Yesterday, CNN"s Lou Dobbs ripped into Mayor Gavin Newsom over the city's sanctuary policy ---specifically the failure to report convicted juveniles to federal authorities.  Dobbs demanded an apology from Newsom for being labeled a 'hate monger' for earlier criticism of the city's immigration policies.  Throughout his commentary, Dobbs referred to the mayor as 'precious little darling'.

The national fallout continues from the story that broke last week.

With the Mayor's July 2, 2008 reversal of San Francisco's policy on the deportation of convicted illegal immigrant juveniles, he's suffered a triple political setback. 

First, Newsom got slammed by a 'hit piece'.  The story broke at the same time he was announcing his exploratory campaign for Governor.  Worse yet the story was published by the often supportive San Francisco Chronicle.  Some background: according to political consultants, San Francisco is considered the birthplace or at least the refinement of the 'hit piece.'  Defined simply, a hit piece is a negative story about a candidate dropped at the last possible moment so as to block a defense  (for example, a negative mass mailer dropped in the last weekend of a campaign).   In this case, the Chronicle knew that Newsom would be preoccupied with his gubernatorial campaign launch.  It was perfectly timed.

Second, it was the first major policy reversal by the Newsom administration.  Moreover, the first policy reversal in the mayor's four-year anti-Washington campaign.  Just two months earlier, he flaunted his stance against federal immigration laws, when he announced an $83,000 ad campaign to broadcast the city's sanctuary provisions and benefits.

Third, it revealed a Mayor's lack of control over his administration...and budget.  He said that he knew nothing of the policy to fly a dozen juvenile drug dealers back to their homeland of Honduras, allowing them to avoid deportation proceedings that could have resulted in their being barred from ever returning to the United States.  The flights cost the city nearly $19,000.  Further, he said he didn't know about the Juvenile Probation Department policy to place the illegal immigrant youths in group homes.  Cost:  $7,000 per month per youth. A full accounting of costs has still not been released.  The Mayor should know how  taxpayers' dollars are being allocated, especially, at a time when he's addressing a $330 billion budget deficit. 

The episode does not doom his run for California governor.  But it does hint at what's to come as Mayor Gavin Newsom leaves the safe haven of San Francisco and enters the realities of California and national politics.