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.

Having bewildered city-hall watchers earlier this week with his endorsement of long-shot sheriff candidate Richard Calderon, Mayor Chuck Reed may be getting ready to do it again—by throwing his support to District 9 council candidate Larry Pegram. Though Reed has yet to come out publicly for the former councilmember and conservative Christian activist, Fly hears that political consultant Victor Ajlouny has been strongly hinting to ChamberPAC members that the mayor has Pegram’s back in the race. Not coincidentally, Ajlouny is working for Pegram, as well as Reed and Calderon.

With all the problems he’s had with Rob Davis, police auditors and police-community relations during his term, the last thing San Jose Mayor Chuck Reed would seem to be equipped to do is weigh in on the management of another law enforcement agency. But that’s exactly what he did this week. Reed has endorsed long-shot Sheriff candidate Richard Calderon, becoming the first mayor anyone can remember to endorse the challenger to a sitting sheriff. Which has left everyone scratching their heads.

In a move certain to shock no one, the San Jose Mercury News endorsed prosecutor Jeff Rosen over incumbent Dolores Carr in the Santa Clara County District Attorney’s race. Of Rosen, the newspaper said: “He’s an excellent candidate.” The incumbent, on the other hand, “lacks the moral compass and clear judgment” to do the job.

The column on its Easter Sunday “Opinion” page echoed themes from its recent news coverage, which has prominently covered Rosen’s campaign and Carr’s missteps.

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.

Former councilman-turned-evangelical Larry Pegram is getting a lot of attention in the District 9 council race, while the candidacy of Robert Cortese, the second cousin of County Supervisor Dave Cortese,  has not been getting much press. Which is somewhat surprising, since the 37-year-old Cortese is a nationwide star on the U.S. karaoke circuit.

After much hemming and hawing, the California Department of Education released its list of 188 of the state’s most “persistently low-achieving schools” on Monday, a most dubious honor bestowed on seven schools in San Jose: Joseph George, Ocala, August Boeger, Herbert Hoover and Peter Burnett Middle Schools, Escuela Popular Accelerated Family Learning, and Cesar Chavez Elementary.

A sea of blue surged around the Fairmont Hotel last week as the California Police Chiefs’ Association gathered for its annual training symposium. The keynote was a talk on racially-biased policing from Dr. Phil Goff, lead researcher on the Consortium for Police Leadership in Equity (CPLE), the very same expert brought in by the city council last year to see if San Jose police are, in fact, engaged in racially-biased policing).

San Jose Rep managing director Nick Nichols may have devoted his career to those who strut and fret upon the stage, but he was put off by the melodramatic tone of a Merc article last Sunday, which seemed to predict the 30-year-old theater’s imminent demise: “Last Curtain for the Rep?” the header wailed. “Well, the fact of the matter is, we’re here, we’re opening our next show, we were successful in the fundraising we needed to do—we’re in better financial shape than we’ve been in a while,” Nichols says.

Is San Jose making a play for the valley’s other large police organization? Already in control of the SJPD, San Jose’s political leadership appears to be aligned with an effort to challenge Sheriff Laurie Smith’s re-election. Mayor Chuck Reed’s campaign strategy chief, Victor Ajlouny, has been working with retired police Capt. Richard Calderon to take on the three-term incumbent. Former Deputy Sheriff’s Association president Jose Salcido, a Smith adversary, SJPOA ally and one-time candidate for sheriff is now Reed’s law enforcement adviser.

In a letter posted yesterday to ProtectSanJose.com, the often entertaining website operated by the San Jose Police Officers Association, Mayor Chuck Reed made the not-so-subtle suggestion that Assembly Members Joe Coto and Paul Fong back off.

The last time Dr. Patrick Phu Le showed up in the news, it was for being arrested after attacking a press photographer he accused of being a communist spy. Now, the longtime Vietnamese community activist and current candidate for the District 7 seat on the San Jose City Council has exactly one week to move to San Jose if he still wants to run.

The news that the Mercury News would have its fourth owner in four years came as a shock to Mercury employees, though not entirely a surprise. MediaNews’ debt service issues were well known, and a first quarter restructuring was anticipated. Unlike past announcements, however, the shoe-dropping came without warning. “This thing blindsided everyone in the newsroom,” one knowledgeable insider said.  The announcement arrived, along with an FAQ, at 4:30pm Friday, as the staff was getting ready to head out for a three-day weekend.

While councilmember Pierluigi Oliverio endeavors to get Proposition 215 implemented here in San Jose by licensing, regulating and taxing medical marijuana dispensaries, there is some serious marijuana drama going down in South County. For those who haven’t been following the sticky situation in Gilroy: it’s been two months since the city council started battling to shut down Garlic Town’s one and only medical pot club.