Wrath of Aguirre

lajolla-2.jpg Michael Aguirre, the city attorney in San Diego, has earned both praise and enmity for his frequent criticism of other city officials. He was early to point out the disastrous abuses of the city's pension fund, but his Savanarolesque, holier-than-thou approach and the sense that he sticks his nose where his office has no jurisdiction have earned him plenty of enemies.

The thing is, he may have made so many enemies that he'll be able to keep his job. (I suppose in the interest of disclosure I should note a soft spot for Aguirre based on the fact that he granted me my one and only career beachside interview.)

Aguirre, who has called Mayor Jerry Sanders "corrupt," is under investigation by the state bar association for possible misconduct. He's such a lightning rod that just about everybody thinks he will be vulnerable in his June reelection bid.

Therein lies the rub. Lots and lots of people are lining up to enter the race, meaning that Aguirre stands a very good chance of surviving and getting into any runoff between the two top vote-getters. The local GOP intended to line up in unison behind a judge, but now a term-limited city councilman has announced that he intends to run, too.