Saturday, July 4, 2026

City Beat: Has Feinstein found a loser of an issue?

By Tim Redmond

Senator Dianne Feinstein, once the mayor of SF, has always been among the state’s most popular politicians. She won her first Senate race easily, and has never had significant opposition.

But she’s finally found an issue that is sinking her.

Jerry Roberts (who wrote a biography of Feinstein years ago) points out that, since she became the chief apologist for the NSA, her approval ratings have fallen to the lowest level in 15 years. And it doesn’t help that she’s been ranting about a mystery drone that peered in her bedroom window (but has never been found ….)

Feinstein’s 80, and it’s unlikely that she’ll seek a fifth term in 2018. Still, it’s a message: Whatever secrets Feinstein claims to know as the chair of the Senate Intelligence Committee, her constituents aren’t happy with the Surveillance State. (more after the break)

Marke B.
Marke B.
Marke Bieschke is the publisher and arts and culture editor of 48 Hills. He co-owns the Stud bar in SoMa. Reach him at marke (at) 48hills.org, follow @supermarke on Twitter.

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