by DemFromCT
Is there a record for shortest term as mayor?
In the latest blow to a city awash in scandal, a federal jury on Monday convicted San Diego's new acting mayor and a city councilman of taking illegal campaign cash from a strip club owner who tried to lift a ban preventing nude dancers and patrons from touching.
Michael Zucchet, who became interim mayor over the weekend, was found guilty of conspiracy, extortion and fraud on his first business day in office. He was immediately suspended from office, his attorney said.
Not bad for a full day's work. What's on your mind?
For what it's worth: Zachary Taylor was sworn in as President on July 4, 1850 and died 5 days later. (Not sure if that's trivia or common knowledge to a bunch of history & politics buffs like most of you.)
Anyone know the shortest governorship?
Posted by: emptypockets | July 18, 2005 at 18:28
Anyone know the shortest governorship?
Milton Slocum Latham was governor of California for 5 days (January 9–January 14, 1860).
Don't know if that's the shortest governorship ever, though.
Posted by: Plutonium Page | July 18, 2005 at 18:32
I think someone is confused about Zachary Taylor. July 4 is an odd date for an inauguration, and presidents are sworn in during odd-numbered years...
Posted by: Steve | July 18, 2005 at 18:43
Whoops. I was totally confused, sorry. March 5, 1849 to July 9, 1850 -- not nearly as short as I had remembered. Sorry about that. (He got sick at ceremonies on July 4 1850, and I misread that as being his own inauguration ceremonies which I also mistakenly thought were on a weird date because he was succeeding a president who had died -- I was wayyyy off -- typical Monday for me.)
But, add this to your Presidential trivia bar night: "His term of service was scheduled to begin at noon on March 4, 1849, but it being a Sunday, Taylor refused to be sworn in until the following day. Vice President Millard Fillmore was also not sworn in on that day. As a result, it is claimed that the nation technically had no President or Vice President for one day."
Posted by: emptypockets | July 18, 2005 at 19:02
p.s. shortest presidency was actually Harrison, 31 days. Died of pneumonia. I think I had him & Taylor merged in my (sievelike) memory.
Posted by: emptypockets | July 18, 2005 at 19:04
p.p.s. shortest Governorship may be Henry Lane of Indiana, governor for two days (link). He somehow (?) was elected a Senator, not allowed to serve, then a Governor, which he promptly resigned to become a Senator.
I guess the good news is, the present day is not the weirdest times of American democracy. Even though it sometimes seems like it.
Posted by: emptypockets | July 18, 2005 at 19:08
IIRC, the councilman's defense was that he accepted contributions from the strip club and and did the contributors' bidding because that was "political reality"--they expected something for the contribution and he did it. Just how the system works. I'm glad to see he got convicted. Maybe that defense won't work for Rove either.
Posted by: Mimikatz | July 18, 2005 at 22:02
San Diego is pretty corrupt. I think only AZ does it like San Diegans do. What I keep reflecting back to is my dad--he was a gool old Chamber of Commerce Defense Contractor in his time. I keep wondering if I met the Duke.
Posted by: emptywheel | July 18, 2005 at 23:25
oops. Forgot to say dad the chamber of commerce guy and I live in San Diego county. In any case, it was bleak--and corrupt.
Posted by: emptywheel | July 18, 2005 at 23:30
Pretty nice forum, wants to see much more on it!
http://danuegonax.com
All the best!
Posted by: LarBeefttep | November 29, 2007 at 16:07