hear that Supervisor Dave Potter went to Ireland as a guest of Monterey Downs’ guru Brian Boudreau. And that they went to see horse racing? Only problem is, it’s only a percent true. Potter did indeed go to Ireland, and Boudreau was there as well – they were both guests at the wedding of William de Burgh. 


William de who? 


William de Burgh, who sits on the board of directors of the California Thoroughbred Breeders Association. Who lives in Rancho Santa Fe and registered the domain name deburghhorseracing.com. Whose brother is well known Irish bloodstock (that’s horse breeding to regular folks) agent Hubie de Burgh. And who appears on a list of “friends and community leaders” provided to smartvoter.org by Byrl Smith. And thus Squid has come full circle.