I'ts no great secret on this blog that I have never found the Republican establishment in this city particularly pragmatic. Most of them strike me as the type who would rather die around the flag than take half a loaf. That's why the talk of "Republicans for Whitburn" over the last few days surprised me.

San Diego's 3rd District is hardly a place that will elect a Republican. I'm not an expert on the seat. It has a large homosexual population that votes Democrat. With district elections, it's a wonder Republicans even bother to run there. In fact, I don't think any even mildly viable Republicans did run this time around.

The primary election winners were Gloria and Whitburn. In the primary most business types backed Gloria as the candidate. To sum it up, after the election Gloria got the union endorsement. The key question by the unions sounds like, again from rumor, whether or not Gloria or Whitburn would vote for 8th District Councilman Hueso for Council President. Gloria would, Whitburn who is an ally of 6th District Councilwoman Donna Frye would not. So the endorsement went to Gloria.

Here is where it gets juicy. The mere fact that labor endorsed Gloria turned a few heads, it sounds like, on the GOP side. Not everyone, for sure, but some. Gloria's business money isn't coming as fast as his campaign thought it would and that is concerning to his campaign. Now there is some talk that a group of Republicans is talking and thinking that another Frye ally on the council would be better than another labor vote. Will the talk result in anything? Who knows.