Aguirre and Peters come out swinging in campaign ring

February 19, 2008 10:31 AM

By Alex Roth

SAN DIEGO - City Attorney Michael Aguirre and City Council President Scott Peters held dueling news conferences yesterday, exchanging attacks in an early indication of how bitter the city attorney election could become.

Peters, 49, formally announced his candidacy during a morning news conference at University City's new public library. He discussed his eight years on the council - touting its record on beach cleanups, the Highway 56 project and Petco Park - before going after Aguirre.

 

"Mike Aguirre needs to go," he told more than 50 supporters, adding that the City Attorney's Office needs "adult supervision."

 

"Mike Aguirre isso busy fighting against the city that he can't work to find solutions," Peters said.

 

Among those attending was fellow City Councilman Ben Hueso, who is endorsing Peters in the nonpartisan race.

 

Later, at a noon news conference several miles away in Old Town's Presidio Community Park, Aguirre, 58, fired back, calling Peters "the city union insider candidate."

 

"Council member Peters was a member of the City Council when city officials knowingly engaged in the largest municipal securities fraud in American history," Aguirre said.

 

Aguirre was referring to the council's 2002 vote to continue underfunding the pension system, a decision that led to a massive pension deficit, a political scandal and an investigation by the Securities and Exchange Commission.

 

Aguirre also criticized another opponent, Superior Court Judge Jan Goldsmith, who has taken an unpaid leave to run for city attorney.

 

At a news conference last week, Goldsmith lambasted Aguirre, accusing him of wasting millions on frivolous lawsuits and calling Aguirre "an obstacle to solutions."

 

Yesterday, Aguirre called Goldsmith "the Republican insider candidate." He said Goldsmith's position as a judge should be viewed as a liability, given the records of some recent judges who ran for other local offices.

 

Aguirre noted that former Mayor Dick Murphy, who resigned in 2005 amid the city's burgeoning pension scandal, was a former judge.

 

"A Republican insider and former judge, Dick Murphy, used his judicial position to run for mayor," Aguirre said. "Judge/Mayor Murphy presided over the massive multibillion-dollar financial and legal mess."

 

In addition to Peters and Goldsmith, four others are challenging Aguirre on the June 3 ballot: City Councilman Brian Maienschein and lawyers Dan Coffey, Lee Burdick and Amy Lepine. The deadline to file for candidacy is March 6.

http://www.signonsandiego.com/uniontrib/20080219/news_1m19aguirre.html