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After the parade, there was some hippy-dippy crafts fair in the park. Berkeley's incumbent mayor Shirley Dean was there kiss-assing the crowd.

A bright idea presented itself to someone.

We approached the mayor's booth en masse. One person walked at the head of our group carrying a calf's head impaled on an iron stake. We chanted: "Kiss the HEAD! Kiss the HEAD! Kiss the HEAD!" It was real Lord of the Flies. It was funny.

Not everyone thought it was funny. Not surprisingly, Berkeley's mayor had no sense of humor. She was pissed. We stood at her booth and booed for a while.


Photo by Mark Simple
Next we advanced upon the booth of Dean's competitor, Don Jelinek.
Jelinek proved a sucker for group pressure. After some hesitation (and consideration of his place in the polls, no doubt), he puckered and kissed the head. No job too dirty for a politician.
Photo by Mark Simple

Photo by Mark Simple
It's difficult to say which is more odious: politicians with no sense of humor, or politicians who will do anything to get elected. Hmm.

Resounding Victory for Dean
Beats out progressive opponent by 13 points

Berkeley Mayor Shirley Dean trounced challenger Don Jelinek by 13 points early this morning in a victory she said gives her the mandate she needs to strengthen her influence over the City Council.

Dean, who beat out Jelinek with 54 percent of the vote, said she felt vindicated by her resounding win, which came four years after she nearly lost to Jelinek in the city's previous mayoral election only to win in a December runoff.


Welcome to Berkeley, where progressive means Perfectly willing to kiss a dead calf's head for votes...